Talent passport: The little-known French visa that could make moving to France a lot easier
In its ongoing quest to attract new talent, France has expanded the categories of people who are eligible for its 'talent passport' visa and moved the process online. Here's what you need to know.
Moving to France from a non-EU country (which now includes the UK) is a matter of visas and paperwork, but many people might be surprised to find that they are eligible straight away for a four-year visa that also allows them to being family members with them.
And on May 25th the entire process moved online making it much more user-friendly.
READ ALSO The post-Brexit visa requirements for Brits in France
What's a passeport talent?
The passeport talent (talent passport) offers a four-year work visa to people who can demonstrate certain business, creative or academic skills, or who have a provable reputation in their field - for example, scientific, literary, artistic, intellectual, educational, or sporting.
While businesses can use the passeport talent to bring non-EU employees to France, the programme does not require a holder to have a job waiting for them.
Holders can, for example, look for work or set up their own business after they arrive in the country. It also allows the holder's immediate family to live in France.
Who's eligible?
Importantly, it's not limited to research scientists or mega-rich business leaders. Equally, it must be noted, it's not a free-for-all. There are several categories, and some are harder to qualify for than others.
You can be a qualified or highly qualified paid employee of:
- a 'young innovative company'
- a company in the same group as the company you currently work for
- a public or private research institute or higher education organisation
OR
A self-employed person or engaged in a liberal profession planning to:
- create a business or take one over
- make a direct economic investment
- engage in an innovative economic project recognised by a public body
- take up a corporate appointment in a French company
The list of occupations classed as a 'liberal profession' is quite long and includes lawyers, physiotherapists, doctors, writers, editors, sports professionals - find the full list here.
OR
Are able to prove your national or international reputation and plan to:
- engage in an activity in France linked to your national or international reputation
OR
A performer or have created a literary or artistic work and:
- plan to come to France for employment or self-employment
Is the scheme any good?
It is. Fiona Mougenot, managing director of immigration consultancy Expat Partners believes it is one of the best around.
"Talent attraction and retention is one of the hardest things for any country. Everyone's trying to attract talent," she said.
"France has the most wonderful immigration category - this passeport talent category. It's very unique what they have set up. In my opinion it's one of the best visa methods for attracting talent.
"When you see that young students who have finished a Masters degree here - or a qualification at that level - can remain in France and could get a talent passport, that's really saying France doesn't just want to offer an education, it's also offering the possibility for that person to stay … and France retains the talent.
"France is genuinely searching for talent."
The current government is keen to attract foreign talent and investment and president Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly stated his ambition to wake up France's economy, bring in international and talent and make France the 'start-up nation'.
As Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Franck Riester said in a Twitter thread in 2020: "The passeport talent offers the possibility for investors, entrepreneurs, and foreign executives to settle and work in France with their families.
"It is to encourage talents from all over the world to choose our country to develop growth and employment."
Pour relancer notre pays, nous aurons besoin des talents du monde entier.
Je me réjouis que tous les titulaires d’un visa de long séjour #PasseportTalent puissent à nouveau venir en France sans restriction.
Toutes les informations utiles ici 👇https://t.co/oncCvnKb9g
— Franck Riester (@franckriester) August 18, 2020
There must be a catch…
Not really. There's a lot of paperwork, and the requirements for most categories are strict.
For example, people applying under the investor category cannot simply stump up €300,000, or buy an apartment in Paris and expect to be handed a passeport talent, Mougenot said. They must take an active role in the business in which they are investing.
Meanwhile, those planning on setting up a new business must invest a minimum of €30,000 in it, and must hold a degree at least equivalent to a master's degree or be able to prove a minimum five years of professional experience at a comparable level.
Financial records and business plans will be required as part of the application process. And applicants must be able to demonstrate that they would not be an immediate drain on the state - so there's no applying for one and then promptly trying to claim French unemployment benefits.
But in 2019, 37,010 passeports talent were issued or renewed, so clearly plenty of people managed to fit into those categories.
