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Dear Assistants,
It is my pleasure to announce that U. S. assistants de langue have been granted an exemption from the current travel restrictions in place for U. S. citizens seeking to enter France. Thanks to this exemption, you are now able to begin your visa application process and departure preparations. In addition to the standard instructions for this process noted on pages 13-19 of the 2020-2021 American Assistant Handbook, below, you will find important information and additional instructions specific to the unique circumstances of this program year. Please read all sections of this email carefully and use the aforementioned section of the Handbook to guide you through the visa application process.
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the assistant visa application process:
Globally, visa issuance for France was suspended starting in mid-March 2020.
VFS Centers across the U. S. gradually resumed facilitating appointments for certain visa application categories in July. These centers recently received clearance to begin processing visa applications for U. S. assistants de langue and the Visa Services of the French Embassy in the U. S. have received permission to begin issuing visas to assistants (note: the visa category for assistants de langue is travailleur temporaire VLS-TS). Please note however that VFS centers received confirmation of this new exemption today, so I recommend waiting until tomorrow to begin trying to schedule appointments. This will ensure that this update has been received and processed by all VFS agents and will help you avoid any confusion.
Currently, most VFS Centers around the country are open and accepting visa appointments but are operating at limited capacity to comply with local public health guidelines. More information on hours and open VFS Centers can be found here. I am also listing them below for your convenience:
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Washington DC: Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm as of July 6th
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New York: Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 1pm as of July 6th
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Chicago: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30am to 11:00am as of July 6th
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Boston: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30am to 11:30am as of July 27th
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Miami: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am to 11:30am as of July 28th
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Houston: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am to 12:30am as of July 28th
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San Francisco: Monday through Friday from 9am to 12pm as of August 17th
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Atlanta: Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to12pm beginning August 27th
ATTENTION - regardless of state or region of residence, assistants may make a visa appointment at any one of these VFS centers. For example, if you listed your state of residence on your TAPIF application as Oregon but you are currently living in Florida, you may make an appointment at VFS Miami. There is no need for you to travel to VFS San Francisco.
- What to do if you don't see an open appointment slot on the VFS Global Center calendar:
Most of the open VFS Centers are operating at limited capacity due to the local public health context. If you do not see an open appointment slot, you should refresh the calendar and check back several times a day. Our best advice is to stay persistent about checking the calendar and contact VFS if you have any questions. Appointments are published regularly and also become available when cancellations occur.
- Visa processing timeline and application requirements:
We do not have information on the assistant visa processing times given the COVID-19 context. In a typical year, assistant visa application processing can take 3-4 weeks from the time of the VFS appointment to the time when you receive your passport and visa. There may be some delays this year given the circumstances, so, once you receive your DIRECCTE-stamped arrêté de nomination, we encourage you to submit your visa application to your preferred VFS center as soon as possible. More information can be found here.
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel to France for U. S. assistants:
Travel restrictions remain in place between the United States and the European Union. However, assistants travelling from the United States to France for the purposes of teaching are now considered a priority category and are considered eligible for an exemption to the travel restrictions. As always, assistants should consult the French government’s COVID-19 site prior to departure for the most up to date information on travel guidelines. Non-EU assistants may also travel within the Schengen Zone using their visas but must consult the general EU travel restrictions as well as any local travel restrictions in their area of destination to ensure they are following all relevant guidelines.
All travelling U. S. assistants need to print and complete the Attestation de déplacement dérogatoire vers la France métropolitaine depuis les pays tiers et déclaration sur l'honneur. Click on this link and scroll down to download and print a PDF of the French version of this form. Once printed, check the box for “Professeur ou chercheur employé ou invité par un établissement d’enseignement ou un laboratoire de recherche français qui se déplace à des fins d’études et d’enseignement”. Make sure to keep this form on your person at all times while travelling.
The United States is currently one of four countries that have been identified as a ‘very red zone’ due to their current public health situation. U. S. citizens eligible to travel from the United States to France must therefore take specific precautions. All assistants travelling from the United States to France must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test in order to board their flight. The test must have been taken no more than 72 hours before boarding. We cannot provide specific information or advice about testing sites or testing availability in your place of residence, so please consult with your local health department or health care provider for more information on how to access testing.
As a general precaution, we strongly recommend that assistants make only refundable and/or modifiable travel arrangements at this time (this includes travel for the purposes of the visa appointment and travel to France) due to the global context of COVID-19. Assistants should also verify that they meet any additional safety requirements that their airlines have put in place in the context of COVID-19.
IMPORTANT - Please also remember to keep in close contact with your académie/schools regarding your estimated arrival date. Whether you think you will arrive on time or after the October 1st contract start date, it is imperative that you keep them informed.
- Trusted News Sources:
Moving forward, we will continue to keep you informed if there are any further updates relevant to the assistant visa application process and/or departure procedures. With that being said, we also highly recommend that you continue to keep apprised of these developments yourself as the health situation, both in the U. S. and abroad, continues to evolve quickly. Again, we recommend regularly consulting the French government's COVID-19 site as well as the following news outlets :
- Print/Digital
- TV/Radio
- English Language News Source
- The Local - Please note that this is not a government-affiliated news source. However, it is a trustworthy outlet where you can quickly access French news in English
We would like to thank you all once again for your patience in awaiting this news. We are so pleased that you will now be able to move forward with the visa application process. Merci de votre attention et de votre compréhension !
Kind regards,
Erin Glaser
Chargée de programmes Assistants de langue
Educational Affairs Program Officer
Ambassade de France aux Etats-Unis
4101 Reservoir Road NW Washington D.C., 20007
erin.glaser@ambafrance-us.org
facebook.com/TAPIFUSA
Instagram: @TAPIFUSA
frenchhighereducation.org/teaching-assistant-program
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