The VFS Global appointment

VFS Global centres

When you get to the last page of your application on France-Visas, you will be asked to declare that you have made a VFS appointment before being able to continue further.

VFS Global is a private third-party service provider for governments worldwide. The company manages visa and passport issuance-related administrative tasks—for instance, it collects Working Holiday Visa applications and biometric data on behalf of the French government. However, applications are still transferred to the French consulate for processing.

You will drop off your application, provide biometric data and collect your passport after the decision is made at your designated VFS Global centre. Since biometric data collection is a requirement, you have to go in person to one of their centres in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or Ottawa.

Booking an appointment

Go to the VFS Global website and click on “2: If you have ALREADY FILLED the France-Visas application form”.

Make an account if you don’t already have one (VFS is separate from France-Visas). Then, sign in and start a new booking.

Important information

• The appointment fee is ~$45.
• You should select the same centre that you indicated on your application form (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or Ottawa).
• For the visa category, select Long stay (D). For the subcategory, select Long stay – Working Holiday Visa. If that option is not shown, then select Long stay (D) – other category.
• It is not possible to book an appointment for more than one month later.
• You have the option of purchasing additional services offered by VFS, but those are completely option.

After payment, a confirmation message will appear. You will also receive a confirmation email. Print out both confirmations and bring them with you to your appointment.

Finalizing your France-Visas application

Don’t forget to finalize your application on France-Visas after booking your appointment with VFS Global!

Check the box to confirm that you did make an appointment with a VFS Global centre and that a date has been scheduled. Click “Submit to the visa center”. Congratulations, you’re all done with your online application!

The day of your appointment

During your appointment, VFS associates will take your biometrics (photo and fingerprints) and check that your application file is complete. Make sure to bring:

• Your completed application form, all pages (see image below)
• The receipt of visa application (see image below)
• The VFS appointment confirmation
• All other documents listed in chapter 2 (original and photocopy)

What should I do if no VFS appointments are available?

Since demand for appointments is high and supply is low, there is a good chance that there will be no availability at the moment you try to book an appointment.

Don’t panic, patience is key. According to our experience and stories from past applications, VFS centres release appointments at the middle and end of every month. This means that on the 14-15th and 30-31th of every month, you should pay close attention to the website for new availabilities.

Here are a couple of additional tried and true tips from past working holiday makers:

• If the appointment subcategory for Working Holiday Visa is full, try the “Other” subcategory. According to past participants, this won’t be an issue.
• If you don’t want to deal with checking the site regularly, you can also pay CA$47 to be added to the waitlist for appointments. Past participants have confirmed that it works, but wait times are unpredictable; be prepared to wait 2-3 weeks before receiving an invitation. And also beware that if you join the waitlist for a city, you cannot manually claim an earlier appointment at a centre in another city even if you see a spot open up.

You could also try to contact the VFS customer service, but it is unlikely that they can do anything for you.