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Residence card or VLS-TS - Job search/company creation
Verified 19 August 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
If you are a foreigner no European, whether you are a 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 have stayed in France with a talent residence cardresearcher. Here is the information you need to know.
What applies to you ?
You graduated in France
The temporary residence card or VLS-TS - job search or 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 meet the following 2 conditions:
- Be in touch with your studies or research.
- Have a gross monthly remuneration greater than €2,702.70.
The limitation to 60% of the annual working time (964 hours) does not apply.
You are concerned if you fill in the 2 following conditions:
- Staying (or having stayed) in France with a student residence card
- Have obtained a professional license, a Specialized Masters, one Master of Science (labeled by the conference of 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 migration flows with France, you can apply for a temporary residence permit (PSA) for a 1re professional experience.
Warning
Other rules apply if you are European or algerian.
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 have graduated in France in the last 12 months
You must submit your application to the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) before the end of validity of your residence card.
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
- Passport (pages concerning civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas)
or consular certificate with photo
or photo identification card
or consular card with photo
or certificate of nationality of less than 6 months with photo
- Proof of address less than 6 months old
- 3 photo id
- Residence card student (or student - mobility program) valid, or long-stay visa as a residence permit validated on the internet.
- 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 health insurance
- 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 must pay a tax and a stamp duty of €75 by tax stamps.
Handing over the card
It is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) where you submitted your application.
If your prefecture (or sub-prefecture) has not responded within 4 months, your request is refused.
You went abroad after graduating in France
If you left France after graduation, you can apply for this visa within a maximum period of 4 years from the date of issue of that diploma.
Who shall I contact
The visa issued is a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS), marked “Job search/company creation”.
Validation of the 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 in 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
Documents to be provided
A simulator provides a list of documents to be provided:
France-Visas - Assistant-visas - List of documents to be provided
Cost
You must pay a tax and a stamp duty of €75 by tax stamps.
The residence card or VLS-TS is valid 1 year. It is not renewable.
Once your card or VLS-TS is no longer valid, if you have a job and have a work permit 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
Salary amount | Residence permit |
|---|---|
From €2,702.70 monthly gross and employment in relation to your training | |
From €43,243 annual gross | |
From €53,836.50 annual gross |
You create your company
Depending on your situation, you can request one of the following cards:
You have a talent-researcher residence card
If you have a talent-researcher residence card that is coming to the end of its validity, you can request a residence card job search/company creation.
The temporary residence card job search or 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 meet the following 2 conditions:
- Be in touch with your research.
- Have a gross monthly remuneration greater than €2,702.70.
The limitation to 60% of the annual working time (964 hours) does not apply.
You are concerned if you stay in France with a multi-year residence card- talentresearcher and have completed your research.
If you are from a countries that have concluded an agreement on migration flows with France, you can apply for a temporary residence permit (PSA) for a 1re professional experience.
Warning
Other rules apply if you are European or algerian.
You must apply for a residence permit in the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) before the end of validity 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
- Passport (pages concerning civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas)
or consular certificate with photo
or photo identification card
or consular card with photo
or certificate of nationality of less than 6 months with photo
- 3 photo id
- Talent Card - researcher (or researcher-mobility program) valid, or long-stay visa valid as a residence permit validated on the internet
- Proof of address less than 6 months old
- Signed copy of the commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
- Proof of health insurance
- Confirmation by the research organization of the completion of the research work (you can submit it at the time of card delivery)
- Proof of a company creation project in a field corresponding to your research (if this is your objective)
If your file is complete, you will receive a receipt pending the response of the prefecture.
Cost
You must pay a tax and a stamp duty of €75 by tax stamps.
Handing over the card
The card is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) where you submitted your application.
If your prefecture (or sub-prefecture) has not responded within 4 months, your request is refused.
The residence card is valid 1 year. It is not renewable.
Once your card is no longer valid, if you have been employed and have a work permit or have set up a company, you can apply for a residence card for a professional purpose.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You found a job
Salary amount | Residence permit |
|---|---|
From €2,702.70 monthly gross and employment in relation to your training | |
From €43,243 annual gross | |
From €53,836.50 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 phone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot 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 extending 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 supplied: items 26 to 28
Minimum remuneration
FAQ
Ministry of the Interior