So there are a few things I’ve learnt about applying for a French WHV that I thought I’d share. The info I’ve obtained comes from speaking with the staff at the French embassy in Sydney and from over hearing other employees whilst there. The below info is only applicable to other Australian citizens and valid as of 19th June 2012.
Although it looks daunting, the man behind the counter said not to worry as a French WHV is the easiest visa to get. I’m glad he said this as the girl before me left crying. I can only now assume she was going for a different kind of visa.
I’ve made it as detailed as possible as I wish this information was available to me on their website when I first started looking into the French WHV.
What you get:
Multiple entry visa – come into and go out of France as you please
Valid for 1 year from date of entry into France – need to provide proof of entry date (e.g. plane ticket, train ticket, bus tour itinerary).
Option to work, study and to attend training courses in France
Extension Options:
The French WHV cannot be extended or changed to another category of visa whilst in France.
Cause of this, it is very important that you get an official to stamp your passport when you enter France so that no one can argue that you have overstayed your 12 months when you haven’t… and you don’t risk the 3 year ban and deportment. – I’ve read that the German and Swiss borders are very strict as the police get more money the more they fine those who have overstayed their visa.
The only other country I found that will let you apply for a WHV whilst in the country is Germany, but this finding was from a quick research effort so I would suggest you also research this yourself.
The only other country I found that will let you apply for a WHV whilst in the country is Germany, but this finding was from a quick research effort so I would suggest you also research this yourself.
Criteria (June 2012):
- Australian citizen / passport holder
- Aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the date of lodgement.
- You must not have previously participated in this program because can only participate once in this program.
- Holidaymaking in France should be the main purpose of the stay - It is not intended for any other purpose such as joining your partner/fiancé in France, studying, be an Au Pair or finding long term employment. Good to show a booked tour as evidence.
- You must have sufficient funds at the beginning of their one year stay to cover their expenses (€ 2,100 / A$ 3,500). - This cannot be credit on a credit card. Bank Statements should be shown dated as close to your application date as possible. There is another page on the French consulate Sydney’s website that says $5000 AUD but it is definitely the $3500 that you need proof of.
- A National Criminal History Record Check that is less than three months old on the date of lodgment: standard disclosure - police name check - issued by the police authorities of your State or Territory. This cost $52 from the NSW Police office. I recommend calling your local police station and asking them for a good time to come and get one. You need to show identification such as your licence, a bankcard, and your birth certificate if you have them. In the event of impossibility of obtaining a police certificate in less than two months, applicants must submit evidence of application thereof accompanied by a statutory declaration relating to conviction status and an undertaking to provide the document when available. This is also true for police checks from other countries in which you have stayed more than one year over the last ten years.
- Evidence of comprehensive private health insurance for the duration of 12 months starting from your date of arrival in France. Failing to comply with this requirement will lead to your application being refused. – This is a fancy way of saying comprehensive travel insurance with the best healthcare cover you can get. It has to show that it will cover exactly 12 months from the date of your arrival into France. There is a page on the consulate website that contradicts this information saying that the visa starts from the date of your travel insurance regardless of what date you enter France, but it is definitely from the date you enter France that the visa starts. The language program I am doing recommended Covermore’s comprehensive travel insurance which was accepted. The cost was approx $910 for unlimited medical with added ski and motorbike insurance at a $0 excess. I had to pay an additional $420 for an extra 12 days cover as I am going to England for 12 days before I enter France. The reason for the higher cost was because travel Insurance policies max at a year. They had to create a new policy for the 12 days period that did not have the discount for a longer period of time.
- Return ticket to country of residence - this is a plane ticket showing your resident county as the destination. The return date can be extended as it is known that airlines now only allow you to book up to X months ahead (they want $ in the forms of extension fees and $ to cover rising fuel costs).
Once you find work in France:
How you Lodge an Application:
As an Australian citizen, you strictly need to book an appointment online for a face-to-face time slot at the Consulat General of France in Sydney. The French embassy is one of the only few that still require you to apply in person and only in Sydney (no matter where in Australia you are from).
Appointments should be made so that the application is lodged within 3 months prior to your departure date. Only a limited number of appointments is available every day due to the restricted number of persons allowed in their premises.
Appointments can be made between 9.00 am - 1.00 pm Monday – Thursday and between 9am – 12.30pm on Fridays. They take public holidays off and any Monday or Friday that falls between a French public holiday and the weekend.
You will be waiting 15-30 minutes after your appointment time before you actually get in.
It is one appointment per passport and only one person is allowed into a meeting/to the booth at a time
If you can only book an appointment that is on a date very very close to when you leave Australia, the security man on the door says that people cancel appointments all the time and that you will more than likely be able to reschedule to an early time as they become available. Unfortunately this means checking the website daily if not hourly to see if an earlier time slot has become available.
If you are more than 10 minutes late, your appointment will be cancelled and you need to book another online. Any missing document will result in the application being rejected and the applicant asked to take a new appointment regardless the date of departure.
I recommend booking an appointment on a Friday as the staff at the consulat are in casual attire and appear more relaxed instead of threatening.
I recommend booking an appointment on a Friday as the staff at the consulat are in casual attire and appear more relaxed instead of threatening.
Contact details:
Email: < urgentvisas.SYDNEY-FSLT@diplomatie.gouv.fr >
This email address is intended for the sole purpose of contacting visa applicants who have already lodged an application. They say no answer will be given to questions regarding general enquiries about visas, progress of visa applications or appointment requests.
Tel: the Visa Section cannot be contacted by phone.
Consulate-General of France
Level 26 - 31 Market street
Sydney NSW 2000
(Opposite the Queen Victoria Building)
Monday – Thursday 9.00 am - 1.00 pm
Fridays 9.00 am – 12.30 pm
Public Holidays recognised by the French Consulate in Sydney:
New Years Day
Australia Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
ANZAC day
Ascension
Queen's Birthday
labour Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
Long Stay Visa Form clarification:
I am taking a language course in France but this does not count as study as it is not full time at a university level. I am staying with a family I am in contact with through the language school but they are not classified as my family for the purposes of the application form.
If you are being supported financially by someone in France, they will need to provide a letter. See the website for more details as this did not apply to me.
My employer is my current employer in Australia to verify I have been earning an income in Australia and have been able to save money.
What you need to take with you to the appointment:
- Appointment booking receipt print out to give to the security officer.
- Long stay Visa Application Form filled out, dated and signed with passport photo.
- Passport sized photo taken at a respected photo authority (such as Aust Post) that is less than 6 months old
- The French WHV Checklist available to download from < http://www.ambafrance-au.org/Working-Holiday-Visa-Requirements >
- Your Australian Passport. Valid for entire length of visa period.
- Bank statement printed off during the week prior which indicates savings of $3500 AUD or more. Try for a bank statement that is produced within the last month and that the print time stamp shows the date it was printed or produced. I also printed a screen shot of my online accounts for cross reference but this is optional– copy for the consulate
- Police certificate issued by your state’s authorities that is less than 3 months old. I would start to organise this about 3.5 months prior to departure as they will not process your request without it, even if you sign a statutory declaration– original and copy for the consulate
- Copy of your comprehensive travel insurance. Highlight the medical component. Make sure it covers the entire length of visa period (start date to end date).
