Stories from Canadians who successfully renewed their France WHV

The renewal process for Canadians on a WHV is often stressful. Procedures differ from department to department, and sometimes even from employee to employee. Hopefully these success stories from various regions in France will be helpful to you. If you don’t see one for your exact department, read the other ones anyway, as there are many common themes.

Technically this is a net new APS application, not a WHV renewal. Any use of the word “renewal” is not to be taken literally as a renewal of the WHV. Do not say to French authorities that you are trying to renew your WHV, because it is not possible.

Valerie, Bouches-du-Rhône (13)

[October 2023]
Two months prior to the expiry of my WHV, I sent by mail all the necessary documents (proof of address, of funds, and of health insurance, copy of passport, and ID photos) with a cover letter and explaining the Franco-Canadian accord for youth mobility.

6 weeks later, I still had no response from either the prefecture nor the Minister of the Interior. I tried twice, without success, and felt very discouraged.

Then finally the prefecture replied with this email:

Pour répondre à votre demande, je vous confirme que les ressortissants de nationalité canadienne, titulaires d’un visa vacances-travail, peuvent solliciter auprès des autorités préfectorales du lieu de résidence une autorisation provisoire de séjour valable 12 mois.

Je vous confirme que vous serez convoqué la semaine précédant la date de fin de validité de vos visas vacances-travail.

So I emailed my documents as requested. I then received a convocation by email to pick up my APS in person.

I brought the following with me:

• Passport
• Proof of funds in euros
• Proof of health insurance
• 2 ID photos
• The convocation email

My appointment at the prefecture was a nightmare. My appointment was for 8:15am, so I arrived early at 8am. There were at least 50 people ahead of me, it was chaotic. No one was even lining up. When I finally got to the security guard at the entrance, he asked me to show proof of convocation and then pointed to where I needed to go.

There was a second agent who gave me a number and directed me to the waiting room. After 1.5 hours of waiting, my number was finally called. The employee at the window told me that I’m not at the right place and that I probably missed my appointment already. I explained to her that I was directed here by the agents, so it was out of my control.

Eventually she decides to talk to her boss and they tell me to go back to the waiting room. A while later I get called back to the window and finally they give me my APS. I didn’t have to pay anything.

My advice for the convocation appointment would be to tell the security agent that this is not a visa renewal, but rather an application for a new visa. Otherwise he will direct you to the wrong place.

In summary, the APS application in Bouches-du-Rhône is not complicated if you know that you have to email your documents two weeks before visa expiration.

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Dali, la Gironde (33)

[October 2023]
It was thanks to stories from others that I was able to start the renewal process. I started around two months before my WHV expiration date. I found someone on the group called Québécois(es) expatriés en France who had also gone through the process in Gironde (Bordeaux). She sent me the link to the form to fill out, but the list of documents indicated did not match that which is typical of an APS. So I searched the experiences of Canadians in other prefectures. In doing so I found the right link.

I sent my application by mail with tracking. 6 weeks passed without any news. I tried to call and email the prefecture, without success. So I decided to try everything. I emailed the Canadian Embassy in Paris as well as the French Ministry of the Interior, which I had heard might be helpful.

One week before my WHV expiration, I received an email from the prefecture saying that my application was being processed (it was probably the Ministry of the Interior that put things into motion). I replied to them, explaining that my deadline was approaching.

A few days passed and I received an email from another address telling me that they had mailed a letter to me. This letter supposedly was an invitation to go to the prefecture to pick up my APS. They tell me in the email that I never showed up to my appointment. But I never received any letter… On the last day of my WHV I made an appointment at the prefecture to get a final solution.

I arrived at my official appointment and the employees asked me if I had an invitation (une convocation). I explained my situation to the very nice lady and she let me enter. When I got to the service desk, I asked if my APS was ready. The lady there didn’t really understand what I was talking about, so she consulted a colleague. Thankfully the colleague was familiar with the procedure, and my APS was ready! So I was able to leave the appointment with APS in hand.

Weirdly enough, later that same afternoon after I already got my APS, I received an email saying that my APS is ready… The story had a happy ending, but clearly there was zero coordination between the various employees at the prefecture.

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Laurie, l’Hérault (34)

The process started smoothly but then became complicated. There is an application form for the Hérault department online that I sent by mail two months before the expiration of my WHV. I received a positive response saying that I will be invited to an appointment, and that they would get back to me one week before visa expiry to confirm the exact date and time of the appointment.

I thought “wow this is very well organized”, BUT NO. I never heard back from them. I must have written 10 emails in two weeks. The last email was written dramatically and entirely in upper case, to which they finally replied with an appointment invitation. When I showed up, I received my APS in two seconds in the waiting room. I wasn’t even asked to show my ID.

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Marie-Pier, Meurthe-et-Moselle (54)

I went to the prefecture three months before my WHV expiration date to apply for an APS. Since the France WHV is not very common, every agent I interacted with told me something different. The situation also negatively affected my employer, since I had to take several days off to take care of my papers. Here is how my application process went.

