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Introduction to the France WHV
The France-Canada Youth Mobility Agreement is an opportunity for young Canadians to stay in France for up to 36 months (including 24 months under the working holiday category) to deepen their understanding of French language, culture, and society.
Every year, many Canadians head to France on a Working Holiday Visa. France sets an annual quota of 7,000 for Canadians on this program, but so far the quota has never been reached. The WHV is an excellent way to explore this amazing country on the other side of the Atlantic that shares a history and language with Canada. This guide will walk you through the WHV application process.
Eligibility criteria
- Age: You must be between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusive as of the application date, which means that you can apply until the day before your 36th birthday.
- Passport: You must hold a Canadian passport valid for at least 3 months beyond the last day of your stay in France.
Program description and rules
- The WHV is a type D visa (long stay), with mention of vacances-travail.
- You can participate in two working holidays (with or without break) of 12 months each, for a total of 24 months.
- You have work authorization in France, but employment should not be the primary motive of your working holiday. That said, the Accord does not impose any formal restrictions on work hours or domain of work.
- During the validity period of the visa, you can freely leave and re-enter France.
- The France-Canada Youth Mobility Agreement does not include a specific provision for dependents or a partner accompanying a visa holder under this program. If you have dependents or a partner who wishes to travel with you, they will need to apply separately.
- There are no language requirements, but your application must be in English or French.
- As a part of your application, you must provide proof of private medical insurance covering medical expenses, hospitalization, and repatriation for the duration of your stay (further explained in chapter 3).
If you meet the eligibility criteria and can commit to respecting the rules of the program, then read the next chapter for an overview of the application process.
(59) Comments
Hi,
I am applying for the WHV from Toronto Ontario, I am in france right now for vacation waiting for my appointment at the VFS to get my WHV.
I finally found on appointment in Montreal because I never find any in Toronto.
I took that appointment but I saw after that on my application it says that my VFS is Toronto, can I still use Montreal to get it ? Do I need to change in my application and put Montreal instead of Toronto ?
I am going to fly back to Canada just for my appointment I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing
And after this appointment how long does it need to get the Visa ?
Thank you for your help !
Jorge
Hi Jorge. I’m not sure about this. I recommend that you contact VFS support to confirm. And please let us know here once you have the answer, thanks!
Hi Jackson,
I’m in a bit of a situation – I’ve been working in Paris on a WHV and it’s expiring in 2 months. I’d like to either renew or apply for a Talent Passport but I’m unable to do so online since I don’t have a foreign number.
The local Prefecture has also been unhelpful they’re confused. Do you know if I can apply for a status change from France or if I need to go back to Canada? I’m trying to avoid going back by all means.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Alireza. It’s true that WHVers do not have a foreigner number. APS holders do, however, get one. I don’t know much about the Talent Passport, but if you want a foreigner number and thereby gain access to the ANEF portal, you can apply for an APS. The steps are explained in https://pvtistes.net/en/extend-working-holiday-france/
Hi Jackson! When renewing my WHV do I need the criminal record check and medical certification? My appointment is in Vancouver this week and I cannot remember if I had those in my application the first time. Kind regards!
Hey it wasn’t required the first time, so it shouldn’t be the second time. Good luck 🙂
Hello would it be possible to apply for 24 months long stay visa upfront on arrival to France? also do you offer one on one consultancy on whv in France, i need tips on settling in , opening bank accounts etc
Hi Tosin.
1) You can only get a WHV for 12 months. But Canadians can extend their stay for another 12 months at the end.
2) See chapter 7 for tips on settling, housing, bank account, phone number etc
3) If you still have questions, you can sign up for one of our free online Q&A workshops https://pvtistes.net/en/bonsplans/workshops/
Hi Jackson! Thanks for your website, it is very helpful! From your personal experience or from what you are noticing currently, do you happen to have a delay estimation from the time the application is sent to the consulate by vfs to when vfs advises that the passeport and visa are ready for pick up? My flight is in a couple of days and I am stressing really hard because I have no clue what I will Do if I do not receive it on time (either delay or cancel my trip). I applied for à long term visa because I will be in France for 11 months. I Wonder if there is any way to aplply for the visa from Europe within the 90 day time limit. Do you happen to know ? Thank you so much. You are my last hope at obtaining some sort of useful info now..
Hello Li, you’re very welcome. I have applied for two different France visas through VFS and in both cases, my passport was mailed back to me within 7-8 days of my appointment. It’s hard to say if that is standard for most people or not. And generally it is not possible to apply for a France visa as a visitor on French soil (certainly not the first WHV). What type of visa are you applying for?
Thank you so much for your Quick response, that gives me some hope 🙂 i am applying for a long term visa (tourist). And actually I was wonderijg whether it was also possible to do it abroad (for exemple in the French Embassy in England which is outside the Schengen zone). Thank you so much Jackson 🙂
I am not sure about that, it is best to confirm with the embassy directly. My understanding is that in general, you should be at least a resident of the country in which you are submitting an application (if not your country of citizenship). Though there could be exceptions.
I’m not sure if this is applicable to you, but Canadians who have gotten a WHV to France can apply for a 12 month extension via the APS. And this can fully be done on French soil. https://pvtistes.net/en/extend-working-holiday-france/
Thanks again for all tha precious info :)!!
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