- Document that shows a definitive entry date into France (eg. Plane ticket, tour receipt, train ticket receipt etc)
- Plane ticket that shows a return date to Australia. Unfortunately airlines will not allow you to book a return ticket for a date that is over 3 months in advance. If you plan to stay for over a year, you will have to pay to reschedule your flight to a later date so that you can enjoy the full year's visa (this cost me $200 at the time)
- A pre-paid, registered and completely filled out self-addressed envelope (preferably Platinum Express Post) if you want your passport to be returned by post, Otherwise you can come collect it during their office hours. Best before 12pm Mon-Fri.
- Bank card to pay for the WHV - approx. $125 AUD
Cost:
The website said 173 AUD. But I was only charged $125 AUD when I applied.
Processing Time:
Minimum 2 weeks. Can take up to 8 weeks.
I was told by the man behind the counter that the WHV is the easiest and that you just come back in 2 weeks to pick up your passport.
Concurrent WHVs for the Schengen area:
It is not illegal to have a WHV for another Schengen country at the same time.
However, the French frown upon you having another valid WHV with another Schengen Country at the same time as you have theirs. The French want you have to have one after the other.
If you have any other questions or stories, I would love to know so we can help others where possible.
Collecting your Visa and Passport in person:
If the gentleman behind the counter says come back in 2 weeks, he means to say come back in 3.5 weeks. I would allow 4 wks based upon new stories I've heard.
Note that you may be required to wait up to 2 hours or more to collect your passport as they prioritise booked appointments first.
They organise visa printing batches in priority of departure date.
Definitely read the comments below cause I have answered alot of questions people still asked and others who have gone through the same process have given feedback.
*2014 insert > I have also written a 2014 update blog entry as I believe the French embassy caught on that they were referencing conflicting pages of info and reduced it all to one page for convenience (finally). You can find it amongst my other posts.
Happy and Safe Travelling.
Definitely read the comments below cause I have answered alot of questions people still asked and others who have gone through the same process have given feedback.
*2014 insert > I have also written a 2014 update blog entry as I believe the French embassy caught on that they were referencing conflicting pages of info and reduced it all to one page for convenience (finally). You can find it amongst my other posts.
Happy and Safe Travelling.
This is amazing info. Thank you sooo much for sharing, I'm about to go through a similar process, hopefully not too painful...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, how long did it take for you to get your visa?
ReplyDeleteHi say what,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments.
It took me 3 weeks to get my visa after I filed for it.
If I had to do it again though, I would allocate 4 weeks just in case.
They are very slow with their paperwork.
Hey Hayley I'm applying for the WHV in Sydney soon and I have some questions about it. I'm in the states studying right now and it's hard to get a lot of I for/help about it while I'm here. If you could answer some questions that would be amazing!
DeleteThanks
John McPhail
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this info!
You say "Multiple entry visa – come and go as you please". Does that mean you can travel as much as you like? E.g. pop over to Spain etc?
Kate
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteNo worries.
How are your travel plans going?
"Multiple entry visa – come and go as you please" does mean you can travel as much as you like.
Check out the following information from the French Minister of foreign affairs:
"Number of entries) · either “MULT”, meaning that you may enter the Schengen Area as many times as you wish · or “1”, meaning that you may enter the Schengen Area once only · or “2”, meaning that you may enter the Schengen Area twice"
Definitely check out the website: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/spip.php?page=article_imprim&id_article=10879
You're a gem, thank you!
ReplyDeleteTravel planning is going slowly but surely :)
Do you know what happens if you exit the Schengen area? So for instance, I'd like to stay in France but also travel elsewhere in Europe. E.g. I want to go to Croatia and Turkey which are both outside the Schengen area. Will I struggle to get back into France?
Thanks again for your blog and help, really appreciate it!
Kate
Hi Kate,
DeleteHow go your travels?
Under the Schengen agreement, transiting from one country to another within the Schengen area is done without border controls. Please note that the Schengen area is different to the Euro Zone.
ReplyDeleteSo travel within the Schengen area is considered domestic travel. They will check your passport if you travel by plane between Schengen states as it is normal airport procedure. If you travel by train within the Schengen area you only have to show your passport if you list it online as your identification document or if an authority asks. I have not yet had to do this.
If you exit the Schengen area, it is considered international travel. You have to go through customs and have your passport stamped etc. I did this many times when I did my European tour last year when I travelled to Turkey, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria.
You will not struggle to get back into France!
Turkey will require you to pay a 11€ entry/tourist visa that will allow you to travel within the country for 3 months. A small price to pay to see the amzing city of Istanbul (one of my official favourite cities in the world).
Thanks Hayley! Looking forward to enjoying France and seeing Europe. Hopefully the French won't be offended if I don't spend the whole 12 months in their beautiful country! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Hayley, so sorry to bother you again! How's life in France?
ReplyDeleteI have more queries about entering and exiting France which I'm hoping you can help with...
We're going to buy a campervan in the UK then head to France (I assume this is when our French WHV begins?). We plan to explore a lot of France but also want to see other Schengen and non Schengen countries (by car).
1. Can you confirm what happens if we were to drive out of the Schengen and then re-enter (multiple times)? For example, we want to travel through Italy/Slovenia and exit the Schengen in Croatia. Then continue on to Greece, Turkey, and back again to France. I am worried that when they are checking our passport on the way back in to the Schengen they will ask questions about how long we have spent out of France.
2. From your previous email when you said “you will have no trouble getting back into France”, I assume that you flew out to these other countries? Because if you are flying directly in and out of France, the authorities would not suspect that you have been travelling around the Schengen.
3. Also, once you get to France is there anything you have to do there to validate (or similar) the Visa? Do you have to go to the Embassy with proof of entry (plane/train ticket etc)?
So sorry for the essay, I just want to clarify everything and preferably not get arrested :)
Kate
1)
DeleteGoing into and out of Italy is no problem. It is like crossing from NSW to QLD. You wouldn’t know the difference if there wasn’t a map to show you.
I went on a coach to Greece that went there on the overnight ferry from Italy. I walked straight through the border pass with no worries as Greece is in the Schengen area. I did not have to show my passport but I cannot be sure if the driver had to show his though. I was told it is more of a random thing with Greece if you go on the ferry to get there. Either way, no biggy.
You will have to show your passport to get in and out of Turkey and Slovenia to enter/exit the country as they are not part of the Schengan agreement. See point 2 regarding the checking points.
2)
I only flew twice between Germany - France - London. The rest of the time it was on a coach. Between countries outside of the Schengan zone and when entering/leaving a country outside the Schengen zone, they have these border stations that you have to stop at along the main highway routes. They check your car and your passport. Expect to be waiting for an hour or more at each check point. The officials are in no rush to get you through so have your water bottle full. On a personal note, avoid the toilets at these stops if there is not a shop at the border...it is like they have not been cleaned in years. Plus they can be the standing ones...I advise wearing a skirt when crossing a border in eastern Europe.
