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You’ve started a new life, you’ve made new friends, or maybe you’re only halfway through your France bucket list. Simply put, your working holiday in France is coming to an end but you aren’t quite ready to leave. The good news is that you can extend your working holiday by another 12 months if you are Canadian!
There are two ways to apply for an extension: the first is to return to VFS Global (a third party company that receives applications on behalf of French consulates) in Canada, and the second option is to apply at your prefecture in France. The choice depends entirely on your timing and personal situation.
Option 1: Return to VFS Global in Canada
If you opt for option 1, simply follow the same steps as your initial application. You will fill out the online application form and then attend your appointment at the VFS Global centre to submit everything. Your dossier will be processed by the Consulate of France. Once your application is approved, you will receive another WHV sticker in your passport, not an APS (autorisation provisoire de séjour, explained below in option 2).
The application does not have to be submitted before the expiry of your first WHV; there can be a break, long or short, between your two working holidays. However, in either case, you must submit your application before your 36th birthday.
If you are a resident of Quebec and have already exhausted your allowed absence within the last 7 years, then you can just provide your previous RAMQ attestation as proof.
Option 2: Apply for an APS at your prefecture in France
Translated literally, autorisation provisoire de séjour means temporary residence authorisation. Since French administration uses very specific terms for its various permits, we will continue referring to it as the APS. Avoid using any unofficial English translations when communicating with administration as it may cause confusion about the exact permit at hand.
The APS is a document that allows a foreign national to temporarily stay on French soil. You can apply for it even if you have a already turned 36 years old (source). Like the Working Holiday Visa, the APS authorizes holders to stay for a set period while also granting open work authorization. It is a separate document, not a sticker in your passport.
Unlike in option 1, your APS application must be submitted prior to the expiration of your WHV. There cannot be a gap.
Here is the part of the official bilateral accord where the APS is provisioned for.
How do I apply for an APS?
You should read these stories of Canadians who were able to obtain their APS. They contain lots of helpful information on this often stressful process.
Your application must be addressed to the local prefecture of your department (i.e. the administrative centre of the French department where you reside). Each prefecture operates independently. Some are by in-person appointment only, while others ask for the application to be mailed.
Three or four months before the expiration of your visa, contact your prefecture to ask them what the application steps are. It is important to explicitly ask for an autorisation provisoire de séjour of 12 months rather than asking for a renewal of the Working Holiday Visa, which is not possible at the prefecture.
According to previous working holiday makers, some prefectures are harder to reach than others so don’t wait too long.
What documents do I need?
Follow the instructions given to you by your prefecture. In general, you should be prepared to provide:
- Your passport (photocopy)
- Your Working Holiday Visa (photocopy)
- Proof of residence dating from no longer than 6 months ago (e.g. utility bills or statement of rental insurance)
- Proof of funds equivalent to €2500 (e.g., bank statement, work contract, pay slips)
- Proof of private health insurance
- 3 recent ID photographs
If you live with roommates and bills don’t have your name on them, your prefecture may be able to accept those of your roommate’s or the landlord’s along with his or her ID.
As for health insurance, usually you can renew it one or two months prior to the end of your coverage. Contact your insurance provider for more details.
SOS, my prefecture isn’t responding to me!
It is very possible that your prefecture will not adequately respond to your inquiries via email or telephone. Don’t worry, you are far from being the only one to have encountered this.
In this case, based on our own experiences, we advise that you send by email and post (no earlier than 2 months before your WHV expiry) a letter to your prefecture explaining your situation and what exactly you require of them. You should specify that you want an APS of 12 months as outlined in the Franco-Canadian accord for youth mobility, not a renewal of your WHV. Also ask for an appointment, since it is not possible to enter the prefectural bureau without an appointment confirmation (the security agent will not let you in).
Attach a copy of your passport and visa. Be sure to leave your contact information too. Ideally, you will be contacted via email and invited to an appointment to submit your full application.
The day of your appointment at the prefecture
Don’t be surprised if your appointment is set for just a few days before the expiration date of your WHV – this has been the experience of many past WHV holders.
Once you’ve submitted your papers, usually the agent at the service counter will give you an application receipt (un récipissé de dépôt de demande). This paper serves as proof that you are waiting for your real APS document and it gives you the same rights to live and work in France during the waiting period, even if your first WHV expires during this time.
