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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.
(49) Comments
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.
Thanks for this helpful article! I’ve been trying to get an appointment with my sous-prefecture (Raincy – 93) for over a month now for the APS. They are unresponsive to emails, they do not have a phone service for etrangers anymore, and they have no information or RDV links on their website that relate to an APS post-PVT. I’ve even tried submitting an application for another service (renewal of Titre de Sejour) just to get them to read my query, but no response. I’ve tried contacting the Canadian Embassy, but they advised that they can only interview 2 weeks before the expiry of the visa. I would rather not leave this until the last minute–any other tips on how to get an appointment? 93 is not on the list of case studies, unfortunately. Thank you so much!
Hi melosm. Did you try physically mailing your dossier to your prefecture explaining the urgency of your situation? If all else fails, it’s ok to wait until the 2 week mark to re-contact the Canadian Embassy for them to help you. Many past WHVers (including myself) succeeded only days before expiration so it’s not unsual. Keep a record of your attempts to reach the prefecture.
Thank you! I haven’t tried physically mailing or dropping off my dossier–I assumed if they won’t respond to emails, they probably don’t check mail! But it’s a good suggestion–would I need to include all the supporting documents/full application, or just a letter explaining my situation and copy of my visa? Thank you!
Please find the answer in the section of this article called “sos prefecture not responding to me”.
Hi Jackson, thank you for this valuable blog.
I am presently living and working in Grenoble. My WHV expires on May 14th, so I am going to apply for an APS next week. The Grenoble Prefecture is unresponsive. Their immigration service is unreachable, and the standard operators aren’t able to provide answers… so I am hoping to receive some information from you. Here are my questions :
1) I am going to send a lettre recommandé next week explaining my situation, clearly indicating that I am asking for an APS (and not another WHV), and making sure to mention the bilateral accord since I do not believe this prefecture is even aware of such a thing. My question is : will they eventually respond my e-mail ? This is important to me, because I am currently in the process of moving to another apartment, and I will no longer be at my current address once they respond. The lady on the phone did say they respond by e-mail, but I just want to make sure.
2) Should I mention the future change of address and my e-mail address in the letter, so that they are made aware ?
3) My partner of 2 years is French, we are in the same city and will move in together soon. However he was recently contacted for a job interview in the Nice region. If he does gets the job, I will have to join him there and it may be within 2 to 3 months from now. Is it possible to make an APS request at one prefecture and move to another city while waiting for an answer ? Would I need to inform someone, and if so, should it be by lettre recommandé ? Chances of the job offer happening are not so high but we want to be prepared.
I apologize for the length of this message and I thank you sincerely for your help.
Sorry, in my first question I meant to write :
My question is : will they eventually respond BY e-mail ?
Glad this is helpful!
1) In my experience, if they receive your letter and invite you to a convocation, they will do so via the email that you write in your letter. It’s unlikely they’ll mail you a physical convocation.
2-3) As far as I know, prefectures operate independently. Each one is responsible only for its own residents. If I were you, I would not mention it in the initial letter, for fearing of complicating things unnecessarily (since you said the move isn’t even guaranteed). I would send the letter and wait for a convocation. Once you secure the appointment, then you are in a better position to ask questions about your specific situation.
Thank you so much, Jackson !
Hey everyone!!
So I’m going to Paris with a PVT that lasts until 7th of December, but I just recently got accepted into a university exchange program that would last until January..!! What should I do? It’s my second PVT. Is it still possible to get an APS? Could I possibly get a simple 3-4 weeks extension? Please help 🥺🙏🏻
Hi Camille. If you only need to extend your stay by a couple of weeks, then the easiest solution is probably to just leave the Schengen zone and re-enter as a tourist. However, please note that the PVT/WHV is intended primarily for an extended vacation. If the primary motive of your stay is a university exchange, then you may want to inform yourself on the student visa. Or if you are Canadian, the university exchange IEC category. https://pvtistes.net/en/international-experience-canada-iec/
Hi Jackson, thank you so much for your answer. If I’ve been in France for 10 months though, don’t I have to wait 90 days before coming back? I would only need the time to finish my exams before leaving, but I’m open to any options.
Hi Camille. The 90 days rule only applies to days spent as a tourist/visitor. Days spent on a long-stay visa (such as the WHV) do not count toward the allowance.
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