3)
When you fly or drive into France, you will have to have your passport and WHV stamped at the border checking point/airport. I was surprised at how uneventful it really was. I was expecting a “congratulations you made it” or a “have fun”. But nothing.
I do not know by train sorry.
Haha love the toilet tips!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Hayley, you've been a wonderful help. Please let me know if I can do anything for you - I can bring you Tim Tams from Aus :)
How are the travel plans going?
DeleteHi Kate,
DeleteI'm back on the Australian Radar.
How have your travel plans been going?
Hayley
hi would love your advice.
ReplyDeleteIs it fine to mention enrollment into a language course?
question 24 on the long stay visa, where it is ask details about the inviting employer/ host institution or family member?...is it fine to list the language course institution?
just checking because i know that study adn work should be incidental and holidaying comes first. which is what i intend but want to take a language program while i am there.
Unless the language course is providing you with accommodation or an income, I don't think it really matters. I listed the host family I was staying with in Montpellier which was through a language assistant program.
ReplyDeleteI have done language courses since being here but they have not been through a university. So it has been just like buying something at a shop every week. I am using my money to pay for the and not going through a language institute where I am entitled to the French governments student benefits.
They just want to know where you plan to stay for most of your time in France and to make sure they are not going to be paying you any French government benefits.
Hi Hayley. Can you recommend any language courses in Montpellier?
ReplyDeleteHi Hammish,
ReplyDeleteI am having troubles writing replies with my ipad. I won't back type then this website freezes on me. Will write more when I get my hands on a desktop pc. Sorry for the delay.
Hayley
Hi Hammish,
DeleteWhen I was in Montpellier I was told that there are 3 main schools and private tuition.
I don't know if this is true but most people I met went to one of three schools.
I do not recommend accent Francais.
Their teaching methods are not efficient and most of the students, like me, complained they learnt nothing. their exercises waste time and can be easily done at home so not to waste class time looking up words in a dictionary or guessing.
They will also put you in class levels below or above your level because they do not have enough students or teachers to create a class which will be more appropriate to you.
After 2 unsatisfactory months at Accent Francais, I got private tuition at a cheaper price which was 100 times better. So the school i went to was more for a social network.
I was told that there are classes at the University which are great. Classes at the university that don't require you to enroll as a university student to take them.
they are more intense, studious and strive for results. the other schools I feel are more like tourist language centers. they speak a bit of french, read through a newspaper article, ask you to guess french words which leads to 5 minutes of silence in class.
At the university, they give you vocabulary lists to study in your own time and then you use the vocabulary in french class as you do grammar exercises.
I don't know the names sorry but I am sure you can find them in english versions online.
I hope this helps and isn't too much of a rant.
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for for this blog post- has really helped me a lot!
I plan on taking the French WHV next year to do a bit of travelling throughout France, take a short language course and be immersed in the culture.
I will be staying with my boyfriend and his family in a village in South-West France and was wondering during my interview should I mention that I am staying with my bf' and his family or should I say his family have offered to be my host family while I am in France and he is a casual friend? Would I need any documentation to prove this?
I know the French officials don't like people using the French WHV for staying with partners so not sure how I would go about explaining my living situation. My boyfriend and I intend to return to Australia together when my visa expires.
Looking forward to hearing your advice!
Char
Hi Char,
ReplyDeleteI had a quick look at the visa pages from Amba France in Australia as they have changed since I wrote this first blog months ago. I think someone finally caught on that they had 3 different pages with 3 different rulings.
I think it doesn't matter that he is your boyfriend. You will need a letter from his family stating why they are letting you stay with them, for roughly how long. Remember the main intention of this visa is to immerse yourself in the culture and travel, which is exactly what you are talking about.
You have luck on your side that you already met your bf before traveling and that he has family with which you can stay with during your visa period.
There is a visa for spouses which is different to a WHV but it does not apply to defacto relationships. Thus you only have the choice of a WHV or long stay visa, whether you have a boyfriend or not.
And either way, you will have to follow the WHV or Long stay visa rules and return to Australia even if your relationship gets more serious whilst you are in France. This is because you would have to apply for a spouse Visa in their Sydney office even if you were to get married whilst in France.
My dad is remarried to a woman from overseas and it is ridiculous how you have to spend money to travel and be in a particular country just to sign and file a piece of paper.
Is your boyfriend French or does his family just live there?
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your quick reply and input on this!
Just a bit of background as to why I am taking the French WHV. My boyfriend is French (born and raised in a village SW of France) and he came to Perth on a WHV and we would eventually like to apply for a Partner Visa here in Perth, Australia but must first prove 12 months of defacto relationship and living together before we proceed with the application. Our solution is for me to take a French WHV to work and live with him in France for one year to fufill the defacto requirement while immersing myself in the culture and speeding up my French.
His parents are kind enough to let me live with him and his family during my WHV year (rent free). We plan on returning to Australia once my French WHV expires so no chance of overstaying my visa :)
Thanks for advising me on the documentation and yes I'm quite lucky to be given this opportunity! What exactly do you think I have to provide? I'm thinking a letter of invitation by them, photocopies of French passports and IDs (both parents) and a utlity bill with their details stating that they live in the house? Anything else I should add?
For the Long Stay Visa application on the Amba France site for Aus:
Q29: What will be your means of support in France?- Should I just put casual work or do I need to state I will be using my savings in the bank as well?
Q30: Will you be supported by one or several person(s) in France- should I put 'NO' or do I have to include that my boyfriend's family will be providing rent-free accomodation to me? All other expenses (share of food, travel etc...) will be at my cost.
Your blog post has been so helpful to me- I really appreciate you taking the time to give some well needed advice! :)
Hi Char,
DeleteI am so happy to hear that I am able to help even though I am not an expert on the matter. I understand how frustrating the process can be when the french embassy refuse to answer questions and have a very intimidating tone online. I can only imagine it being alot worse for Aussies who have to get on a plane to file the paperwork in Sydney (because they forget Australia is the size of a continent).
What I say next will be going off my memory as the copy of my form is back in Australia and I did this over 9 months ago.
Q29 - I believe I wrote "casual work once found in France and personal savings"
Q30 - I would not write anything in terms of support here. The family is not giving you money. The free accommodation and food you mention is no different to staying at a friends house for a night or when a guest has you over for a weekend. Nor is it much different to how i was staying with a family as a language assistant. they gave me no money, only food and accommodation in return for speaking english with their children.
Your boyfriend's family will not be how you financially support yourself. Also as said before, I don't believe France will recognise your boyfriend as your partner as you don't meet their partner visa requirements.
I think I left this question blank.
Hi Hayley,
DeleteThanks for the application advice! Really helpful and the rest of the questions are a breeze :)
To show proof that I will be staying with my boyfriend's parents during my WHV, I'm thinking of providing a letter of invitation by them, photocopies of their French IDs (both parents), a utility bill and a title deed of their house to show their ownership. Is there anything else I should bring along?
I know it sounds a bit much, but as I've learnt you can never have too many documents when you are dealing with French administration! And I'll only shown these to them if they ask for them.
Hope you're enjoying your time in France! Looking forward to reading your write ups when you return! :)
Hi Hayley.