You will then either receive your APS by mail or go back to the prefecture to pick it up. The service agent will tell you which method applies.
If in person, make sure during pick up that all the printed information is correct before leaving the service window. If you see an error, flag it right away.
And there you have it!
Other frequently asked questions
There’s no right or wrong answer, it just depends on your timing and personal situation.
Pros of the APS method: 1) You don’t have to pay for a flight to Canada. 2) Some employers are more familiar with the APS than the WHV, which can facilitate your job search, if applicable. 3) There is no application fee. 4) As an APS holder, you may try to apply for a social security number through CPAM (but this is neither mandatory nor guaranteed).
Cons of the APS method: 1) Prefectures are not very responsive. 2) A lot of prefectural employees aren’t familiar with the rights of WHV holders, so you may need to practice patience and perseverance.
Pros of the VFS method: 1) You already know what to expect, because the steps are the same as the first time. 2) VFS agents are very familiar with the WHV and know exactly what to do.
Cons of the VFS method: 1) It is very difficult to secure an appointment at VFS. 2) As a WHV holder (1st or 2nd time), it is not possible to apply for a social security number nor access public health insurance. 3) VFS charges an application fee.
The prefecture should be your first and main point of contact for the APS application. But if for whatever reason if you’ve tried everything and they are still unable to help you, you can try to contact the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories. You can also contact the Canadian Embassy in Paris : [email protected].
Neither the Ministry nor the Canadian Embassy accept or process APS applications, but they may be able to press your prefecture on your behalf.
If you don’t have a printer at home, you can go to Corep. They have 50 locations in France, including Paris, Lille, Bordeaux, Marseille, and more. Alternatively, some local public libraries may allow members to print for free. For the ID photos, you can find any photo booth. They are dotted around all major cities, including in train stations and malls.
(60) Comments
Hi Jackson, thanks for your wealth of wisdom and advice on this forum! I am currently in Grenoble (Préfecture d’Isère) and approaching my visa renewal timeframe. Up until now, I was set on returning to Canada to renew my visa with VFS. However, I had a very hard time getting an appointment and communicating with them for my first WHV and so I’m considering starting the process here In France for an APS and making VFS plan B if I’m unsuccessful. The only thing is that I’m worried that if the APS plan falls through, I won’t have enough time to organise my renewal with VFS. I saw in your post that it’s okay to have a gap between visas if obtained through VFS, so do you have any examples of that or more information on that which could help bring me more certitude?
Thanks in advance!
Olive
Hi Olive. A lot of Canadians have already successfully done this in the past. You can probably find some examples online, though most are written in French. Also, the official Franco-Canadian accord does not say anywhere that participations must be consecutive, if that might reassure you. If you want, the embassy of France in Canada can probably tell you the same thing.
Thanks for the extra info. I think I’ll give the APS a shot and head home if it doesn’t work out. That definitely gives me some extra reassurance, appreciate it!
Hi Jackson,
I’ve followed your steps from this post (thank you, it was very informative!), and emailed the prefecture I’m currently in. They replied to my email today, one week after sending it. My visa expires July 17, and they’ve booked an appointment for July 15. However, I return to Canada for the summer on July 2. Is it possible to request a date change for the appointment? If so, how?
Hi Amy. You would have to coordinate that with your prefecture directly. You can email them or call them.
Thanks for the reply! I’ll try phoning both and hope for the best!
Hi Jackson, thank you for your response to my last question. I did what you said and I was able to get my APS.
I have another issue now. Just to be clear : everything was approved by the Prefecture, who is aware that my employer is going to offer me a CDI upon reception of my APS. They even told me that I could request a “changement de statut” over the next few months, in order to acquire a “titre de séjour (salariée)”. My employer was on board with everything, and had written a letter to me stating that she will offer me a CDI once I have my APS.
Unfortunately, my employer is a paranoid type, and instead of sending me a contract yesterday (when I got my APS), so that I could return to work on Monday, she said she does not know what an APS is and that normally they are handed out to students, which means I am not legally allowed to work full-time. I don’t understand this 180 degree turn, to be honest. This is crazy to me, because I have worked full-time during my one year in France, with other employers having checked and approved my legal situation, and even the Préfecture is well aware of this. I tried explaining my unique PVT situation to her — saying that the APS in my case is simply an extension of my PVT, and so I remain entitled to the rights I had with the PVT — but she has decided to check with her legal expert first, and has thus withheld me from coming to work until at least Wednesday.
