[skbnyc]

Hi everyone! Yes, this type of visa is pretty brand new. And there's some contradicting info out there on it, I'm trying to do my due diligence to find out all the correct info I can, so here goes -

Has anyone applied (after November 1st 2016) and received the "passeport-talent" visa specifically under the rubric of profession artistique et culturelle / auteur d'une oeuvre /pour une activité nonsalariée?

This particular rubric (one of the 10) under the passeport-talent basically replaced the "competences et talents" visa. So if you applied before November of last year under the competences et talents but later received a passeport talent by default, this unfortunately won't help much since I am applying directly under the passeport-talent and the requirements are now vastly different. For instance, one staple of the the old requirements under the competences et talents was submitting a long, detailed dossier proposing an artistic project. However, nowhere in the new passeport-talent rubric that applies to me does it mention submitting a similiar dossier as applying requirement.

To give some background, Im a filmmaker (not autoentrepreneur); I have a masters from a highly-reputed art institution here in north of france; I have already assembled several good recommendation letters from french professionals in art and film; I have included letters of invitations & press for exhibitions in france + french prizes I've received since being here; I have proof that I've been making a living off my work for the past two years, and I have a letter from a small production french company that wants to produce the film I am proposing to make.

But the unspoken nuances of these types of visas can be tricky and Ive learned overcompensation is the best defense normally towards french bureaucracy. What I really want to know is if a) what kind of proof of future income is suitable to present and b) do I still need to submit a detailed dossier of my proposed film project?

Has anyone gone through this specific process or IS going through it? What are all elements you include in your complete dossier? Thanks!

 

[skbnyc]

Anyone in a similiar position ?

 

[Bevdeforges]

As you noted, the passeport-talent is still pretty new and although we've had a couple of queries about it so far, I can't recall anyone who has returned to say that they were successful. (Not that no one has been, yet. Just that it can take a while for the requirements of the "new" visa type to establish themselves at the individual consulates.)

Drawing on how the old skills and talent visa used to work, you may want to concentrate on how and why France would benefit from your presence - a riff on the old "Ask not what France can do for you, ask what you can do for France" thing.

Or, take a great leap of faith and apply under the rules and conditions as they currently stand and see how you do. (And please keep us posted of your progress.) Though they won't admit it, the consulates are kind of feeling their ways through these changes to the visa rules and you may be able to influence what they want from applicants.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[skbnyc]

Hi Bev,
I think what you said is good advice. Thanks for that. I will post again on my progress.
Thanks!
-Shirley

 

[skbnyc]

On further reflection, I'm feeling like it's hard to be one of the very first guinea pigs for the profession artistique rubric under the passeport-talent. Things are still contradicting and no one at the prefecture even knows much about this visa. I'm thinking it may be better/clearer to apply for the APS (autorisation provisoire de séjour) first to give me another year before having to apply for the passeport-talent. This could give them enough time to work out the kinks of this new visa and also give me even more time to make my dossier even stronger.

It shouldn't be a problem to go from APS status to eventually applying to the passeport-talent, right?

Is it harder to get APS if you apply having graduated with a diplôme that is an equivalent to a masters in the arts as opposed to a masters in like, science or business ?

One potential concern I can foresee with waiting a year is that I'm leaving the north and moving to Paris shortly. I wanted to do the passeport-talent visa from here in the north since I've been told it's usually simpler to do it outside of Paris and also my school has a very strong reputation in the north. Apparently this carries a lot of weight with the regional prefecture according to past graduates from my school who received the competences et talents visa.

But on the other hand, all the offers for exhibitions and potential collaborations I am getting are actually coming from Paris anyway. Maybe it's ok to get the APS here in the north and then eventually apply for the passeport-talent from Paris. I don't know...there are so many professional artists in Paris, maybe I'm really losing a great advantage by not applying from the north where there will be no doubt less professional artists applying for it.

Anyone have also thoughts on what difference the region you apply from for the passeport-talent (or the competences et talents) could make ?

 

[Bevdeforges]

Wait a minute - you're already in France? That makes a huge difference. You can only apply for a visa from outside of France - i.e. at a consulate. If you're already here, you're applying for a change of status and that is very much limited (usually to those who have married a French national while in France on a long-stay visa of another sort).