ReplyDeleteI'm about to have my Appointment next week and as you know, There is almost no contact to ask questions with the Consulate so I'd like to ask you a few questions as you have done the Process and passed.
With the Bank Statement, Do they require you to have Both your name and address on it? As If I print mine its only got my Name and No address?
With the Police Check, I have a recent one which I Got done on the AFP website, It says its a National Police name Check on the top, Its just got all the states logos on it rather then just the State it was issued in logo. Surely this will be acceptable even though it says "State Issued on the site"?
I am Also working for the first 2-3 months When I arrive. Do I write the name of my employer in box 30 that ask if someone will support me while I'm in France. Or in Box number 24 that Says "Name, address and Telephone number in France of Inviting Employer/Host Institution/Family Member. As this is for a WHV and I don't need an invitation?
If something is not completely correct on the forms will they help you a little bit in the appointment at all and give you some time to fix mistakes and explain things to you? Because the website makes it sound very intimidating that It needs to be perfect or your application is refused Straight away.
Well thats what it sounds like to me anyway.
I hope you have been enjoying your trip!
Hello fellow wine lover,
ReplyDeleteLike I've told others, I am using an ipad which hates to leave replies, so I have used the notes program to write responses to your questions which I included in the reply.
Please let me know if this helps :0)
Q: With the Bank Statement, Do they require you to have Both your name and address on it? As If I print mine its only got my Name and No address?
A: I think as long as you have your name on it and it is a legitimate document you will be fine. Did you print it from an online banking account or did it come through the mail in an envelope with your adress on it?
If you have online banking you could also print a screen shot of your account summary to take with you as added evidence. If they question the official document, be bold and ask the man at the counter to call the bank for confirmation. also simply say you are sorry that the bank you chose to bank with didnt include your address on their statement templates.
Again, I think you should be fine if it is an official bank document.
Q: With the Police Check, I have a recent one which I Got done on the AFP website, It says its a National Police name Check on the top, Its just got all the states logos on it rather then just the State it was issued in logo. Surely this will be acceptable even though it says "State Issued on the site"?
ReplyDeleteA: I saw the AFP website too but decided to go down to my local police station only because it was close by to my apartment and thus quicker.
My opinion is if the criminal check has the states logo on it, then legally it is state issued. The australian government/Australian federal police has created a website to issue police checks on their behalf that have with each state logo. Thus it is state issued as the nsw police have authorised them to issue their police check on their behalf.
if it has the state logo on it, it is technically state issued.
I also think that the French embassy only cares that they have something on file they can reference if you ever commit a crime in France. It's a legal document supported by the australian police force in each state, therefore they can use it.
Q: I am Also working for the first 2-3 months When I arrive. Do I write the name of my employer in box 30 that ask if someone will support me while I'm in France. Or in Box number 24 that Says "Name, address and Telephone number in France of Inviting Employer/Host Institution/Family Member. As this is for a WHV and I don't need an invitation?
DeleteA: I would write this information In the inviting employer section and take a copy of the email or letter you were sent from the french company confirming this employment.
"Someone" is not a company you work for. I think this "someone" is meant to be a parent, husband/wife or other kind of family member giving you money to financially support your travels....travel being the main objective of getting the visa.
Or I would put your current employer to show that you have been working in Australia to earn the money you have as savings in your bank account. I think I reference this at the beginning of this blog.
DeleteQ: If something is not completely correct on the forms will they help you a little bit in the appointment at all and give you some time to fix mistakes and explain things to you? Because the website makes it sound very intimidating that It needs to be perfect or your application is refused Straight away.
ReplyDeleteWell thats what it sounds like to me anyway.
A: I took along an extra blank copy of the form to my appointment for this very reason. I was terrified and wanted it so bad. I started stressing over imaginary situations and preparing speeches in my head of what I would say i response if they denied me...that it was their shitty website and customer services fault for not providing enough clear information.
When i was there, I explained to the man behind the counter (obviously gay with his Mickey Mouse t-shirt and girly voice) the reasons for my answers because I wasn't sure exactly what they meant. I also joked with him how the embassy refuses to answer questions and then let him know I understand it is because they get sooo many requests for one on one time and there isn't enough time nor man-power to do that job.
I remember him saying to to worry because it was just a who which is one of the easiest to get. it was also casual friday at the embassy when I lodged my form and now know after subsequent visits that the staff were definitely in a more friendly and relaxed state of mind before the weekend. Maybe it's good advice to book an appointment on a Friday.
I really think that the french embassy just want to know that you have enough money in the bank to travel for a while, that your not a criminal, and most importantly that you have a definite plane ride home.
When you go in, act confident in your decisions you wrote down and let them see that you are a logical mature person who is trying to please them by following their rules. If they say you made a mistake which I'm sure they won't, simply say why you wrote something and say you can quickly correct it on a spare form of the copy if they don't mind waiting 2 minutes for you to write. They can take a photocopy of your passport whilst you do this etc.
Also relax, what is meant to be will be :0)
I hope you have been enjoying your trip!
- yes and no, but mostly hell yes. I will have alot to write about when I get home!
Hello Hayley,
ReplyDeleteI'm from NZ but it's quite similar process in AUS whilst applying for WHV to France. When does your WHV expire this year? Are you planning to stay longer? I believe you are only granted 12 months for WHV. I plan to apply for WHV by end of this year, however if I find a full time job for one year I might not even have enough time for travelling throughout the schengen countries.
Are you working full time in France since you got there? How hard and how long did it take you to find full time job in France when you arrive? And if you are working full time there, how often do you get to travel? How many days off do you get? I was thinking, if working full time from Monday to Friday and the weekend would be the only time you could travel outside France but a weekend is not really enough.
If you know any other options as to how we can extend the WHV, please do share and I am aware that you are not allowed but I'm sure there is a way to extend the WHV.
I hope you can reply and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thanks
Bel
HI Bel,
DeleteSorry for the late reply. I managed to land a job sooner than expected and it has taken up more time than expected.
My WHV has already expired. I fly home on the date of its expiration. I would have loved to have stayed longer in France with its fine cuisine if I could have found more reliable work, but I do admit it is good to be back home with family after such a long absence.
A WHV is 12 months from the date of your entry into the country that issued your WHV. If you do find fullt ime work, I gues you will have to budget your time and annual leave to have the holiday you can afford (in terms of money and time). A full time job would help with the money aspect as Europe can be pricy, especially in the tourist areas you will no doubt want to visit.
I never worked full time in France. It did not take me long to find a job (about a month), however this was because the type of work I was going for was widely available. Language assistant (like an au pair). You will always find work in a bar, on a boat or for some tourist camping place etc. I found that the french don't like online resumes much and that it is best to go to the place to apply and speak to them over the phone or via skype if you were not close by. My friends also tell me you need to start applying about 2-3 months before the season starts if you want something that is more organised and stable (like in a ski resort etc). There is such a high turnover of seasonal workers and employers are cutting back in these financial crisis days. I say do your research, join more blog groups etc for advcie from people who have worked there alot..and don't listen to the English advice. Alot of jobs I applied for came back to me saying they can only employ an English citizen because they have a business relationship with an English recruitment agency.