Just to be sure, I am indeed within my rights to work, aren’t I? What if she tells me no — do I have any way to contest the decision when there is no legal backing for it? Do I ask for proof from her “legal expert”? I cannot see how she could justifiably say no. Could she just be trying to find an excuse to let me go? This is all early, and she may sincerely just be checking (she is a stressed/paranoid type by nature), so I may still get my contract by Tuesday afternoon. But I would appreciate a reminder of my rights here. Thank you so much and apologies for the long message.
Hi niloo. Sorry to hear this. Does your APS look like mine, the image in this article? If so, at the bottom of the APS you can see that it says Cette autorisation permet à son titulaire d’occuper un emploi. Which means you are fully allowed to work.
There are different types of APS, not just for student. As you can see in my example, it mentions “VACANCES-TRAVAIL”.
Hi again Jackson, thank you so much for your prompt response.
This is the exact document I have. Which is why I was so surprised by her reaction — it literally says right on the document that I have the right to work. I don’t know why she even brought up the term “student.” She is the nervous type so maybe she just needs to make sure of everything before writing up the contract — this is what she tells me, anyways. I will wait and see what she says today/tomorrow. Thank you for reassuring me regarding my rights!
Just an update — her legal expert gave me the green light and I was offered a CDI, so all is well! For anyone in the same position.
That’s great. What is your department? Would you be willing to share you story with me so that I can add it to our list of APS departments to help others? If so, please send me a DM.
I am in Grenoble (Isère)! And sure thing. I will send you a DM detailing my story soon. I think it will help to reassure others regarding the waiting period. 🙂
Hi Jackson, I hope you are doing well! As always thank you for being so responsive and helpful.
I finally received an appointment at the Préfecture de l’Isère for my APS request.
However, the list of documents they require do not include the Proof of funds equivalent to €2500 (e.g., bank statement, work contract, pay slips)or the Proof of private health insurance. Should I still bring them with me, just in case ?
Despite my application being sent on time, they set my appointment for the 16th of May — 2 days after the expiration of my WHV. My current employer is willing to wait for my affairs to get in order, thank goodness — but will this delay otherwise cause me any issues?
Thank you in advance!
Congrats on getting the appointment! It’s ok that it’s 2 days after the expiration. This has happened to many past WHVers and it’s not your fault. Yes bring your proof of funds and insurance just in case, but don’t present any more documents than they ask of you on the spot.
Before leaving your appointment, make sure they give you a récipissé while you wait for your real APS. You can use it to keep working in France.
I appreciate how your posts here are more comprehensive than some official instructions. Thank you!
I wonder how picky they are about empty pages? My passport is almost full… Would VFS let me extend if I replace my passport?
You’re welcome! Can you please clarify your question? Are you saying that you have no more empty pages in your passport and therefore are worried that VFS won’t give you a second WHV?
I wonder if there will be issues to re-apply for the second stamp if I renew my passport (assuming the ‘extension’ would be somehow linked to the original passport number). Also, I got my first stamp before my 36th birthday, so if a new passport makes me ‘another person’ to them, then I’m not eligible because of age?
And the pages concern is more about other countries I might enter. Perhaps France would accept it, but if I go somewhere else after, then maybe it’s an issue to only have one page left.
If you’re applying for a second WHV at VFS in Canada, then it doesn’t matter if you use the old or new passport because the consulate has full record of your past French visas. For your second participation, you still have to meet the age requirement of 35 years old or younger.
If you’re applying for the APS inside France, that is a separate document that the prefecture issues to you, not another visa adhered to your passport page.
Well I learned some things from my appointment:
1. Yes, you need to be under 36 for your second participation; I wonder if that applies to APS as well?
2. Although for APS you must apply *before* expiry, VFS expects you to apply *after* expiry.
3. The two blank pages should be consecutive, so better to apply for a new passport in my case.
Thanks for sharing your experience! To answer your first question, I suspect it depends on how lucky you get at the prefecture. No all employees know the details of the working holiday APS very well, and there is a 50/50 chance.
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