January 2020 :
At the entrance office, the agent didn’t know where to direct me. She asked me if I am sure that I am at the right place. She ended up giving me a numbered ticket to the bureau des séjours réguliers. There too, the second agent looked at me with a confused expression. She said that she had never come across my situation, and that I would have to return to Canada to get a new visa. After I insisted three times, she finally was able to confirm that I indeed was eligible for an APS of 12 months. But since the 12 months of the APS would begin on the very day of its issuance, we agreed that I should come back one week before the expiration of my WHV, so late April.

June 2020 :
After months of confinement and several unanswered calls and emails, I was eventually able to secure an appointment on their website for June 2020. In the appointment confirmation was written “bureau of asylum” (bureau d’asile). But when I went, they directed me to the bureau des séjours. I explained my situation and showed the signed document from January 2020. Once again, the agent was unfamiliar with the WHV and so made another appointment for me a week later.

The agent who issued my APS made an error in my name, and told me that he couldn’t rectify it. He had issued me an APS for only 6 months, which I was later able to renew for another 6 months upon its expiration.

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Meghan, le Nord (59)

[August 2023]
For my WHV renewal, I depended on the prefecture of the Nord department, in the city of Lille. The second year of working holiday is not technically a WHV, but an autorisation provisoire de séjour (APS).

In April 2023, I contacted the prefecture to ask how to renew my WHV. They sent me the form to fill out and instructed me to send everything back two months before the expiration of my WHV (28 August 2023). So I mailed everything to them on June 26, with tracking and delivery confirmation.

The documents I sent:

• The form provided by the prefecture



• Copy of passport and WHV
• Proof of address in France dating from less than 6 months ago
• Proof of funds equivalent to 2500 euros (bank statement and freelancer invoices)
• Health insurance coverage
• 3 recent ID photos

One month before my WHV expiration

I contacted the prefecture again for an update, and they never replied (even to this day). After the third unsuccessful email, I decided to contact the Ministry of the Interior, which had already helped me before with an unrelated but even more complicated situation.

On August 3, I received an email from BDEAI DIMM DGEF (the Ministry)

Vous avez attiré notre attention sur votre difficulté à prolonger votre VVT. La préfecture du Nord a été contactée afin de lui signaler votre dossier.

Si vous n’avez pas de réponse d’ici le lundi 21 août, merci de nous écrire à cette adresse.

I patiently waited until August 21. Still no news from the prefecture, so I contacted the Ministry again for them to give the prefecture another push.

On August 24, I received an email from Pref travailleurs étrangers. They told me that my application was missing:

• A valid proof of residence, such as an energy bill or internet subscription
• Proof of health insurance covering me for the second year

As I live with a couple of roommates, nothing is under my name. I just pay rent directly to my landlord, who is also my roommate. The prefecture eventually explained to me that I could just send a document in her name along with her ID.

One hour later, I received my APS by email, and then the physical copy by mail two days later.

Conclusion

If you run into a problem with your WHV renewal, try contacting the Ministry of the Interior. They have the ability to poke unresponsive prefectures.

Also note that the APS starts the very day that the prefecture issues the document. For example, my APS started on August 24, while my first WHV expired on August 28.

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Stéfanie, Grand-Est et Bas-Rhin (67)

[October 2022]
After attempting multiple calls and emails in July and August, I finally got a response to my questions in October. They told me to just go to the site Démarches simplifiées.

• 1) Create an account and complete the application form
• 2) Choose other visa and then specific in the box
• 3) Ignore the question about your foreigner number (votre numéro étranger). Provide your passport, visa, proof of address, and familial status (this document will be provided in the form). If you are being housed by someone else, provide the proof of housing of that person, as well as a declaration explaining that you are being housed by them.
• 4) In the section Pour les autres cas, specify the motivation for your application. Consider explaining that you have a WHV and that you are requesting an APS, as outlined in the France-Canada youth mobility accord.
• 5) Even if it is not required, consider providing your bank statement to show that you have sufficient funds to stay, as well as proof of continued health insurance coverage.
• 6) Once everything is sent, you just need to wait for an appointment confirmation. Bring with you a recent ID photo.

Arrive 5-10 minutes early to your appointment as there may be a line. Bring the following physical documents:

• Your visa
• Your passport
• Proof of address dating from less than 6 months ago
• Bank statement
• The completed and signed familial status form
• Proof of health insurance

Since you have an appointment, you can go to the RDV line. Enter the prefecture and go up the stairs. Once inside, look for the window assigned to you. You will be called to it when it is your turn.

Once called to the service window, stay calm. You have everything you need and the person should know what to do. Personally, I didn’t have to say anything; the lady seemed to be familiar with the steps required.

They will give you a document containing: your full name, date of birth, nationality, address in France, photo, signature, and text stating that you have your APS.

Check the document for errors. The validity period should be one year. There was a typo in my name, and when I alerted the employee to this, she thanked me and reissued me a new one. Otherwise the first one would not have been valid.

Now you can leave with your APS in hand!

