What are talent passeport visas and who are they for?

The first thing to know about the passeport talent visas if you are contemplating a move to France is that they offer an entire range of visa possibilities – 11 at present count. So there may well be one that applies to your situation. Before we look at the different types, let’s look at the basics of this visa program.

What is a passeport talent visa?

The French Ministry’s site translates passeport talent into English as “skilled residence permit” and you will see it often referenced that way. The talent passeport program is actually France’s response to a 2009 EU directive to help attract more “highly qualified migrants” from outside the European Union. The definition of “highly qualified” is generally up to the individual country, and for France tends to mean either a Master’s level degree, five years of experience in a field or some type of national or international recognition for your achievements.

These visas have some distinct advantages for those of us without EU citizenship. Many allow for longer stays, for instance. In France, most of the passeport talent visas are multi-year (generally 3 or 4 years) and renewable indefinitely. Thanks to the emphasis on family unification, these often come with associated visas for spouses and children. The French inclusion of work permits for spouses can be especially important. And the fact that many of these visas are renewable often makes them good for those hoping to stay permanently in the country.

Whether in France or in other participating countries, “blue card” visa holders can change jobs or employers after 2 years of work in the employment for which they applied. Europe’s blue card directive also allows it’s visa holders to apply to move to a different EU country for work after 18 months. Last but not least, visa holders under “blue card” programs are entitled to equal treatment with citizens of the host country with regard to labor conditions, professional training, recognition of your diplomas an qualifications, social security and public services. You can find out more about the European blue card directive here.

What visas are available under France’s program?

As we mentioned above France implemented the blue card directive with its range of passeport talent visas. At present there are 11, but there is at least one more related to medical personel that is currently under discussion. The French Public Services website provides a wealth of information on the visas available and links to request a visa here. But the terminology used to refer to these visas changes from site to site (even in the French government’s own materials). And this is complicated by the somewhat clunky auto-translate to English function. So it’s worth understanding a little about them before you start.

To make this easier, we have used the French terms used by the government website for each type of visa. After those, in italics, you will find the official french term that actually shows up on one of these visas after the phrase “passeport talent-“ . We then add the English translation in parenthesis. So for example, the French term for a researcher is “chercheur.” In the list below, that visa type shows up as Chercheur, followed by the phrase you will see on the visa itself: “passeport talent – chercheur,” followed by the English translation in parenthesis (skilled residence permit – researcher). Ready?

The current 11 visas with their English translations are:

1.     Salarié qualifié. Passeport talent-salarié qualifié-exercice d’une activité salariée (qualified employee- innovative enterprise )

This visa is geared toward keeping the graduates of French higher education in France. You should hold a Master’s-level diploma from a French institution and have been offered a contract for more than 3 months at a salary above 41 933 EUR by a French company.

2.     Recrutement dans une entreprise innovante ; Passeport talent-entreprise innovante-exercice d’une activité salariée (innovative company- working as an employed person)

This visa is designed to make it easier for French start-ups to recruit from abroad. To qualify, you will need a job offer for a position related to research and development in a French “innovation” company. What does that mean? To get an innovation designation and the tax breaks that go with it, the companies involved will have made a request with the French tax office. As with the qualified employee visa above, your contract must pay at least 41 933 EUR.

3.     Emploi hautement qualifié Passeport talent-carte bleue Européenne- exercise d’une activité salariée(European blue card – Highly skilled employment)

With a distinctly unimaginative name, this skilled residence permit type is reserved for those who have a contract to work in France for at least one year at a salary of at least 53,836.50 EUR. They must also have at least 5 years of experience in their field or a certified diploma for at least a 3-year higher degree. This is also the visa you would use if you have been working on a blue card from another EU country and now want to move to France. 

4.     Salarié en mission Passeport talent- salarié en mission (employee on mission)

This one is for you if you’ve been employed with a company for at least 3 months and have been offered a post in their French office. You need to show that you will earn at least 1.8 times the French minimum wage (known as the SMIC). You can still use the visa if your post is for less than 12 months, but in that case your visa will simply read “passeport talent” with no qualifier.

5.     Chercheur Passeport talent-chercheur (researcher)

As you might expect, the researcher visa applies to those who come to France to do teaching or research at an institution of higher education. Researchers can request the visa themselves as long as they show some sort of hosting agreement with the insititution in France where they will be working. 