For more information and to start the application process, click HERE
If you don't fit into any of those categories, there are plenty of other visa types, find out more in our visa guide HERE.
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Moving to France from a non-EU country (which now includes the UK) is a matter of visas and paperwork, but many people might be surprised to find that they are eligible straight away for a four-year visa that also allows them to being family members with them.
And on May 25th the entire process moved online making it much more user-friendly.
READ ALSO The post-Brexit visa requirements for Brits in France
What's a passeport talent?
The passeport talent (talent passport) offers a four-year work visa to people who can demonstrate certain business, creative or academic skills, or who have a provable reputation in their field - for example, scientific, literary, artistic, intellectual, educational, or sporting.
While businesses can use the passeport talent to bring non-EU employees to France, the programme does not require a holder to have a job waiting for them.
Holders can, for example, look for work or set up their own business after they arrive in the country. It also allows the holder's immediate family to live in France.
Who's eligible?
Importantly, it's not limited to research scientists or mega-rich business leaders. Equally, it must be noted, it's not a free-for-all. There are several categories, and some are harder to qualify for than others.
You can be a qualified or highly qualified paid employee of:
- a 'young innovative company'
- a company in the same group as the company you currently work for
- a public or private research institute or higher education organisation
OR
A self-employed person or engaged in a liberal profession planning to:
- create a business or take one over
- make a direct economic investment
- engage in an innovative economic project recognised by a public body
- take up a corporate appointment in a French company
The list of occupations classed as a 'liberal profession' is quite long and includes lawyers, physiotherapists, doctors, writers, editors, sports professionals - find the full list here.
OR
Are able to prove your national or international reputation and plan to:
- engage in an activity in France linked to your national or international reputation
OR
A performer or have created a literary or artistic work and:
- plan to come to France for employment or self-employment
Is the scheme any good?
It is. Fiona Mougenot, managing director of immigration consultancy Expat Partners believes it is one of the best around.
"Talent attraction and retention is one of the hardest things for any country. Everyone's trying to attract talent," she said.
"France has the most wonderful immigration category - this passeport talent category. It's very unique what they have set up. In my opinion it's one of the best visa methods for attracting talent.
"When you see that young students who have finished a Masters degree here - or a qualification at that level - can remain in France and could get a talent passport, that's really saying France doesn't just want to offer an education, it's also offering the possibility for that person to stay … and France retains the talent.
"France is genuinely searching for talent."
The current government is keen to attract foreign talent and investment and president Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly stated his ambition to wake up France's economy, bring in international and talent and make France the 'start-up nation'.
As Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Franck Riester said in a Twitter thread in 2020: "The passeport talent offers the possibility for investors, entrepreneurs, and foreign executives to settle and work in France with their families.
"It is to encourage talents from all over the world to choose our country to develop growth and employment."
Pour relancer notre pays, nous aurons besoin des talents du monde entier.
— Franck Riester (@franckriester) August 18, 2020
Je me réjouis que tous les titulaires d’un visa de long séjour #PasseportTalent puissent à nouveau venir en France sans restriction.
Toutes les informations utiles ici 👇https://t.co/oncCvnKb9g
There must be a catch…
Not really. There's a lot of paperwork, and the requirements for most categories are strict.
For example, people applying under the investor category cannot simply stump up €300,000, or buy an apartment in Paris and expect to be handed a passeport talent, Mougenot said. They must take an active role in the business in which they are investing.
Meanwhile, those planning on setting up a new business must invest a minimum of €30,000 in it, and must hold a degree at least equivalent to a master's degree or be able to prove a minimum five years of professional experience at a comparable level.
Financial records and business plans will be required as part of the application process. And applicants must be able to demonstrate that they would not be an immediate drain on the state - so there's no applying for one and then promptly trying to claim French unemployment benefits.
But in 2019, 37,010 passeports talent were issued or renewed, so clearly plenty of people managed to fit into those categories.
For more information and to start the application process, click HERE
If you don't fit into any of those categories, there are plenty of other visa types, find out more in our visa guide HERE.
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