Working Holiday Visa

Hey all!

I'm a Canadian currently in the process of applying for the Working Holiday Visa for France. This visa allows people aged 18 to 35 to apply to live and work in France for up to one year.

I was wondering if anyone out there has gone through this process? Suggestions of what to focus on or avoid would be helpful. My main question at this point is the letter from your Provincial insurance provider. ? Is this Health Ontario (as I am in Ontario)? Also, the cover letter to the French consulate concerns me a bit too.

Any help would be much welcomed.

Thanks.

Jason.

Hi Jason,

I am looking into apply for the WHV too. Are you going for a full year, or half a year?

I haven't written my cover letter either. I think as long as you express interest in experiencing their country it should be fine.

Yes you would have to go to one of the offices for the Ministry of Health (where people go renew their OHIP cards) and ask for a letter to be written up for you.

To buy emergency travel health insurance for a full year seem to cost about $800 CAD. Have you looked into that yet?

Don't forget getting proof of sufficient funds from your bank.

If you are planning on applying in person, you need to book an appointment with the French Consulate in Toronto online, and you would actually need to come down here. But you could always apply by mail, that could take longer during summer months.

Irene

I have successfully completed the process and am now living in Paris. Let me know if you still need any assistance.

Lauren

do you need to be fluent in French to apply for a working holiday visa? and do you also need to have a job lined up already?

You should fill out all your forms in French, and write your cover letter in French. You yourself do not need to be bilingual as you can get someone to translate for you.

No, you do not need to already have a job lined up. If you can prove that you have the required funds in your bank, I think it is around $3000, then that is sufficient. There is a section that asks if you will be working and if so what the name of your employer is. On mine, I was very vague and there were no problems. I think I indicated that I didn't have anything set up, but that it was possible that I would find work.

Hope that helps. If you have any other questions, let me know. I called the office once or twice as well to clarify some points, and they were helpful, so feel free to do that as well.

LG, thanks for the quick reply.

I'm considering doing the SWAP-France program, and IF I manage to get a visa and arrive in France, is it as difficult as everyone says it is to find a job there, especially for somebody with weak/beginner level French?

Thanks!

Hi LG,

Are you currently working in Paris now?

I would love to apply for the WHV and go to Paris for a year, but one thing really concerns me is finding a job there with this type of visa.

I was wondering if you could work as a French citizen, by that means without any restrictions on the amount of time that you work, they type of work that you do, etc. during this one year period of time.

The SWAP website says " The Working Holiday Visa issued in Canada allows the holder the right to stay in France and seek work, but does not in and of itself allow one to begin working in France. A participant must get re-approved for every new job that is offered to them. "

Is that true the statement above? Because if it is, that's going to be a real pain to go through the whole process just to get a job in Paris I think.

I tried to call the consulate in Toronto, but they were always busy on the line.

Thanks for answering in advance.

Hi Lauren (or anyone else that could help me),

These posts have been very helpful.I too am a bit confused about the letter from the provincial health provider.

Is this simply a letter from OHIP (in Ontario where I reside) stating that I am covered under our provincial health insurance plan? Do I need to call them, or book an appointment, or do I just simply show up at one of their offices? I guess I'm wondering if it takes a long time to get it.(Bit of a time crunch, turning 36 in January.)

Does that letter state that I am covered for the duration of my stay in France? I am surprised to think that I WOULD be covered!

Thanks so much!

Hi there everyone. for those ones who are going to apply the WHV, I have several tips for you. There are not many people who know about WHV (Visa Vacances Travail) in France. it is a relatively new program. The main department is in Paris, France. Unless you are planning to go to Paris, then there should be no problem. Currently I am living in Bordeaux with my WHV, I tried to look for works for 2 months. I had my first job, and my boss told me I can't work in France and I lost my job the next day. So I followed the instructions of how to apply jobs in France. So I went to DDFETP and requested for the ATP (work permit), and the people said I must have my carte de sejour (resident card) in order to apply jobs (that's wrong cos WHV is just like carte de sejour) or I need to have a contrat d'emploi (work contract) from the employer. First the office hours of the DDFTP is totally ridiculous. the office opens from 9 to 5 but you can only ask question regarding ATP issues during 9 am to 11am. (Be awared of the office hours in France) So I went back the next day and the people haven't even heard of WHV and they sent me to another department which was totally not related. So I emailed the people in Paris (CIDJ) and they said there should be no problem with WHV. Then I got another job offer and this time I gave the phone no of DDFETP to the employer and asked him to contact DDFETP directly. The next day I started my new job, my employer told me that the paperworks to hire me are too complicated so he decided not to hire me. I was like what the heck is going on. He told me I am only allowed to stay in France for 3 months and I can't work. So I found out the people who work in DDFETP gave him the wrong information and because of that, I lost my job and opportunity. I was depressed and unhappy because of these stupid mistakes people made. So if you are going to any cities in France except Paris, please please please make sure the DDFETP people know what they are doing. if they don't know, tell them to check Visa Vacances Travail online. search the internet! Now I am going thru Agency and it seems like they know about this visa. so I have to wait again. It's hard to find jobs in France and I lost my chance twice already. For all of you who love France and would love to enjoy and learn about their culture. get prepared!

I am also applying for the WHV for next year. This thread looks pretty helpful.

Lauren, you mentioned that you should fill out your forms and write your cover letter in French but on the Visa form itself it says it can be filled out in either English or French. Is this one of those things where you can do either, but French is better?

Also, what office did you call? I've been wondering if there are people I could contact for help (other than this forum!) but wasn't sure where to look.

Thank you!