The APS is, as you note, a prolongation of your residence right. It's not actually a visa. With the APS, you'll have a year (I think it is) to find a job in your field, at which point you'll get a regular work visa. Given the short-term nature of film work, this might be a bit more difficult in your case - but there is talk now about a sort of CDI (permanent work contract) for defined term projects/contracts. You'll have to look into how something like that would be considered under the terms of the APS, but it could be an option.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[95995]

Wait a minute - you're already in France? That makes a huge difference. You can only apply for a visa from outside of France - i.e. at a consulate. If you're already here, you're applying for a change of status and that is very much limited (usually to those who have married a French national while in France on a long-stay visa of another sort).

The APS is, as you note, a prolongation of your residence right. It's not actually a visa. With the APS, you'll have a year (I think it is) to find a job in your field, at which point you'll get a regular work visa. Given the short-term nature of film work, this might be a bit more difficult in your case - but there is talk now about a sort of CDI (permanent work contract) for defined term projects/contracts. You'll have to look into how something like that would be considered under the terms of the APS, but it could be an option.
Cheers,
Bev

I think you will find that you can apply for the Passeport-Talent from within France (as indeed you could with its predecessor.

 

[skbnyc]

Yes, it's no problem to get the passeport-talent from within France on a student carte de séjour (it was the same for the competences et talents). It's also just as possible to go from the APS to the passeport-talent as well. By the way, it's no problem to go from APS to other things outside of CDI like autoentrepreneurs for example.

My concern was more specific - I was wondering whether there the differences are that significant when doing the passeport-talent from one region (like Paris) instead of another (the north) or if there are differences I need to watch out for in the requirements going from the APS to the passeport-talent later as opposed to going from my current student carte de séjour to the passeport-talent right now...

 

[Bevdeforges]

Given that there can be significant differences from one consulate to another when going for a visa, I think it's probably safe to assume some differences from one prefecture to the next. Also, just the fact that the passeport talent is still pretty new means that the procedures are still kind of in "development stage."
Cheers,
Bev

 

[Mechant]

I don't know...there are so many professional artists in Paris, maybe I'm really losing a great advantage by not applying from the north where there will be no doubt less professional artists applying for it.

I feel applying in a region outside Paris will be advantageous for the reason you have stated.

 

[laura.s]

Hey Shirley,

I hope this is still useful a month on from your original post- if you are still considering trying for a passeport talent, I might have an answer regarding your question of what you need to show to demonstrate future income. According to the "Guide de l'entree et du sejour des etrangers en France", a guide put out by GISTI, an immigration law and legal aid non-profit (I volunteer at a legal clinic and just got the June 2017 updated edition in the mail yesterday, and this is for the passeport talent type that you mentioned):

"...ils doivent justifier d'un ou de plusieurs contrats de travail (pour une duree cumulee atteignant au moins trois mois sur une periode maximum d'un an) et d'un certain niveau de ressources issues de l'activite en question (montant au moins equivalent a 70% du SMIC pour un emploi a plein temps, par mois). Si la ou les prestations sont accomplies dans un cadre non salarie, la personne doit satisfaire aux memes conditions de ressources (art. R. 313-67 et R. 313-68)."

I'm guessing the film company has not offered you a contract, but does their letter mention explicitly how much they intend to pay you and how long you would work with them? If you combine the production company's letter with other contracts or offers for exhibitions, does it add up to three months' worth of work? Would you feasibly make 70% of the SMIC (1480 = 1036 euros) monthly working on the film?

For what it's worth, the lawyer I help at the immigration clinic has had a few passeport talent cases come through in the last 6 months and he has encouraged each of them to include a detailed dossier of their proposed project, along with a letter describing their artistic vision and why it must be carried out in France and why it will benefit France, etc etc, like Bev mentioned. That may just be because he was used to doing C&T before, but he seems to think the prefecture wants to see your story. And at the worst it won't hurt, other than the time you spend writing it up.

I hope that helps-- unfortunately I don't have personal experience to draw from. Good luck, whichever you decide to apply for!