France also offers a subset of this visa, the chercheur-mobilité (researcher- mobile) for researchers who will be doing their work in more than just one EU country.

6.     Création d’entreprise Passeport talent- créateur d’entreprise (business-creator)

Have a business idea in France ? With a minimum investment of 30,000 EUR and proof that you have some type of Masters degree and/or 5 years of professional experience in your field, this visa could be yours. You will need to create a business plan and three years of financial projections (all in French) as well as having your idea reviewed by the French authorities. The official guidelines note that under limited conditions buying an existing business in order to reinvent might qualify.

7.     Projet innovant reconnu par un organisme public Passeport talent- projet économique innovant (innovative economic project)

Maybe your business idea is actually an innovative project that a French public organisation might like? This visa is less about your own qualifications and more about your ability to get approval from a public partner. If you can find someone who likes your idea and agrees it is innovative, you will need to show you can support yourself at a minimum wage level. But there are no other financial requirements. In fact, the French government might give you a hand. Check the government’s Welcome to France site for more information. Like the investor visa, you can apply for this one while you are already in France.

 8.     Investisseur Passeport talent- Investisseur économique (economic investments- all commercial)

If you are more interested in investing in a business than creating one, this visa could work. This one is pricy, though. And it really is created as a way to get foreign companies to invest in French ones. Under this visa, you will be investing at least 300,000 EUR of company funds through a company that you direct or in which you own at least a 30% stake. Your company can borrow money from a lender to do this. But you will need to show how your investment will create or safeguard jobs in France in the 4 years following the investment. Notably, you can apply for this visa even if you’ve already made the investment. And unlike many of these visas, the application can be done while you are in France. 

9.     Mandataire social Passeport talent - mandataire social - toutes activités commerciales en lien avec le mandat  (company representative)

Are you an excecutive or officer in a multinational corporation? If you’ve been asked to take on a corporate officer position in the group’s French company, this is the visa your company will apply for. The Ministry will need proof that you worked for your current employer for at least 3 months before being appointed and that you will be paid at least 62,444.19 EUR per year.

10.  Profession artistique et culturelle  Passeport talent - profession artistique et culturelle (artistic and cultural professional)

Let’s say you are a performer, artist or author ready to make a move in France. If you have a contract to work in France in your own field or if you have a way to demonstrate that you can earn some money in your field in France, this visa might be for you. There are actually two subsections to this visa, one for those with employment offers in France (salarié) and one for those who are self-employed (non-salarié). To request either one, you will need to show that you can earn at least 51% of the French minimum wage from work related to your field that you will be doing in France. The evidence for this could be a form signed by a French employer attesting to your gainful employment as an artist, author or performer (for the visa “salarié”). If you don’t have an employment contract, you might instead show a contract with a gallery, a commission, an advance, etc… (visa “non-salarié”).

Because the French do understand the financial constraints of being an artist, you can find the remaining 49% of your minimum wage income from other sources: savings accounts, royalties, grants from your home country, etc…).

11.  Renommée nationale our internationale (person with a national or international reputation)

Last but certainly not least, the “Person of international renown” visa is a general call for you and your impressive talents. The category can encompass quite a few fields of work for which you might be coming to France, including work that is, “scientific, literary, artistic, intellectual, educational and sports [athletics].”

You do not need a French employer to apply for this visa on your behalf, though if you have a French contract for work, you will get some evidence of that. You will have to explain what it is you plan to do in France and show that you have the financial ability to maintain yourself. But the real key to this one is how to establish your “renown” at either a national or international level. The government site offers by way of examples: “recognition by your peers, participation in festivals, winning prizes.” Anecdotally, the parameters have been relatively relaxed so far. If you’ve made it into some art exhibitions, had your poems published or joined the national paintball team, you might be a candidate.

This visa can also be applied for while you are already living in France.

And if none of these will work?

The talent passeport visas are not the only route to a long-term stay in France. Most Americans who want to live in France and don’t have a job contract or a family member already here arrive on one of the long-stay tourist visas (VLS-TS). These are renewable, and people do and can stay for years on them. But note: they do not come with work permits.

You can find out more details and links to the online process for requesting a visa at the French public services website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16922.

As as always, please feel free to contact us or write in your questions in the comments below.