I got alot of help from my french friends to write up a french cv and introductory letter before I started applying. If I was to do it again and know exactly where I was staying, I would probably pay the extra and go through a company that can organise you work before you get there. This is just because I didn't like the stress of looking for work in a country where language can be a bit of a barrier and one of my employers was not honouring our contract (not wanting to pay me and changing the terms knowing I was alone in a foreign land etc). But I know heaps of others that had success form putting in the extra effort and being brave, plus of all the things in the world to complain about, things could have been worse. I only had 1 bad working experience out of 3. during my time in Europe. I had my weekends and some nights free. If you want time off to see more of Europe, you need to give your employer advance notice, and they will have information about it in their contracts. Obviously if they employ alot of foreign workers, they expect them to want time off to see Europe.
You cannot extend a French working holiday visa. even if you were to marry a french man etc you would have to come back to NZ to fill out paperwork. The only way I found to stay in Europe whilst in Europe is to apply for another WHV whilst in Germany. Germans allow you to stay in Germany for up to 8 weeks whilst waiting for approval for their WHV. All other countries that I was interested in within Europe also said I had to apply whilst in the country of my citizenship. Just take a look at the other country's official WHV websites. As AU & NZ are part of the commonwealth, we can stay in England for up to 6 months without a visa and without working to re-enter the Schengan area for up to 90 days within that 6 month period.
If you have ancestors from Europe, I suggest looking into your options for obtaining a british passport or European passport. They are priceless in my eyes.
I hope this helps. Sorry it was not all the good news I' sure you were hoping to hear. Good luck with your journey though and I'd be interested to hear how it turns out.
Hayley
Hello Hayley,
ReplyDeleteWow, I am speechless with your response. Thank you for making an effort for answering my questions.
I have been to London, France, Italy, Prague, Spain, Austria and Slovakia few years ago and am really missing the European continent. I hope you had a great time in Paris and traveling around Europe :). I am really looking forward to stay in Paris for one year and hopefully to get a stable job. But I was thinking of doing my Master degree next year for 18 months in NZ first and then before I turn 31 I will apply for my WHV for France.
I was also thinking of applying for UK work visa first and then once that's approved (maybe after a month) then I will apply for WHV for France. I will enter Paris first and see if I can get a job there and if not I will move to London straight away to find a job. UK work visa will grant 2 years. I wonder if anyone has ever applied for two different WHV at the same time :)
I didn't know that you can apply for WHV for Germany :) Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep that in mind.
I am a bit worried that if I work part-time just so I can travel around Europe again, I might not be able to afford the cost of living. That's why I prefer to work full-time provided if I get offered a job.
How did you get the language assistant job? Did you go through agency? I also heard about baby speaking agency, which I plan to check it out. That would be my last option if I can't find a job at all.
I might try applying online before I get there :) Do you know a good website where I can apply for jobs in Paris?
Also, where did you end up staying in Paris and how much rent were you paying a month? Were you sharing with your friends? I know that Paris apartment/bedrooms are very small and I am prepared to live in a box. lol
I would appreciate if you could write on your next post about how you survived in Paris. Also maybe provide some useful tips with finding jobs, apartments and budgeting.
:)
I look forward to hearing from you again.
Thank you.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteThis is extremely helpful. Unfortunately my partner and I only heard about this visa a little while ago and don't have enough time to apply before we go.
Have you heard of anyone applying for the visa whilst in France?
Thanks,
Jim
Hi Jim,
DeleteWhen researching in 2012/2013 options to stay in EU by applying for a visa whilst in the country, I noticed Germany was one of the only countries that would allow me to apply for a working holiday visa whilst on a tourist entry (ie, I could wait the 6 week processing time in Germany as part of the 90 day tourist time you are allowed in the Schengen area without a working/holiday visa). England will let Aussies stay 6 months without a visa but you are not allowed to work. I thought of trying to find a way to go back to England after my WHV expired for 3 months so I could return to the schengan area for another 3 months as a tourist, but encountered a financial setback in the last month of my travels (due to unethical employer who breaks contracts at a whim).
How long are you going to France? Maybe your situation is different and you don't need a visa?
Hayley
Hi Hayley
DeleteI thought I posted a reply but it hasn't shown up.
Thanks you for all the info. You're a guru.
Our plan is to travel Europe at a leisurely pace and stay with some relatives in paris as a base.
My partner and I have managed to book appointments for the WHV early next week. we are leaving for Vietnam on Feb 4 and leaving Vietnam for Paris on March 4. This leaves just under a month for processing. Are we cutting it way too fine??
Thanks,
Jim
Hey there everyone.
ReplyDeleteMy partner and I successfully received our visas and I thought I would share with you our experience.
We found out about the visa very late in our travel preparations which made the application process very stressful and rushed. We had purchased tickets to leave on Feb 4th and managed to get an appointment on the 4th of Jan.
We had all of our documents apart from our police checks. We had organised them before the interview but hadn't received them. My partner received hers a few days after applying but mine took 3 weeks. We both did a statutory declaration stating that we didn't have criminal records and that we would send the records to the french consulate ASAP. This didn't end up helping very much because they wouldn't process our visas until they had everything.
Our travel insurance didn't run until the end of the visa expiry which as an issue. We weren't intending on staying that long but they were adamant that our travel insurance was to be covered until the visa expired.
The lady also wasn't happy with my bank statement. It was the most recent one available but it was dated 4 months earlier which wasn't recent enough.
The lady seemed quite short tempered and fed up with us. It definitely didn't seem like it was going to happen for us. She surprised us by giving us 40 minutes to go out and extend our travel insurance policy and print out more recent proof of my bank account's status.
It was a very stressful 40 minutes but we managed to rush to an internet cafe and print out what we needed. We came back, dropped it all off and went straight to the pub.
Our visas were processed a few days after they received each of our police checks.
Once they were both ready we went up and picked them up. It took about 5 minutes.
Overall, our experience was excellent. They were very patient and lenient with us.
My advice to other applicants is to get it organised well before you leave. It will save you a huge amount of stress.
Hi This Mess and Hayley,
DeleteThanks for your posts.
This blog has been the most helpful tool in applying for a WHV. I am still struggling with a few things though. I am planning to travel the UK and the south of Europe before settling in Lyon in September.
However because I am leaving in June I have issues with only a year validity on flights and travel insurance. I can only book return flights at the moment for at the latest, end of Feb and if I get a travel insurance policy starting in June it will not cover me for a whole year after my expected entrance date to France (September).
With flights I am going to book a flexi-ticket through STA travel which means I wont have change fees but I still wont be able to do this until September. Will this be an issue for when I arrive at the French border? (Probably entering via train from the UK).
Also have people taken out multiple policies in order to be covered for their entire stay in France? Does anyone know of any cheap policies that cover medical only? I may try and get this for a year and then get extra travel cover for dates surrounding my stay in France. Has anyone done this?
Cheers,
Nate
Hi Nate,
DeleteI had the same problem and unfortunately it is an issue that costs us money.
Re - Insurance.
