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Applying for a Temporary Work Visa, TAPIF Edition

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I am approaching the end of my second year teaching English in France as a language assistant through TAPIF, the Teaching Assistant Program in France. You can learn more about the program or read my demystifying reflections on teaching in France, respectively. However, today I want to zoom in on the visa application process that takes place after acceptance. This was extremely intimidating to me the first time I applied. My second go around, I took it so casually I almost messed the whole thing up. You could say I’m like Goldilocks, over-prepared, under-prepared, and finally — just right.

What Do You Need?

Language Assistants through TAPIF are eligible for a visa travailleur temporaire P2 VLS-TS. It is generally good for eight months, from September to June, depending on your personal travel plans and the entry date of the plane ticket presented by the assistant at the appointment. Considering that the work contract is from October to April, this leaves about a month buffer on either side of teaching. The golden ticket for this visa is the “arrêté de nomination” (official work contract) signed and provided by the language assistant’s hiring academy. An academy in France is the equivalent of a regional school district. These work contracts are distributed on ADELE, the teaching assistant application platform. In the best-case scenario, a hiring academy will provide this before the August vacations start, and most teaching assistant managers (though not all) are sensitive to the need to provide it sooner rather than later. The visa application process should not be launched until you have this in hand. 

Choosing a Visa Center

As of 2026, there are ten French visa application offices in the United States operated by TLS Contact, an outsourced management company. The office closest to me during both years of application was in Houston, Texas. In 2024, the building was dingy and cramped. I honestly wondered if I had the right address on my arrival. In the second year in 2025, the French application center had a change of address, and the building was remarkably well kept with less overlap of services between other countries. There was even free sparkling water and coffee in the waiting room, but you didn’t hear it from me.

The Timeline

Given the longterm cooperation of the US embassy with this program, the documents required for application are admittedly less than for other temporary situations. For example, language assistants don’t need proof of prior accommodation nor pay the TLS appointment fee. In 2025, a fee exemption letter was provided by my employer that I emailed to TLS upon booking my appointment through their portal. I received my work contract in July, which then permitted me to launch my visa application through France-Visas and to book a TLS appointment in August, roughly one month before my purchased flight to Paris in September. The tightness of this timeline certainly gave me reason to stress, but both years I received my temporary visa (a sticker inserted into my US Passport) by mail within a week of my appointment date with no issues. 

Confessions

My first year of application, I had all my ducks in a row. The second time around, I made the blunder of forgetting to hit the final submit button on my visa application until 72 hours before my appointment. You may wonder, how did that happen? I forgot that in the application process, when you are triggered to book an appointment with TLS, it requires you to exit the France-Visas website. After registering your visa application number and booking your appointment with TLS, the person is required to return to the France-Visas website to hit submit a final time. I was traveling at the time of submitting my paperwork and I’ll blame my error on being out of my normal environment and therefore, slightly distracted. A few weeks later, I double-checked my submission the week of my appointment to make sure that everything was correct. That was when I realized my mistake. I hit submit and thankfully there were no issues at my appointment three days later. I would not recommend testing the system as I have.

Other Tips

Both years, I opted to have my visa photo taken at the TLS office during my appointment. This removed the stress of wondering if an outside-provided photo would have been accepted, due to lighting, hair placement, recentness, etc. This extra service is totally worth the $20 charge and took less than a minute on site. Come to your meeting with extra copies of your proof of work (diplomas, emails, plane ticket receipt, and that golden arrêté). You’ll be grateful when you don’t need the extras, and even more so if you do. Lastly, take a deep breath. You’re gonna be just fine. 

Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash

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How I Got A Job In France (And How You Can Too)

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Do you remember the quote from Alice in Wonderland that goes:

Door: “Why, it’s simply impassible!

Alice: Why, don’t you mean impossible?

Door: No, I do mean impassible. (chuckles) Nothing’s impossible!”

Keep this in mind if landing a French work visa is your goal.

To be frank, it isn’t a matter of finding a nice company that will sponsor you. There are tons of those, but they’re not in control of whether you’re granted one or not. It’s quite nuanced, in fact. The number of jobs that can provide the needed prerequisites where the French government will allow you to work for a French company is very few, but they do exist. Even for the (seemingly) disadvantaged.

I don’t have a degree from a university and have few formal qualifications. If you feel your working background will hold you back, don’t. There are more options than you might guess.

The Dream vs. The Reality

A couple of weeks before my arrival in Paris, a friend called me to share a job listing she stumbled upon. Actually, she was looking for a new job herself, so it was touching she thought of me at all. And to my surprise, the position forwarded to me was work I could realistically be hired for in France: Customer Care Specialist USA.

It wasn’t the most glamorous job description, but it sounded like something I could qualify for. I was really excited.

Living in Paris, I’ve often met French people who have cool jobs. I have multiple friends who work for Chanel, friends who are lawyers, illustrators…I learned a friend was recently written up in Vogue.

The French job market is primarily reserved for the French, and if you’re shooting for a position like one of those I mentioned, you’ll have to stand out in greater, arguably unreachable, ways. Be reasonable about what kind of work will suit you here. What qualifies you for work in the States may not qualify you for work here in France.

