How to immigrate to France: If you’re planning to come to France from another country (outside the EU), then you’ve probably thought about getting a visa, but how do you know which type to get? With so many options, it’s not always easy to be sure you choose the type of visa that’s the best fit for you. We asked Virginie Le Baler, CEO of Oui Immigration a company which specialises in managing immigration processes for France, and globally, to simplify and clarify the whole immigration process.
French Visas for immigration
Everything starts with a visa.
The process and requirements for applying for your visa depend on your specific circumstances. Still, certain elements are always required, such as a valid passport, ID photos, and supporting documents, depending on the type of visa you need.
“Let’s start with a ‘visitor’ visa,” says Virginie. “In recent months, we’ve seen a surge in requests from US citizens looking to move to France on a long-stay ‘visitor’ visa, either because they’re in the early stages of planning a move or because their application was rejected for being incomplete or poorly documented and they need help to get it right.
“The visitor visa is issued for stays longer than three months. Its official title is visa long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS), meaning that it also serves as your residence permit for up to 12 months, but note that the length may vary depending on the authority’s decision) and it’s possible to renew it if you still meet the requirements.
“For shorter visits of fewer than ninety days, you have what we call the C visa,” explains Virginie. “The C visa is generally issued for tourism, business trips or visiting family members. You also need it if you’re pausing in France and going out of the ‘international zone’ at any airport, for example if you have to go to a different airport for another flight, or if you’re waiting for a transfer flight and decide to stay over at a hotel or with someone you know. The situation will depend on your nationality and your activities while in France, and whether you benefit from a visa waiver or not.
We should also mention that individuals from certain nationalities are not required to obtain a visa to spend time in France, but your trip will still have certain constraints. For example, a British national can stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period and do so twice in the same year without a visa if it is for tourism/business reasons ( business meaning : business meetings, conferences, … and not work!).
What if I get a job in France?
While the visas, whether they’re long term or short term, mentioned above cover most tourist activities, family visits and attending conferences or meetings, they do not cover any activities from which you can earn money during your stay.
If you’d like to come and work in France for a short contract, you’ll need to apply for a long-stay visa with the mention ‘Travailleur” or Travailleur Temporaire”, depending on your work contract’s duration.
If you’re offered a salaried job, your employer needs to get a work authorisation visa (Cerfa 15187*02) that you have to include with your visa application so you can work legally in France. There are certain exceptions for this, and the employer may need to do a labour market job testing, depending on the job title and the region you’ll be employed in. Oui Immigration can explain if they are relevant to you.
Do I need a visa to work for myself?
There are two main options if you’d like to set up your own business in France, as Virginie explains.
“Firstly, the Entrepreneur visa allows you to set up a company in France, or to work in what the French call a ‘profession libérale’, which is any kind of freelance profession, from writers to architects, from consultants to nurses. You don’t need a capital investment, but you will need a strong business plan that the Ministry of Labour may need to validate – depending on the activity – and you must be able to show that your business will turn over at least 1800€ a month. The Entrepreneur visa is valid for one year and you must also show you have enough financial resources to live in France until your company makes money. It can be renewed as long as you meet the required conditions. This does not include your family gaining entry via this type of visa.
“Secondly, there’s a visa known as the ‘Company Creation Talent visa’, sometimes referred to as the ‘talent passport’. This initiative was created to attract talented, innovative professionals whose skills could enhance France’s economic attractiveness. To qualify, you must be prepared to invest 30,000€ into the French company you want to create, and prove that your business will be viable so that the French Ministry of Economy can validate it. You will also need to provide a higher studies diploma (preferably a Masters), ideally related to the activity you’re intending to work in.
“Once your application has been accepted, you’ll receive a visa and a work/residence permit that’s valid for up to four years. This, in turn, allows you to bring your children and your (married) spouse, who will also be permitted to work in France. Again, it can be renewed provided you meet the conditions.”
You can find out more about these options and additional details in this article about working for yourself in France.
What if you need to change your visa status?
“Curiously, changing your visa status in France can take longer than applying from scratch,” says Virginie. “The most common reasons that we see for changing your visa status would be when a student graduates and now wants to work, when an entrepreneur is offered a salaried position, when a visitor is offered work, or when a visitor becomes the spouse of an EU or French citizen.”
What about weddings?
“You might think that getting married to a French person means you don’t need a visa, but it does not automatically grant you a residence permit,” warns Virginie. “Specific documents are required from both parties, and the whole process can get very complex, including certified translations of various documents that you might not have anticipated.
“One of the reasons we’re so passionate about our work at Oui Immigration is that we’ve been through this process. Providing the right documents is essential as is an element of patience, though often, because we have so much knowledge of the systems, processes and requirements, we can reduce the whole timeline by around 50%, which also halves the stress!”
Find out more
And if you need any more clarity or further details, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Oui Immigration: they’re the ones with all the answers and first-hand experience!