You have to buy enough to travel insurance cover you the whole time up to the expiry date of your French WHV. This will be a years cover plus whatever additional travel time you plan before you enter into FR. Multiple policies or a policy extension will be required.
As for the cheapest, see if there are any comparison websites that can help and/or get the travel companies to compete against each other for the sale,
e.g. I had a year's cover with covermore, then had to pay an extra few $100 to cover me an extra month as I travelled around Great Britain. Depending on how long you plan to stay, it might be cheaper to buy 2 years worth of insurance cover. I went with covermore because they were relatively cheap and affiliated with a language assistant program I was doing in FR.
Re: Flights - As long as you have any kind of plane ticket with a date you are leaving, and that date is before the WHV expiry date, then you are good.
Airlines are not allowing us to book so far in advance anymore, there are many reasons for this (including increasing fuel prices). I had a plane ticket that allowed me to change dates. Whilst in EU, I spent $200 to change it to a date further in the future (the day I was actually coming back to AU). Changing your fly out date is just something that you will have to do whilst over in EU.
Where in the South of EU are you going?
If you pass through FR to get there, you will activate your WHV year on the date you enter FR. If you fly out of UK to Italy, Greece etc, you will only activate your schengan zone 3 month tourist entry date which does not impact the year you can stay in FR (to my knowledge).
Hi Hayley I'm moving to France on a whv in may. Just wondering how you went about opening a bank account and doing your tax return for income earned while in France?? Cheers
ReplyDeleteHi Edward,
DeleteWhen in France I didn't actually open a bank account. If I did any work I as paid in cash to avoid the paperwork for everyone and had alot of travelling money saved up.
I did do the research before I left though:
Top 4 recommended banks:
Credit Agricole (CA) - great for students
BNP Paribas - atms everywhere
Scoiete General
Caisse d'Epargne
At the time of research in 2013, AXA bank and ING Direct were cheapest for online accounts & INGhad the most competitive rates & charges.
Types of bank accounts:
- Livret aka Compte d'epargne sur le livret = general savings account, easy transfers
- CODEVI aka Compte pur le development industrial = tax free up to 4600 euro
- PEL/CEL aka plan au compte d'epagne logement = long term fix deposit
My NOTES from that research period say:
"Open compte con-resident & compte d'epargne.
NEED passport, copy of WHV, and something that will be proof of address.
BANK HOURS are normally 8am -4pm Mon-Fri. Only some are open 9am - 1pm on saturdays.
QUESTIONS to ask when selecting a bank:
- is their a branch near your residence?
- bilingual service level of availability?
- customer service level?
- online facilities?
- Overdraft offer for non-residents? (who are getting used to thinking in euros)
- interest rate on acc?
- national branch network?
When trying to CONVERT money:
Foreign amount = AUD divided by rate
AUD = foreign x rate
As for taxes, I haven't done mine yet. Will have to let you know how it goes.
I took a mastercard 28 degrees credit card which I found very useful as it had no atm fees and the cheapest exchange rate (always have it in the plus and keep in safe on your person). You could always ask your employers to pay into this as a bank account as it has a biller code and account number that you use via bpay. I also had anz travellers cards as back ups with the exact amount of Eu or GBP I planned to use.
Hope I was able to help a little.
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI also recommend getting your hands on "The Pimsleur Approach" audio lessons before getting on a plane to France for beginners or those wanting to brush up on their french. I have studied french for 8 years and found it the most helpful tool whilst over there for my spoken french.
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of this. I suppose this is a question for all who might be able to answer.
I am leaving for the UK/Spain/France next week for 3 months - planning to use up everything the Schengen will allow me too.
I have booked my ticket back to Sydney (in mid-august) for my WHV appointment. Then plan on waiting until this goes through to go back over asap after.
I will have my plane tickets booked, insurance covered, bank statements, passport photo and application filled in but my trouble is this:
Because I will be away for 3 months then flying back into Sydney I'm not too sure what I should do with regards to my police check (I'm from Melbourne). I have seen I may be able to do one online but I'm not entirely sure. I would organise this before I leave initially but this means it will be passed it's 3 months validation.
My final query is that, will they have any issue of me flying straight back from France on a holiday then wanting to go straight back over?
Any help what so ever would be appreciated.
Charlie
Also,
DeleteAny information on what other things I should provide would be much obliged too i.e. proof of acoomodation/work.
Hi Charles,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
To my knowledge, you should have no issue going straight back after you return to AU as the WHV is a new type of entry. Your time in the UK is not part of the schengan area, as an AU citizen you can stay there for up to 6 months without working.
If I were you, I would call your local police station and ask they which online provider they recommend after explaining your validity situation. I guarantee there will be a way to do this. AU is so big and they cannot disadvantage those in our remote areas, so there will be a way to get your police check online.
On terms of what to provide, I can only restate what I wrote in the original post. I do reiterate having proof of where you will be staying when you first arrive in the UK and to Europe as you will be asked to show evidence of this when entering the country by boarder control. If you have prearranged work, show them your invitation letter or contract as this will help confirm that you really are just after a WHV.
If only we could be so lucky to holiday and then go straight back.
Which airline are you flying with?
August is the end of their summer season. What kind of work are you planning to look for during the colder months and do you have any advice for readers of this blog?
Happy to Help,
Hayley
Hi Hayley,
DeleteThanks so much for all of this.
Fortunatley I have been offered a job in Marseille from August onwards. But since my partner is from UK/France, we need to head over next week as her visa is up. The job put me in a weird spot with regards to visa's. I would obviously like to stay in France and apply there to start work, but I have gathered that is not possible.
I must fly back to Sydney to apply in my home country and wait for it to go through, so I can head back over to start my job. The job is working in a pepiniere (nursery), doing some landscaping and nursery work.
I am flying with Qatar next week - I hear they are great! Then flying back to Sydney with Emerates - I also hear they are great too.
I guess in terms of advice, I myself am heading overseas to work for the first time so this process has seemed quite stressfull. But I guess:
- Prepare as much as possible i.e. visa information
- Give yourself enough time to do things before you leave
- It's always good to know people in the country - or bordering country - you are going too. This helps with local travel etc.
Those three things seem quite obvious but I cannot stress enough how much it helps.
The final thing really is reading this blog!! It has helped me immensely. I'm sure there will be another person in my situation - though it seems like a rare one. Reading this will help the next person.
Thanks Hayley
Hi Hayley and Charles
ReplyDeleteA few things. I am in Sydney currently and submitted my application yesterday. Unfortunately, apparently the people that normally complete the applications were absent and the man at the counter couldn't really explain some of the finer details and I wasn't game enough to conduct the conversation in French. I ended up having to just drop off all the paperwork and sign an authorisation to deduct payment from my credit card. I hope this all goes through soon but I will keep you posted!
In regards to police check. I ended up getting one from the AFP (ACT) as the entire process was completed online unlike in Victoria where we must get documentation signed at a police office. As it was issued by the Federal Police it stated that it was valid for ACT and all other states so I hoped that would be sufficient.