I didn’t have any problems during my appointment. At the entrance to the prefecture, there is a line for people without an appointment, but I don’t know if you can just go there if you have a question. When I was there, it was primarily occupied by refugees from Ukraine.

My WHV expired on 9 November 2022, and my APS started on 10 November 2022, so it was all good! I hope my experience can be helpful to others.

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Mrtnbchrdle (alias), Rhône (69)

[February 2024]
I just managed to extend my working holiday for the second year and receive my APS. Here is how I did it.

This is an important document to be familiar with: application conditions for the Franco-Canadian accord.

This is the exact accord signed between France and Canada for the WHV. It explains how prefectures should operate. Consider mentioning it during your interactions with the prefecture, if needed. Don’t let them send you on a wild goose chase – it is the prefecture that handles these requests.

They likely won’t be familiar with this type of application, so don’t be surprised if they don’t provide clear answers to your questions. The day of your appointment, they will be able to help you.

Step 1
You must submit your application two months before the expiration date of your WHV, because they will take some time to respond. If you do it earlier than this, they might cancel your application.

Step 2
You must indicate that it is a new application via this link, and NOT a renewal.

Step 3
Create your account, fill in the form, and choose Visa Vacances Travail Franco Canadien. If this option does not appear, choose any other one and just write in the comments what you are applying for.

Step 4
Complete and add all the required documents on démarche simplifiées.

Step 5
Add in the comments that you are requesting an APS following your WHV, as stipulated in the Accord.

Step 6
Send your completed application and await an appointment invitation.

If your WHV will expire during the waiting period, contact the Embassy of Canada in Paris via their priority channel. They will forward your information to personnel in charge of immigration affairs, who will contact you directly. You will not be able to work, but you won’t be obligated to leave France either.

Step 7
You will receive an appointment invitation by email. Bring all your original documents:

• Passport
• Working Holiday Visa
• Proof of residential address in France
• Proof of resources equivalent to at least 2500 euros
• Health insurance coverage
• 2 recent ID photos

Step 8
You will get your APS on the spot and can start or resume work from that moment on.

ATTENTION!
The APS can be issued for 6 months or 12 months (both codes are in their system). Consider communicating to the prefectural agent that you are looking for the 12 month one.

Best of luck in your WHV renewal.

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Jackson, Val-de-Marne (94)

[February 2024]
About 4 months before the expiry of my WHV, I started emailing my prefecture to ask what the procedures are to apply for an autorisation provisoire de séjour (APS). Over several weeks, I sent several emails. Each time, they would just say they’ve transferred it to the appropriate pôle to reply to my question, but I would never get a response.

So about two months before expiry, I emailed the French Ministry of the Interior to ask the same question. The same thing happened: they would tell me my request has been transferred. But I never got any follow up after that.

Just as I was getting desperate, my colleague Meghan magically stumbled upon the APS application for prefecture 94 online. Apparently she had gotten to it just by Googling some keywords (brilliant, I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that!). She also found a website where I could make an appointment at the prefecture (at this link). Even though at this point I still had zero formal instructions via email from the prefecture, it seemed like I had everything I needed: the application form and a way to secure an appointment.

When I showed up at the sub-prefecture (l’Haÿ-les-Roses) for my appointment with my documents and application, the employee at the desk looked at my papers and flatly told me she couldn’t help me. When I tried to get an explanation, she just rudely told me I need to leave and email the prefecture to ask, because she has other appointments lined up after me. When I politely insisted on having an explanation, she threatened to call security, so I left. It was a disaster.

Looking back, I think this first appointment I had made was just for picking up visas that were ready, not for submitting new applications. That’s why the employee was not expecting to see a case like mine.

Unsure of what else to do and three weeks away from visa expiry, I immediately emailed AND physically mailed my application papers to my sub-prefecture (to the same address as where my disastrous appointment took place). I also attached a personal letter explaining all the struggles I had faced so far. I had no idea if this was the right procedure, but I was hoping that a nicer employee would see my application and know what to do about it.

A few days later, I got an email from the sub-prefecture for a convocation, which basically meant I was being invited to go and submit my application. I don’t know if they had seen my application via email or paper copy, but they told me to go in 4 days before my visa expiry date. I brought all my papers again and thankfully everything went smoothly this time. Some peculiarities that I noticed in my process are:

• At no point was I asked to bring or show proof of private health insurance.
• The convocation email listed birth certificate as a required document. I didn’t bring it (because I didn’t have mine available) and that wasn’t a problem at the convocation.

I left the appointment with an attestation de dépôt d’une demande de titre de séjour. This paper serves as proof that you submitted an application and are now waiting for the real APS document to be mailed to you. You can legally stay on French soil with this attestation during the waiting period.

The employee told me the APS would be mailed within a couple of business days. But one month later, I still didn’t get anything in the mail. After three emails, they finally replied to me, explaining that the letter could not be delivered to my address. They invited me to go back to the office to pick it up in person. So that’s what I did and now I finally have my APS in hand.

Key emails:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
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Please don’t hesitate to share your own APS story in the comments below to help other Canadians!