Residence card - Job search/company creation
Verified 01 May 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
If you are a foreigner no European, whether you are a graduate of a French institution (master's or equivalent) and wish to work in France after your higher education, you can apply for a residence card job search or company creation. You have to have a certain level of education. You can also apply for this card if you have stayed in France with a multi-year residence card researcher.
Graduate
The temporary residence card job search or company creation allows you to stay in France to complete your training. It allows you to have a 1re professional experience or to create a company in a field corresponding to your training.
This residence card allows you to search for and hold a job in connection with your training or research. Your compensation must be greater than €2,620.80.
You are concerned if you fill in the 2 the following conditions:
- You are (or have been) in France with a student residence card
- You have obtained a professional license, a Specialized Master'S Degree, one Master of Science (labeled by the conference of the colleges) or a other degree at least equivalent to the master's degree
If you come from a country which has concluded an agreement on migration flows with France, you can apply for a provisional residence permit (APS) for a 1re professional experience.
Warning
other rules apply if you are European or Algerian.
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You just graduated from France
You must submit your application to the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) before your residence card expires.
Who shall I contact
Who shall I contact
Warning
it is not possible to carry out the procedures in some sub-prefectures. Find out more on your prefecture's website.
You went abroad again after graduation in France
If you live abroad, you must apply for a long-stay visa.
Who shall I contact
The visa issued is a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS), marked ‘Job search/company creation’.
VLS-TS Validation
Within 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS and pay a tax in addition to the visa fee.
The online approach makes it possible to be in regular stay and to be able to cross the border again from the Schengen area.
Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax
Documents to be provided
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You just graduated from France
- Passport (pages on civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas)
or consular attestation with photo
or photo ID
or consular card with photo
or certificate of nationality under 6 months with photo
- Proof of domicile less than 6 months old
- 3 photos.
If the request is made on the internet: enter the code of the e-photo (provided by the photographer or the approved cabin on the photo board).
If you don't have an e-photo yet, you can locate a digital photo and signature service using this tool.
- Residence card student (or student - mobility program) valid, or a long-stay visa valid as an online validated residence permit
- Diploma at least equivalent to the master's degree or diploma of professional license, obtained in the year (or certificate of final completion of the diploma if you present it later)
- Health insurance voucher
- Proof of a company creation project in a field corresponding to your training (if that is your objective)
If your file is complete, you will receive a receipt awaiting the response of the prefecture.
You went abroad again after graduation in France
- Passport (pages on civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas)
or consular attestation with photo
or photo ID
or consular card with photo
or certificate of nationality under 6 months with photo
- Long-stay visa as valid residence permit validated online
- Proof of domicile less than 6 months old
- 3 photos.
If the request is made on the internet: enter the code of the e-photo (provided by the photographer or the approved cabin on the photo board).
If you don't have an e-photo yet, you can locate a digital photo and signature service using this tool.
- Diploma at least equivalent to the master's degree obtained in the 4 years preceding the application, or professional license diploma obtained in the year (or certificate of final completion of the diploma if you present it later)
- Proof that you had the residence card student (or student - mobility program) upon graduation
- Proof of sickness insurance covering the duration of the stay
- Proof of sufficient resources to meet your needs
- Proof of a company creation project in a field corresponding to your training (if that is your objective)
- Proof of domicile less than 6 months old
If your file is complete, you will receive a receipt awaiting the response of the prefecture.
Cost
You must pay a tax and a stamp duty €75 by tax stamps.
Card Delivery
The authorization is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) where you submitted your application.
If your prefecture (or sub-prefecture) has not replied within 4 months, your request is refused.
The residence card is valid 1 year. It shall not be renewable.
When your card expires, if you have found a job, a job promise or a company, you can apply for a business residence card.
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You found a job
Salary Amount | Residence permit |
|---|---|
From €2,620.80 monthly gross and employment related to your training | |
From €41,933 annual gross | |
From €53,836.50 annual gross |
You're creating your company
Depending on your situation, you can ask:
Researcher
The temporary residence card job search or company creation allows you to stay in France.
It allows you to complete your training with a 1re professional experience of or creating a company in a field corresponding to your research.
This residence card allows you to search for and hold a job in connection with your training or research. Your compensation must be greater than €2,620.80.
You are concerned if you are staying in France with a multi-year residence card researcher and have completed your research.
If you come from a country which has concluded an agreement on migration flows with France, you can apply for a provisional residence permit (APS) for a 1re professional experience.
Warning
other rules apply if you are European or Algerian.
You must submit your application for a residence card in the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) before the expiry of your residence card researcher.
Who shall I contact
Who shall I contact
Warning
it is not possible to carry out the procedures in some sub-prefectures. Find out more on your prefecture's website.
Documents to be provided
- Passport (pages on civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas)
or consular attestation with photo
or photo ID
or consular card with photo
or certificate of nationality under 6 months with photo
- Residence card researcher (or mobility researcher) valid, or a long-stay visa valid as an online validated residence permit
- Proof of domicile less than 6 months old
- 3 photos.
If the request is made on the internet: enter the code of the e-photo (provided by the photographer or the approved cabin on the photo board).
If you don't have an e-photo yet, you can locate a digital photo and signature service using this tool.
- Health insurance voucher
- Confirmation by the research organization of the completion of the research work (you may present it at the time of submission of the card)
- Proof of a company creation project in a field corresponding to your research (if that is your objective)
If your file is complete, you will receive a receipt awaiting the response of the prefecture.
Cost
You must pay a tax and a stamp duty €75 by tax stamps.
Card Delivery
The authorization is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) where you submitted your application.
If your prefecture (or sub-prefecture) has not replied within 4 months, your request is refused.
The residence card is valid 1 year. It shall not be renewable.
When your card expires, if you have found a job or if you have set up a company, you can apply for a residence card in a professional capacity.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You found a job
Salary Amount | Residence permit |
|---|---|
From €2,620.80 monthly gross and employment related to your training | |
From €41,933 annual gross | |
From €53,836.50 annual gross |
You're creating your company
Depending on your situation, you can ask:
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
- Telephone administrative information - Allo Public Service
For more information on this topic, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Cost: free service
The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry of the Interior.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their status.
The service is available at the following times:
- Monday: 8.30am to 5.30pm
- Tuesday: 8:30 to 12:15
- Wednesday: 8:30 to 12:15
- Thursday: 8.30am to 5.30pm
- Friday: 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m
- Code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum: Articles L422-8 to L422-14Student or researcher foreigners extending their stay for job search or company creation purposes
- Code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum: Articles R422-12 to D422-13Issuance of the card
- Labor Code: Articles R5221-17 to R5221-22Minimum Wage
- Code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum: Articles L432-1 to L432-15Refusal and withdrawal of the residence card
- Code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum: Articles R*432-1 to R432-15Refusal and withdrawal of the residence card
- Code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum: Articles L436-1 to L436-10Taxes and stamp duty payable
- Code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum: annex 10List of documents to be supplied: points 26 to 28
- Order of 12 May 2011 fixing the list of diplomas at least equivalent to the master's degree
- Order of 1 April 2021 on the issue, without objection, of work permits to non-European foreigners
FAQ
- Bilateral agreements on labor mobilityMinistry of the Interior