Also are either of you (or anyone) aware of the how the Schengen agreement works post WHV finish date? I had a lot of difficulty booking flights as the ones on sale at the moment are only valid particular dates (low season) next year. This was with Qatar Airlines. Therefore I wasn't able to enter France until after the 17th August this year. This is so when I get my flight reissued to an off peak ticket by STA travel I am still able to enter France on my WHV. However I have noticed on some forms that we are still eligible for Schengen entitlements but details are not specific.
Good luck with everything Charles.
Hopefully the AFP check works out okay and I will let you know.
Nate
Hi Nate,
ReplyDeleteYes let me know how it all goes. I will also be going through AFP because I was informed they are the only checks for Victoria that suffice for visa purposes. This is all done pi online and apparently you don't need any certified copies of identification just normal photocopies along with one of there forms they get you to fill out (maybe you can confirm this). AFP also informed me that they can also send your police check overseas once it's completed which I am now doing.
I am not entirely sure on your Schegnen query I think Hayley will be able to help! Keep me updated!
I am still thinking of when to books my flights. I am aiming to have my appointment around the 17th of August so will book my flights after that.
Charlie
My understanding with the schengan ruling is that you can have 90 days within a 6 month period on a schengan tourist visa, that is separate to the WHV as they are 2 different kinds of visa's.
ReplyDeleteIf I wanted to stay on extra I would have gone to the UK for a weekend as my "leaving the country/schengan area" , and then returned to a Schengan EU country as a tourist on a tourist visa (valid for 90 days within a 6 month period).
The only catch is that your WHV requires you to have a return flight to your home country, not the UK or another country. So if you plan to do this, you may have to spend the money on a flight reschedule.
Airlines will only allow you to book flights up to 11 months in advance for international flights, so you need to keep this in mind for airfares and rescheduling fees (mine rescheduling fees were about $200 AUD for each time). Everyone is out to make a dollar.
Thanks so much for your comments Nate.
I hope all goes well for you both and look forward to hearing more about your journey.
Check out Pimsleur approach to learning French if you want to gain a bit of confidence speaking before you go. Was one of the most helpful tools for me.
Hayley
Hi there Hayley, my girlfriend and I have an appointment on Thursday 15th of May and are leaving on June 12 - this leaves us with about 27 days to get our visas/passports mailed back. You had a line at the end there saying they are processed according to priority of departure date - do they tend to be receptive to people asking that theirs be "prioritised"? I kind of want to ask that if it's taking too long can they just send our passports back and we can get family to forward our visas on! (we don't go to France until August)
ReplyDeleteCheers! (and thanks for maintaining this page - not that much info about the WHV out there!)
Hi Lachie,
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your appointment tomorrow, very exciting :o)
I would definitely recommend advising the embassy during your appointment that you fly out on June 12 because you will have to leave your passports at the embassy for them to stick the visa in.
This means if you don't have your passport back before the 12th, you'll have difficulties flying out of AU.
They can mail your passport back to you with your visa inside the passport if you don't live close to their Sydney office. If you do live close by, I recommend going there in person to collect it as I don't have too much trust in the mail service with something so valued as my passport (heaven help you if it were to get lost in the mail).
Please let me know how you go asking for and receiving priority processing. I think it would be great to know and for everyone who is in a similar situation as yours.
I really do wish you the best of luck and look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks also for the positive message about maintaining this page. It was the frustration about not much info for the French WHV and little help from the embassy that motivated me to do it and help others, so I'm very happy to hear it is actually helping people.
Hayley
Hi!
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if anyone can help me out...
I have a Working Holiday Visa for France and want to know if there are any restrictions on how many hours I can work or if I can only work for the same employer for a certain number of months?
I am a teacher in Australia and so looking for teaching jobs and I am currently talking to a couple of International schools about jobs. If I am working "fulltime", I will still have school holidays and weekends to go travelling. I just want to do the right thing and don't want to commit to a job and then find that I am not able to work for them fulltime or for the whole school year.
The Consulate website doesn't seem to be very helpful or give specific details...
Thanks for your help! :-)
Hey Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI previously thought that you could only work "mi-temps" up to 20hrs per week with one employer for 3 months (maybe I am getting my countries mixed up).
But from what I have seen on on a quick internet search for the exact figure and several websites offering WHV programs for Australians in France, I get the impression you can work up to 35 hours per week with one day off per week, including at least1 Sunday per month, an you can ask for 3-4 weeks unpaid holidays. This is full time work as the WHV is a kind of long stay visa.
I would contact the employment office in the town you are looking to work (emploi.fr), there would be someone there that definitely speaks english if you need a translator.
If you are teaching english, the receptionist at the language schools should also speak english relatively well as part of their immersive environments. I would contact them using a fake name and ask if they have ever employed anyone on a WHV as a teacher instead of a language assistant before if you cannot locate a definitive answer on an official website. I am sure they get heaps of enquiries.
I would also recommend putting up flyers and postings to teach english one-on one or in groups at a mutual location to make a few extra dollars cash.
Apologies I couldn't be more help. Please let me know what answer you find.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteHi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of this visa information and especially for answering all of these questions many of which have been questions I had before reading through! I think I have the application process down and an interview booked but I have a couple of questions about working in France.
1. Can you tell me more about your language assistant role? How did you get this? And did you have any training before you started?
2. Is living in Paris even achievable? That is, am I likely to get work there? I would like to spent about six months in Paris and while I'm happy to live mostly off my savings (if I need to), they won't cover the full six months!
3. And if I weren't to find work in France, do you know whether I am able to work for an Australian/foreign company as a freelancer/contractor while on the WHV in France?
4. What about working in France as a freelancer? Do you know anything about the auto-entrepreneur? Is this even possible since you need to get that work permit once you have a position?
Thanks again!
Hey Hayley et tout le monde!
ReplyDeleteI have been in Lyon a bit over a month now. I spent the first couple of weeks getting myself organised with a job, my transport card, phone number, bank account etc. and then did another two weeks travel before the school term settled. I am currently still looking for an appartement/colocation which is very difficult post September.
My advice is do this as early as possible ! While we were searching in August we were joking it was like the troisième guerre mondiale as it was so competitive but you really do need to try and do it before uni goes back as there is not much left now and still many people looking. Also it is quite difficult to organise life (bank, phone etc.) without an address so I strongly recommend doing that first especially if you anticipate doing it without the assistance of French friends!
My real question to you and everyone Hayley centres around us registering our work with the OFII (office français de l'immigration et integration) and Michelle's question on capping our hours. From what I have read on the VERY varied information on each website we are exempt from having to acquire the carte de séjour with our visa, however there is no consistent information on whether we still need to register with the OFII or complete a medical examination etc.
I have gained a CDII
The most common types of contracts are "contrat durée determiné/indeterminée" which is like full time or casual. the extra 'I' on mine stands for intermittent because I have school holiday work available as well.
Unfortunately my employer has no idea on whether they need to register my hours or not. This surprised me as they hire mainly Brits, Aussies, Kiwis and Canadians to teach English in a bilingual school.
If anyone had any information it would be greatly appreciated :)
Bon courage !
Nate
Hi everyone! Hi Hayley!
