1 - Informations.

Read General informations section as well before applying.

The applicant must apply for the visa and obtain it in his/her country of residence before arriving in France.

You have to apply with the French Consulate in Washington DC, only if you reside in one of the following states :

Deleware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia.

If you do not reside in one of those states, you have to apply with another French Consulate, depending on where you live in the United states. To know where to apply, click here.

You can only apply for this type of visa if you are between 17 and 30 years old.

A long stay visa (D) is required for any stay in France that exceeds 90 days. Since june 1st, 2009, the visa issued for a "au pair" stay is valid as a resident card at the same time, from 3 to 12 months. You don’t need to apply for a resident card with this visa. You will be required to register at the local branch of OFII office within the first 3 months of your stay in France.

You will only need to apply for a resident card if you stay more than a year in France.

(In the event of any other procedures in france, we advise you to get a birth certificate with a translation that can be certified by the french consulate in washington, for US birth certificates)

The time process for this visa varies from 10 to 15 business days (2 to 3 weeks). We advise you to apply at least 3 to 4 weeks prior to your departure.

2- Requirements.

 Passport valid for at least three months beyond the applicant’s last day of stay in the Schengen states. Please make sure that :

• your passport has a minimum of two blank pages (to affix the visa and for border stamps). Only visa pages are valid, amendments pages cannot be used for visas or entry stamps.
• your passport is in good condition (any slight damage, even to the cover, can be considered as a compromission of the security of the travel document and declined at the visa section or at the border)
• your passport allows proper identification of the bearer without any doubt (for example, passports of adults with passport pictures in their young ages may not be accepted)
• your passport has been issued less than 10 years ago (first issuance) . Even if it has been renewed since then by your country, we will decline your passport for a visa application and you will have to renew it prior to applying.

The immigration officer of the visa section has full authority to decline a passport that wouldn’t meet the requirements and request a renewed one before you can apply for a visa at the french consulate.

 Copy of ALL the identifications pages of the passport (identification, picture, passport number, date of issuance, expiration date, and iff applicable : extension & signature)

 2 long stay application forms completely and clearly filled out. Please print in black. Indicate also your phone numbers and e-mail.

  Translation in English of the long stay visa application form.

 2 photographs (more informations about the photograph) . All photos must be recent, identical, passport size - 1,4" x 1,7" (3,5cm x 4,5cm) and showing face front the forehead hairline and ears on a white background, the face must take up 70-80% of the photograph.

 For non American citizens : a proof of residency status in the USA and its copy.( green card, valid US visa and copy of valid I-20 or valid I-AP66, visas…). Applications for a short stay visa from holders of B1/B2, as visitors in the USA, will not be accepted. (application should be made in your country of residence)

 An employment contract (contrat de travail) signed by the french labor Department (DDTEFP : (Direction départementale du travail, de l’emploi et de la formation professionnelle) in France.

 Proof of studies in the United States (enrollment letter or graduation diploma from your current university/school). Presenting only a student card will not be sufficient.

 A letter of admission from a French school.

 Processing fees : payment by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or cash. No personal checks.

 You can choose wether to :

• leave your passport at the visa office and get it back with when your visa is granted. Please prepare a prepaid self-addressed registered express mail envelope, to get your passeport back with the visa stamped in, if granted. (we recommend this option)
• keep your passport during the process of your visa. You will then get a pre-approval letter when your visa has been granted. With this letter, you will be allowed to come back at the embassy any morning we are open, without making an appointment with your passport. You cannot decide to send your passport to the visa section afterwards to get the visa stamped if you initially choose this option.

You cannot leave the USA before your visa is granted.

While extreme precautions are made at each step of the visa process with all the documents submitted or left by the applicant at the visa office, they are left on the sole responsibility of the applicant. We will not accept any liability of any kind, direct or indirect, in case of passports or documents damaged, destroyed or lost.