APS France is the name most students still use for the residence permit that lets you stay after a French degree to look for a job. Its official name today is the carte de séjour “recherche d’emploi ou création d’entreprise” (job search or business creation card). If you have a master’s-level degree from a French institution, it gives you one year, which can’t be renewed, to find a job or start a business. While it is valid, you can work in a job linked to your studies that pays more than €2,800.53 gross a month without your employer needing a work authorisation. Once you have the job, you change status to an employee or Talent card.
You don’t always need the job search card. If you find a job before your student card expires, you can usually go straight from student to employee. This guide explains both paths, with figures from Service-Public, the official French government information site (pages checked on 1 June 2026). Rules change, so check the linked pages before you apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
The short answer
| Your situation | What to apply for | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|
| You finished a master’s-level degree and have no job yet | Job search card (“APS”), 1 year, not renewable | Degree obtained in France in the last 12 months; apply in the 2 months before your student card expires; €150 in fees |
| You have a job offer that pays at least €39,582 a year | Talent – qualified employee card | Master’s-level degree obtained in France, contract over 3 months; no work authorisation needed |
| You have a job offer that pays at least €2,800.53 a month, linked to your degree | Employee (salarié) card | Employer applies for a work authorisation, but without the usual job advert test |
| You earn at least €59,373 a year | EU Blue Card | Degree from 3 years of higher education, contract of at least 6 months |
Sources: Service-Public, job search card, work authorisation and Talent card.
What is the APS in France?
The autorisation provisoire de séjour (APS) was the old name for a temporary permit given to graduates to look for work. The current version is the job search or business creation card (or a long-stay visa with the same mention if you apply from abroad). People still say “APS”, and many universities and prefectures do too.
Who can get it
According to Service-Public, you are eligible if:
- you hold a student card (or a student mobility card), and
- in the last 12 months you obtained a licence professionnelle, a Mastère Spécialisé, a Master of Science, or another diploma at least equal to a master’s degree, from a French institution.
Graduates who have already left France can apply from abroad within 4 years of their French diploma. Researchers who held a Talent researcher card can also apply. The card doesn’t apply to Algerian nationals, who follow different rules.
What it lets you do
- Stay in France for 12 months to look for a job or start a business linked to your studies or research.
- Work as an employee without a work authorisation, in a job related to your studies that pays more than €2,800.53 gross a month.
- Work without the student limit of 964 hours a year (60% of full time).
The card is valid for 1 year and can’t be renewed, so plan your job search to finish inside that year.
How to apply for the APS from France
- Apply in the 2 months before your student card expires. Service-Public says you file with your prefecture or sub-prefecture. Many residence procedures now run on the national foreigners’ portal ANEF, so check with your prefecture which channel to use.
- Prepare your documents from the list on Service-Public. They include your diploma or proof that you passed it; your prefecture may ask for more.
- Pay €150 in tax stamps (timbres fiscaux): €50 stamp duty plus €100 tax.
- Keep your receipt (récépissé). It proves you are in France legally while your application is processed.
If you apply from abroad, you request a long-stay visa (VLS-TS) marked “recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise” at the French consulate, then validate it within 3 months of arrival and pay €100 in tax stamps on top of the visa fee (Service-Public).
Changement de statut étudiant salarié: the options
“Changement de statut” means switching your residence permit from student to a work permit. You can do it from a student card or from a job search card. Which card you switch to depends on your salary and your diploma.
Option 1: Talent – qualified employee (the easiest if your salary allows)
For tech graduates this is often the best route. Service-Public’s conditions are (Service-Public):
- a diploma obtained in France at least equal to a master’s degree;
- an employment contract of more than 3 months;
- a gross salary of at least €39,582 a year (about €3,298.50 a month).
Your employer doesn’t need a work authorisation and doesn’t pay the employer tax on hiring a foreign worker. The card lasts as long as your contract, up to 4 years. Read Talent Passport salary thresholds for how the threshold works.
Option 2: Employee (salarié) card with an easier work authorisation
If your salary is below €39,582 a year but at least €2,800.53 gross a month (about €33,606 a year), your employer must apply for a work authorisation. Normally the employer must first advertise the job for 3 weeks, or the job must be on the list of jobs with hiring difficulties. Service-Public says recent graduates are exempt from that test if they hold a master’s degree, a level-1 diploma labelled by the Conférence des grandes écoles or a licence professionnelle, and the job is linked to their training and pays at least €2,800.53 (Service-Public, work authorisation).