Ask yourself, what can you bring to the table that a qualified French person can’t? Maybe it’s your command of the English language (though many Parisians speak English well) One step further, maybe it’s your understanding of American culture which sets you apart.

The “geared towards the US market” job description is crucial because companies need to justify why a foreigner is the best choice for their available position. They must prove to the government that a foreigner is more qualified for this role than a French citizen. They’re required to be thorough to the point of advertising their listing in the post for three weeks. Since the vast majority of French citizens are not (also) American, I felt I had an advantage with these jobs.

Use Growing Up in America to Your Advantage

American culture is generally optimistic compared to other cultures. We are often willing to take risks in ways people from other parts of the world simply wouldn’t. It could stem from the idea that Americans can’t afford to be lazy. I mean this literally. Healthcare isn’t heavily subsidized (unless you’re elderly or destitute), government aid isn’t as accessible (see healthcare), university beyond community colleges are outrageously priced (and tied to the sweet slush funds of student loans), etc. If you don’t work, you simply do not eat.

In the case of the position I was going for, why would they go to such great lengths to find someone for this position, and why was it so difficult to fill? It requires no degree and little to no experience.

The official statement is, they need an American who understands American culture.

The unofficial statement is, they need an American to deal with the Karens.

My company is a tech startup, which meant it was possible I could qualify for a French Tech Visa. A quick Google search showed this visa is valid for four years and renewable. If I could go this route, I could bypass the “justification” step in applying for my work visa.

Customer service is a developing concept here in France (here on the blog we’ve got both positive and negative experiences with it). According to my French friends, it’s much better than in the past, but hasn’t matured to the point we know so well in the States. Although French culture has a rich emotional vocabulary, it’s still developing the necessary skills to handle the demands of the very odd “customer is always right” mentality.

Teaching English is a go-to for many Americans. However, your chances of being able to settle in France while teaching English are slim. There is no shortage of English teachers (getting paid right around minimum wage). Being a native English speaker can still earn you a valuable place here, however.

Tourism is huge in Paris. I met a German guy who settled in Paris working for German tourism. There is no shortage of Americans working in the tourism sector, which is coming back strong after its toughest two years since probably the Second World War. Frankly, there are plenty of avenues an American could take in that field.

I had already received my Long-Term Visitor Visa and gotten rid of all my stuff, so I didn’t know what to expect if I chose to move forward with this job posting. I decided it couldn’t hurt to send them my CV.

It’s important to note that to obtain the visitor visa, you must write and sign a letter to the French government promising not to work for a French company in France. Since I was attempting to do exactly what I attested to not doing, I would only move forward if everything was legal. 

A few days after sending them my CV and cover letter, the company emailed me to set up my first interview. We met on FaceTime, and I was upfront and transparent about my legal status in France. I was happy to find out they were willing to work with me on this, so we continued to the next part of the hiring process. I mentioned I would be in Paris the following week, so we had our second interview in person.

I’m the first person to fill this position so my company let me choose my schedule and my salary. I can work from home, or anywhere for that matter. Although I was hired, and was ready to start as soon as possible, my current visa status meant I couldn’t be contracted with the much sought-after CDI. They suggested a band-aid solution that could work long-term, freelancing, which is one more piece of evidence that contradicts the line given by many in Facebook groups and other places that one cannot legally work remotely while in France on a visitor visa. In this case, I was working remotely for a French company, and happened to choose to live in France. I never said I wouldn’t work remotely for a French company, and you need to have no legal status in France (or any country) in order to work remotely for a French company.

Freelancing involved writing a contract between me and the company outlining the terms of indefinite freelance (and in my case, also remote) work. In order to get paid, I simply personally invoice the company through their US subsidiary. I don’t get paid in Euros and since income paid to a US citizen for a remote French job isn’t directly concerned with French taxation, that’s one less wrinkle. That income will indirectly show up, as part of filing taxes in France as a foreigner is declaring your overseas income, but that’s a single line item, and collects all my sources of income without further details, and in any case, as already noted, it’s not possible, legally, morally (or logistically), for the French government to audit where the remote workers of French companies live or work. What they are concerned with is the legal status of those who do live in France, and I was (and am) in France on a valid visa.

As long as your pay for a given remote employer is connected to your fiscal address in the US, you’re good to go. 

The Reality

There are a few disadvantages to the freelancing option, but if you’re looking to settle in France, this is a good first step. Like I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t provide you with the magical CDI and many landlords won’t accept tenants who freelance. I obviously don’t have the famous five paid weeks of vacation either. Don’t get me wrong, there are many pros that outweigh the cons. The most obvious being stable work.

Thankfully, for the sake of training, everything is in English. This doesn’t help my French at all, but I mention this because of a valid point my friend brought up the other day. We were talking about a possible relocation for her to Paris, and she was hesitant about working for a French company speaking French. The idea is intimidating, but the reality is not so.

You were hired because you possess a skill that others here don’t. You’re an asset. Further, they’ve jumped through the hoops necessary to get you here, so they want to keep you. Even if it means for a while they speak English, so be it. The reality in French tech, by the way, is that the office language usually is English, even if the majority of the workers are French.

