Residence card or VLS-TS - Job search/company creation
Verified 01 June 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
If you are a foreigner no European, that you are graduate of a french institution (master or equivalent) and wish to work in France after your higher education, you can apply for a long-stay visa worth a residence permit (VLS-TS) or a residence card job search or company creation. The rules are different if you stayed in France with a residence card talent-researcher. Here is the information you need to know.
What applies to you ?
Graduated in France
The rules are different if you live in France after your studies or if you have gone abroad:
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You reside in France
You must complete the 2 conditions following:
- Staying in France with a student residence card or student mobility program
- Have obtained in the past 12 months, a professional license, a Specialized Master, one Master of Science (labeled by the conference of the grandes écoles) or a other degree at least equivalent to the master's degree.
If you are from a countries that have concluded an agreement on migratory flows with France, you can apply for a provisional residence permit (APS) for a 1re professional experience.
Warning
This residence card does not concern not students algerians.
You reside abroad
If, after completing your studies, you have left France, you can apply for this card if you fill in the 2 conditions following:
- Have obtained, in France, a professional license, a Specialized Master, one Master of Science (labeled by the conference of the grandes écoles) or a other degree at least equivalent to the master's degree
- Make your request within the maximum period of 4 years from the time you graduate.
The temporary residence card or VLS-TS - job search/company creation allows you to stay in France, for 1 year, to allow you to look for a job or create a company related to your studies or research.
During its validity, this card allows you to work as an employee. The employer is exempted from applying for a work permit.
However, the job must fulfill the 2 conditions following:
- Be in touch with your studies
- Have a gross monthly remuneration greater than €2,800.53.
The limitation to 60% the annual working time (964 hours) does not apply.
The procedure is different depending on whether you have just graduated in France or have gone abroad after graduating in France:
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You reside in France at the time of graduation
You must submit your application to the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your home, within 2 months before the expiry date of your student card or student-mobility program.
Warning
It is not possible to carry out the procedures in some sub-prefectures. Find out more on the website of your prefecture.
Documents to be provided
You must provide the following:
- Residence card student (or student - mobility program) valid, or long-stay visa as a valid residence permit on the internet
- Proof of nationality: passport (pages concerning civil status, dates of validity, entry stamps and visas), or other documentary evidence with photo (consular certificate, identity card, consular card, certificate of nationality, etc.)
- Proof of address less than 6 months old
- Declaration on the honor of no polygamy in France if you are married and come from a country that allows it
- 3 identity photographs
- Proof of health insurance
- Diploma at least equivalent to the master's degree or professional degree obtained in the last 12 months (or final certificate of completion of the diploma if you submit it later)
- Proof of a company creation project in a field corresponding to your training (if this is your objective).
- Signed copy of the commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
If your file is complete, you will receive a receipt pending the response of the prefecture.
Handing over the card
It is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) where you submitted your application.
You went abroad after graduating in France
You must apply for a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS), marked « job search/company creation ».
Who shall I contact
Documents to be provided
A simulator provides a list of documents to be provided:
France-Visas - Assistant-visas - List of documents to be provided
Validation of VLS-TS
Within 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS and pay a tax that is added to the visa fee.
The approach on the internet allows to be regular stay and to be able to cross the border of the Schengen area.
Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax
The cost depends on whether it is a request made in France or abroad:
In France
You have to pay €150 (stamp duty of €50 + tax of €100) by tax stamps.
Abroad
You must first pay the cost of the VLS-TS that will be issued.
Once in France, when validating your VLS-TS, you must pay €100 by tax stamps.
The residence card or VLS-TS is valid 1 year.
Renewal is not possible.
When your card or VLS-TS is no longer valid, if you have a job or company, you can apply for a residence card for business purposes:
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You found a job
Amount of salary | Residence permit |
|---|---|
From €2,800.53 monthly gross and employment in relation to your training | Temporary residence card employed or temporary worker (the employment situation is not binding on you) |
From €1,306.91 of which 51% from paid artistic activity | Talent card: multi-year residence card talent - artistic professions |
From €39,582 annual gross | |
From €41,386.48 raw | Multi-year residence card talent - medical professions and pharmacy |
From €59,373.00 annual gross |
You create your company
Depending on your situation, you can request one of the following cards:
Talent-researcher card
If you have a talent-researcher residence card that is at the end of its validity, you can request a residence card job search/company creation.
You can apply for the residence card job search/creation of company if you meet the 2 conditions below:
- Stay in France with a multi-year residence card- talentresearcher
- Have completed your research.
If you are from a countries that have concluded an agreement on migratory flows with France, you can apply for a provisional residence permit (APS) for a 1re professional experience.
Warning
This residence card does not concern not students algerians.
The temporary residence card job search/company creation allows you to stay in France, for 1 year, to allow you to look for a job or to create a company related to your research.
During its validity, this card allows you to work as an employee. The employer is exempted from applying for a work permit.
However, the job must fulfill the 2 conditions following:
- Be in touch with your research.
- Have a gross monthly remuneration greater than €2,800.53.
The limitation to 60% the annual working time (964 hours) does not apply.
You must submit your application to the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your home, within 2 months before the expiry date of your talent cardresearcher.
Warning
It is not possible to carry out the procedures in some sub-prefectures. Find out more on the website of your prefecture.
Documents to be provided
You must provide the following:
- Residence card talent-researcher valid, or long-stay visa as a valid residence permit on the internet
- Proof of nationality: passport (pages concerning civil status, dates of validity, entry stamps and visas), or other documentary evidence with photo (consular certificate, identity card, consular card, certificate of nationality, etc.)
- Proof of address less than 6 months old
- Declaration on the honor of no polygamy in France if you are married and come from a country that allows it
- 3 identity photographs
- Proof of health insurance
- Confirmation by the research organization of the completion of the research work (you can submit it at the time of the card)
- Proof of a company creation project in a field corresponding to your training (if this is your objective).
- Signed copy of the commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
If your file is complete, you will receive a receipt pending the response of the prefecture.
Cost
You have to pay €150 (stamp duty of €50 + tax of €100) by tax stamps.
Handing over the card
The card is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) where you submitted your application.
The residence card is valid 1 year.
She's not not renewable.
When your card expires, if you are employed or have set up a company, you can apply for a residence card in a professional capacity:
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You found a job
Amount of salary | Residence permit |
|---|---|
From €2,800.53 monthly gross and employment in relation to your training | Temporary residence card employed or temporary worker (the employment situation is not binding on you) |
From €39,582 annual gross | |
From €41,386.48 raw | Multi-year residence card talent - medical professions and pharmacy |
From €59,373.00 annual gross |
You create your company
Depending on your situation, you can request one of the following cards:
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Administrative information by telephone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their progress.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service free
The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry of the Interior.
Contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
Student or researcher foreigners who extend their stay for job search or company creation purposes
Refusal and withdrawal of the residence card
Taxes and stamp duty payable
Refusal and withdrawal of the residence card
List of documents to be furnished: items 26 to 28
Minimum remuneration
FAQ
Ministry of the Interior