A contract of 12 months or more also means an employer tax: 55% of one month’s gross salary, up to €2,567.15 (Service-Public).
Option 3: EU Blue Card
If the salary is at least €59,373 a year and you have a degree from at least 3 years of higher education, the EU Blue Card is open to you, also without a work authorisation (Service-Public).
Option 4: Start a business
If you create a company, you can apply for an entrepreneur or self-employed card, or a Talent “project holder” card (Service-Public).
Is a junior developer salary high enough?
Often yes for the €2,800.53 monthly rule, sometimes not for the Talent threshold.
- €2,800.53 a month is about €33,606 a year.
- €39,582 a year is the Talent qualified employee minimum. Apec’s median for software development roles among people under 35 is €44,000 a year (see our salary guide), so many but not all junior offers reach it.
Check an offer with our visa salary check. To see what it means after tax, use the salary after tax calculator. Make sure the salary in the contract meets the threshold, not only the offer email.
Finding a job as a graduate
Entry-level roles in English are fewer than senior ones. On France Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026, 80 jobs were internships and 18 were marked junior, out of 1,739 (all jobs). Many more didn’t state a level, so read the requirements rather than the title.
Tips that help graduates:
- Start before you graduate. An end-of-studies internship (stage de fin d’études) is a common way into a first job in France.
- Say which permit you need. Tell recruiters that you have a French master’s and can switch to a Talent card without a work authorisation.
- Use the right filters. Our visa sponsorship jobs and Paris jobs pages are good places to start.
- Read the offer carefully. Our guide to French job offers explains brut and net pay, cadre status and RTT.
For CV and language advice, see how to get a tech job in France without speaking French.
Timeline example
- Spring of your final year: end-of-studies internship, ideally with a company that can hire you after.
- Graduation: if you have no offer, apply for the job search card in the 2 months before your student card expires.
- Offer signed: check whether you qualify for Talent (€39,582 a year) or need a work authorisation (€2,800.53 a month).
- Change of status: apply for the new card. Don’t start working beyond what your current card allows until you hold a receipt that says you are allowed to work.
- Afterwards: register for your health cover and update your tax details. Our relocation checklist lists the steps.
Frequently asked questions
What is APS in France?
APS stands for autorisation provisoire de séjour, the old name for the permit that lets graduates stay in France to look for work. Today it is the job search or business creation card. It lasts 1 year, can’t be renewed, and is for graduates of a master’s-level degree, Mastère Spécialisé, MSc or licence professionnelle from a French institution.
Can I work in France with an APS?
Yes. While the card is valid you can work as an employee without a work authorisation, in a job linked to your studies that pays more than €2,800.53 gross a month. The student limit of 964 hours a year doesn’t apply.
How do I change from a student visa to a work visa in France?
Get a job offer, then apply for a new residence card before your current one expires. With a French master’s and a salary of at least €39,582 a year, apply for the Talent qualified employee card, which needs no work authorisation. With a lower salary, your employer must request a work authorisation first.
Can I get a job search visa in France after a master’s from another country?
No. The job search card is only for people who obtained their degree in France. Graduates from other countries need a job offer and a work permit, such as the EU Blue Card or the Talent innovative company route. See our Talent Passport salary thresholds.
How much does the APS cost?
If you apply from France, €150 in tax stamps: €50 stamp duty plus €100 tax. If you apply from abroad, you pay the visa fee and then €100 in tax stamps when you validate the visa in France.
What documents do I need for a change of status from student to employee?
It depends on the card. For the Talent qualified employee card, Service-Public lists your passport, a valid visa or residence permit, proof of address, a digital photo code, your diploma, an employer attestation and a signed commitment to the principles of the Republic. The official lists are on Service-Public and the ANEF portal, and your prefecture may ask for more.
Related guides and jobs
- French Tech Visa and Talent permit
- Companies that sponsor visas in France
- AI and ML jobs in France for English speakers
- Browse all jobs and visa sponsorship jobs
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Thresholds and procedures change. Check Service-Public and your prefecture before you apply.