Student Visas and Part-Time Work

The Authors/Les Auteurs::

Anne de GOUVION SAINT-CYR, Esq. 
Member of the Paris Bar
22, rue d'Artois
75008 Paris
Jonathon Wise POLIER, Esq.
Member of the Paris and New York Bars
4, rue de Marignan
75008 Paris 
Telephone: (33) 43 59 01 51
Fax:  (33) 1 43 59 01 52		 Telephone: (33) 1 47 23 41 51
Fax:  (33) 1 47 23 37 93
E-Mail:  anne.gouvionsaintcyr@wanadoo.fr
 E-Mail: j-polier@paris-law.com
http://www.paris-law.com
The visit to attend a French university or other institution of learning, including part-time employment

Studies for over 90 days requires a student visa (visa d'études).

The administrative steps include the following:

  1. Obtain a pre-enrollment document from the educational institution in France.
  2. Submit an application to to the appropriate French Consulate in the United States based on the applicant's state of residency.  There are currently 11 French consulates in the United States (Official addresses of French Consulates in the United States) .
  3. Submit with the application proof of means to cover ones expenses and proof of medical insurance.
  4. If the application is approved, the student will have stamped in his passport at the Consulate a "visa d'études").
  5. Depending on whether the visa is for six (6) months or one (1) year, the administrative steps and consequences will be different:

This card normally will be valid for one year and can be renewed at the Prefecture, provided the following documents are submitted at least one (1) month before the expiration date:

  1. proof of continued enrollment and satisfactory scholastic performance.
  2. proof of means (a complete set of French bank statements showing deposits in amounts needed to cover reasonable living expenses will usually surfice).
  3. proof of continued medical insurance.

Students holding a "Carte de séjour d'étudiant" can under certain circumstances obtain a part-time work authorization ("Authorization provisoire de travail"). Generally, part-time work is authorized during the school year and full time employment is possible during the summer vacation.

See: Other renewal tips  and tips for staying out of visa troubles

If you read French, the visa application forms for both short and long-term visits and check lists of documents that may be required for various categories of visas are available at http://www.diplomatie.fr/venir/visas/

Index of Articles on Issues of French-American Business Law

DISCLAIMER

The information provided here and on the other pages linked hereto is intended for educational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Particular situations require particular analyses that can only be provided by legal professionals who specialize in the relevant fields and who know all the details of a situation. Also, a presentation such as this does not establish the attorney-client relationship that is necessary in any rendering of legal advice. Finally, one should be aware that the law is a chameleon-like beast that changes its colors frequently, and what holds good today may be reversed by tomorrow. The comments herein should then be read in that light.
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