ReplyDeleteYour blog has been of so much help! I have a quick question - did you have to provide letters from your language assistant host families to get this visa? I will be staying with some host families as well but I'm not sure if it's necessary to provide proof of my living arrangements with them. The website does not mention anything about having to show hotel reservations, proof of accommodation, etc.
Any information on this would be much much appreciated!
Best Regards,
K
Hello K,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the positive feedback.
On the form, Question 25 asks where you will be staying.
I would simply write the addresses you already have there and take any info with you to your interview just in case they ask for some proof.
You can also put "various hostels whilst travelling".
I say just be honest and cover your bases. They will correct anything in your interview if need be and they will probably have a laugh at all the extra info (cause they do make it sound so scary, they must get some kicks out of it).
I'd like to take a moment to remind you of what the guy behind the counter at the French embassy told me "it's just a whv, this is the easiest to get".
You'll be fine if you take on board all the advice from me and others in this blog feed and you will have an absolutely awesome time in France.
I am so jealous. Eat all the cheese you can as when you come back to AU and crave it, it will be 3-4 times the price you paid for it in France.
I'll have to start a new blog feed with other travel in France tips for people to add to.
Thanks for the idea :0)
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteFirstly a huge congratulations and even bigger thanks for such a comprehensive and helpful blog!! The information you've posted on here has been absolutely invaluable.
So, with that said, I'm going to be adding my two cents in...
I've read somewhere (throughout my exhaustive research on the whole matter) that after 3 months or so, the OFII or some other French organisation 'checks up' on you. That is, they want to see proof of living costs (rent statements for example) and other things to make sure you're not dodging any rules. I can't remember for the life of me where I found this out but I'm hoping you have an idea on what this part is?
Also, re accommodation... I'm going to be doing a homestay for one part but will likely be changing families. Not sure how I'm meant to go about explaining this at my appointment in Sydney... Finally, when you included a letter for the homestay invitation, would an email simply suffice or is there something more detailed/professional needed?
Off to my appointment in just over a week and my fingers are crossed that everything goes smoothly. You're absolutely right – their website is SO intimidating!!
Hope you had a great Christmas, and thanks in advance for your response :-)
Christie
Hi Christie! How did you end up going with your visa?
DeleteGreat article! I am found reading such type of articles. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteLearning French In Dubai
Hi, can you apply for the WHV whilst already in France? My daughter will be in Nantes when she turns 18. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHey Dinosaur Dude!
Delete- Cool Name and lucky daughter!
If your daughter is Australian, she will not be able to apply for a WHV whilst in France.
Sadly in this day of the internet and boarder security, they still want us to spend our money flying back to Australia to physically hand in some paperwork instead of spending that money in France whilst waiting.
Last time I checked, Germany will let you apply for a WHV whilst in the country yet this may have changed given the recent attacks on the EU.
All the best!
Hi Haley! Wonderful article! I've decided to move to France and my appointment is in 3 weeks away. I ended up booking my flights with a month leeway incase of any issues. I was curious with two things, they require proof of residency - is that just a birth certificate? Also, for the travel insurance, most of the companies actually say "Unlimited" however, then have a breakdown of the amount could be claimed per year if a medical emergency arises. Would you happen to know if this will cause the visa to be denied? Is the medical side of the insurance is vital or one year's worth of insurance is okay?
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Dani
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeletethis blog and the following messages have been super helpful!
i just had one question, I'm flying into Geneva Switzerland and then getting a train into Chamonix to do a few weeks snowboarding, but i was wondering if i have to fly into france to apply for the working holiday visa? or whether it is ok to enter the country by other means?
I'm sure this is a silly question, but i'd rather be safe than sorry.
Thanks for the help and all the answers you've given previously!
Cheers,
Linc.
Hi Haley,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this awesome blog, you have no idea how helpful you have been. So glad I stumbled across it! :)
I just have one question though that's been bugging me:
I have my appointment booked for Jan 12th 2017 at the Consulate and will be leaving on Feb 15th, hopefully that's enough time.. I have all the relevant documents ready, however my sister and I have booked a One-way ticket to Paris (not a return) and are hoping to explain in an attached letter our reasons for this. We have a flexi-ticket which allows us to make unlimited adjustments to our flights including amending our flights to a return although we don't really want to come to Sydney as we'd like to make a life abroad, find work and if we're lucky settle in Paris etc..I have a bad feeling they'll reject our application if we've booked a one-way ticket. What do you suggest Hayley? Urgently need your recommendation on this, feeling worried and stressed :(
I really hope you get to see this message, look forward to hearing from you.
Ps. You are AMAZING! A big thanks in advance.
Nancy
Hey Nancy!
DeleteThanks for your comment.
I had the same thought when I first applied and I loved the idea of settling.
It really depends on your heritage and what visa you have with regards to settling.
My understanding is that you need to show a return ticket if you have an Australian visa only and you are applying for a WHV.
At the time I went, the only country I could see that would allow me to stay longer in EU and work was Germany, as they would let me apply for a WHV whilst already in Germany. All the other countries required me to come back to AU to physical sign paperwork (stupid and inconvenient i know in this day of internet).
If you have a flexi ticket...does that mean you have make an adjustment for it to say return sydney then adjust it when in Europe to something else?
Please let me and everyone know how you go and I wish you all the best for your time in France. You willow it I'm sure!
I recommend checking out pimsleur French audio lessons in the month before you go. I used them when I lived in Germany and didn't know the language and they were invaluable. So I used the french ones in France and they were super helpful as well for speaking.
Hi Hayley,
DeleteThanks for your reply sweetheart. Means a lot! :)
Yea the flexi ticket is great because even though I've booked a return to Syd, the ticket allows me to adjust the return destination whilst there so I can fly out of France on that same ticket to another European city instead of Syd if I like (as long as the airline is the same). I'm glad I paid extra for that sort of flexibility as I dont want to have to fly back an forth from Euro to Oz and really don't want to come back to Australia after just 1 year.. Fingers crossed it all works out.
Also Hayley, the VISA app requires you to have at least $5000 AUD but what range do you suggest one take based on your experience. This would mean a lot please as I occasionally freak out and worry about whether or not I'll have enough financial support. I'll be looking for work whilst there but still want to be comfortable enough not to worry. Thank you so much!
Nan xx
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Hayley :)
ReplyDeleteAlso had another question sorry..I know the Visa application requires you to provide proof of at least $5000 AUD but what do you recommend one take with them? And how much did you take if you don't mind me asking, for your 1 year in France? Sorry about the question but this one has been preying on me, I don't want to go broke there and I'll be spending the majority of my time in Paris which I hear is now one of the most expensive cities, apparentltly...
Would appreciate any help, thanking you immensely!
Nan x
Thank you for sharing such great information. It has help me in finding out more detail about France visa
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such great information.
ReplyDeleteIt has help me in finding out more detail aboutFrance visa
Nice and interesting information and informative too.
ReplyDeleteCan you please let me know the good attraction places we can visit: Go to website
It was a very good post indeed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it in my lunch time. Will surely come and visit this blog more often. Thanks for sharing. PNP Entry of Canada for labor
ReplyDeleteFor this web site, you will see our account, remember to go through this info. Get Australian citizenship
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete