A Dutch au pair agency, Nina Care, has been accused of advising young individuals to misrepresent their intentions when entering the United Kingdom on electronic travel authorisations (ETAs), allowing them to work illegally as au pairs. The allegations emerged from interviews with former employees and au pairs, as well as internal documents reviewed by investigators.
Since its introduction in 2023, the UK’s ETA permits travel for up to six months for tourism, visiting family, business trips, or short-term study, but explicitly prohibits employment except under a limited set of permitted paid engagements. Au pairs do not qualify for such exceptions, yet Nina Care reportedly encouraged au pairs to enter the UK on ETAs while claiming they were visiting as tourists or participating in cultural exchanges.
Maria, a 25-year-old au pair recruited through the platform, described being provided with a guide stating that au pairs should not refer to their roles as work when questioned by UK border officials. The guide framed the arrangement as a “friend of the family” cultural exchange, with compensation classified as a “monthly financial thank-you gift” rather than wages. It advised au pairs to deny working and instead describe their visit as a holiday, including sightseeing and cultural exploration.
Former employees echoed these accounts, confirming that coaching on how to avoid admitting employment to border authorities was routine. One former employee said au pairs were often directed to travel on ETAs, despite the visa’s official purpose as a tourism or visiting friends arrangement.
The agency’s founders, twin sisters Lyla and Jasmijn Kok, launched Nina Care in 2019 and secured investment on the Dutch version of Dragons’ Den two years later. By 2023, the platform had positioned itself as the largest European au pair marketplace, operating in over 20 countries and projecting revenues nearing €8 million. Nina Care publicly advertised UK au pair placements for as little as £450 per month in exchange for approximately 35 hours of weekly childcare and household assistance.
A conversation with a Nina Care website chatbot indicated that the ETA was “officially for tourism” and did not grant permission to work or earn money, including pocket money. The chatbot cautioned that accepting compensation could be considered work under UK law and warned of potential deportation or entry bans. It encouraged users to seek au pair options in other countries.
Jasmijn Kok disputed the authenticity of the documents detailing instructions to lie at the border and stated that the chatbot reflected the company’s current position, emphasizing commitment to lawful exchange opportunities post-Brexit.
Legal experts expressed concern that Nina Care’s guidance could amount to facilitating breaches of UK immigration law. Helena Wray, professor of migration law at the University of Exeter, stated the agency was misleading both families and au pairs and encouraging dishonesty with potentially serious consequences. The Home Office reiterated that working on a visitor or ETA visa is illegal and warned of enforcement action and removal for those found in breach.
Au pairs found working illegally risk being refused entry or deported, while families unlawfully employing them face civil penalties up to £60,000 and possible criminal charges. Several au pairs reportedly have been detained and sent home after border officials detected their true intentions. One former au pair, Sofia, described a traumatic experience after being detained and returned to the United States last year. Despite previous statements that the agency would no longer endorse the “friend of the family” model, Nina Care continues to recommend travel on tourist visas, instructing au pairs to withhold the fact they are working.
The controversy highlights ongoing challenges surrounding au pair placements in the UK and the enforcement of visa regulations designed to prevent undocumented work.