The Salaried Work Visa

Who it’s for

For employment in France by a French company. You must have a job offer before you apply — the visa cannot be used to come and look for work.

The decisive step is not yours. Your employer must obtain a work authorization (autorisation de travail) before your visa application can proceed, through the ANEF portal, which routes the request to the regional labor authority (DREETS).

How the process runs

The salarié route runs through the employer before it runs through you: their work authorization is the gate, and nothing at the consulate can start until it is granted. The seven steps below are in order. Where you can save time is at the ends: have your own documents ready while the authorization is under review, and validate the visa promptly after you land.

1. 1Your French employer offers you a position
2. 2The employer applies for work authorization through the ANEF portal — this has replaced the older paper-based process
3. 3The authorization is reviewed — officially a 2-month instruction period
4. 4Once approved, you apply for the visa at the French consulate for your US region
5. 5Visa processing typically takes 3–6 weeks
6. 6The visa is issued and you may work on arrival
7. 7Within 3 months of arrival, validate the visa online through ANEF

What you’ll need

Your part of the file is the nine items below, most of which you can gather while the employer’s authorization is pending. The apostilled background check and the diplomas are the slow ones; start them first. Translations are not needed for the consulate; they come after arrival.

• Passport valid 6+ months beyond your stay
• Signed work contract or a detailed job offer letter
• The employer’s work authorization approval from DREETS via ANEF
• Proof of qualifications — diplomas, in English, apostilled where the checklist asks
• Proof of accommodation in France
• Health insurance cover
• Proof of financial means
• A clean criminal background check, apostilled
• The visa application fee of €99

Consider the Talent Passport instead

If you have advanced qualifications and a sufficiently high salary, or specialized in-demand skills, the Talent Passport is generally faster to process, carries a card valid for up to 4 years, and automatically covers accompanying family members.

Its salary thresholds are set by ministerial order rather than indexed to the minimum wage. Since the Arrêté of August 21, 2025 the qualified-employee reference is €39,582 a year gross and the EU Blue Card €59,373. The order is revised periodically, so confirm the amount in force when your contract is signed.