Long-stay visa

[skyoverparis]

Hi,

I'm just wondering what is the best visa for me to apply for as a 22-year-old college graduate who's French is at an intermediate level and will need to work.

The tourist visa seems to be the easiest to apply for, but my understanding is that it doesn't allow you to work.

The student visa also seems appealing (and I did have a student visa when I studied abroad there for a semester), but I will need to take classes, and I'm not sure how many hours a week that will be.

Then, I recently found out about the skills and talents visa, which sounds appealing, because I'm an aspiring novelist and would love to finish my book in Paris.

[sunshine817]

I'm afraid your prospects aren't very good.

A student visa doesn't allow you to work, either, and a work visa requires you to be sponsored by your employer, who has to justify why hiring a non-French person is their best way forward.

I'm sorry to throw a bucket of ice water on this, but *everyone* is an aspiring novelist who wants to finish their book in Paris...it won't get you a skills and talent visa.

Depending on what your degree is in, there *might* be an internship available...but a goodly portion of those are either at no pay, or close to it.

Do your research...give it a shot, and don't give up...it just might work. It took us a full 10 years, and having a discussion in which we admitted defeat, before it finally fell into our laps when we least expected it.

But I also can't sit here and tell you that oh yes, it's easy, because it isn't, and your chances for success are pretty small.