The fact that you’re a foreigner is not a surprise to them, and generally (minus the stubborn few) people are quite nice here. The changes and transitions involved can be uncomfortable, but if you’re determined to grow past all that, take my experience and move through it. If it’s right for you, it’ll work out, and it’ll be easy.

I have to return to the States to change my visa next year (I failed to check the 12+ month box when applying, and clicked the 6-12 month one, which gave me a nonrenewable visa), so my next steps won’t concern me for a while. And if I do pick up that French Tech visa, I promise I’ll explain how to get that too.

In the meantime, I’m enjoying carving my own way in this country and city.

Photo was taken while working remotely in Montmartre.

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I Live in a Different Paris Than You Do…

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“And you know, Paris is all metro and work and the run-around.”

He used the famous idiom “Metro-boulot-dodo” which is a colloquialism that is literally “subway-work-sleep” that indicates the grind of life for many in the City of Light.  We were high in the French Alps, not far from the Italian border, but quite a distance away from home, and yet the complaint was similar: “I used to think Paris was magic, but now it’s just a place I work and pay bills.”

I tried to hide my dismay at hearing this, because no one should live in a place that one doesn’t love, if it can be avoided.  It’s socially acceptable to tell people you moved to a dreadful city for a job but it’s some revolutionary concept to tell people you moved someplace for the city and who cared about the job?  It would come.

Now, I’m not pretending that everyone can have a great amount of time wealth/lifestyle in the world’s finest cities, but if you are going to bother to live there, to “put up” with the cost of living, it’s surely a great shame if you can never enjoy it.

Now, the first time I heard this complaint was from a lady who attended my Paris Culture Lovers meetup who rather sourly complained about her schedule as I described my own, which included grocery shopping, visiting parks and museums, and riding a Vélib during “off hours” — when everyone was at work from 9-5.  While I was a bit taken aback at her tirade, even though I’ve become very used to the French complaining (it’s a national art and sport), especially since she chose to move to Paris 15 years ago — for work — I avoided what would have been a typical American retort: “Well why don’t you do something about it instead of just complaining to 10 near-strangers about it?”  I said it another way to my friend Julia last month: “The French as a people would rather complain about what they don’t have than take responsibility for building their dreams.”  Instead, I just managed to stutter, “I guess…I guess I just live in a different Paris than you do.”

Since my current conversant was French I decided to take a different tack and asked him how he planned to break the cycle.  He shared some great ideas, but unsurprisingly, had not done any real research into those ideas.

***

Okay, Stephen, so people quit their miserable city jobs, then what?  Look, I don’t know.  I’m not advocating that everyone quit his/her respective jobs.  I’m just asking the serious and adult series of questions: what is the life you want for yourself?  Are you living it now?  If not, why not?  Do you have any plan or timeline in which you will be living the life you want?  Does it solely hinge on money?  Have you rethought that?

Surely life is more than paying rent or a mortgage.  Our time on this magnificent planet is too short and brief to spend focusing on the life you don’t have.  Start creating the life you desire and marvel at how much the journey alone will prepare you to enjoy what awaits your sacrifices.  I’m reminded of the words of Marcus Aurelius:

The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

The obstacle is the way.

I took the featured photo in the Tuileries when Spring had definitely arrived this year after a very long stay by Old Man Winter.

Did you enjoy this article? TAIP is 100% reader-supported through tipping. If you want to leave us a tip of any amount it would be highly appreciated. These tips help support our efforts to keep TAIP an ad-free environment. Just as at a cafe, the tips are split evenly among the team.

Work — Life — Space

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I think work/life balance is a lie modern man talks about because he has lost his way.  He thinks that if work and life is strictly separated, and then “balanced,” that all will be well.

What should be our mission and goal is not only to see work as a positive good and normal part of our existence as humans, but also to see all of our existence as life, pure and simple, and try to grapple and take hold of it.

I run several businesses, none of which require me to be inside, so it’s easy to be outside in the lingering remains of a Parisian summer.

The cafe is a classic place to work.  Pay a couple euros, stay as long as you want, and if you know your wifi spots or if your data plan is good, you’re set up.

I choose some quieter places, as the day and inclination invite me.

How about an out-of-the-way hidden neighborhood garden?  Quiet.  Flowers to inspire you.  A bench to yourself.

Perhaps a more crowded park?  Hang with the ducks?  Watch people feed them.

Or my personal favorite: a lesser-known, beautiful church.  You have room and quiet.  You have unmatched views.

Want something really unconventional?  A cemetery.

A workspace can’t and shouldn’t be a sanitized “clean space” where you have no distractions.  You should bring discipline and purpose to your work and choose a workspace that will invite the brightest distractions and recollections, whenever you need to take a break from your work life.

I was asked to write this for WeWork.com and their recent “Where do you work?” campaign.

Photo by Antoine Similon on Unsplash

Did you enjoy this article? TAIP is 100% reader-supported through tipping. If you want to leave us a tip of any amount it would be highly appreciated. These tips help support our efforts to keep TAIP an ad-free environment. Just as at a cafe, the tips are split evenly among the team.