The French Foreign Ministry and the US Embassy in Paris announced the deal on Tuesday, after negotiations which started during Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the US in December 2022. 

The announcement stated that the two countries are “committed to deepening their bilateral trade and investment relationship.

“As part of this commitment, work is underway to simplify procedures for granting and renewing visas and residence permits for investors.”

The new system affects “investors” – people moving to either set up a business, invest in one or otherwise make a financial commitment to the country. Unlike the ‘golden visa’ schemes that some other countries run, this cannot involve simply buying a property. 

EXPLAINED What type of French visa do you need?

For Americans wanting to move to France this involves a simplified process to get a visa and four-year carte de séjour residency card to cover both the investor and their family.

This comes under the existing Passeport Talent visa scheme, which already offers four-year residency including family members to people who fall into certain groups including investors, scientific researchers, people with an international reputation in their field and artists.

Talent passport – The little-known French visa that could make moving to France a lot easier

The system for investors to obtain and renew their cards will now be “simplified” according to Olivier Becht, France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad.

He posted: “It’s done – French investors in the US can benefit from a longer-stay visa while Americans in France benefit from a simplified procedure.”

C’est fait ! Les entrepreneurs français aux 🇺🇸 pourront bénéficier d’un visa plus long et les entrepreneurs américains en 🇫🇷 d’une procédure simplifiée.
Heureux d’officialiser cette avancée pour notre relation économique aux côtés de @USAmbFrance, @RolandLescure et @cjweissberg. pic.twitter.com/2cQ7BT3CNk

— Olivier Becht (@becht_olivier) November 21, 2023

French investors wanting to move to the US will now also be able to get a four-year visa – as opposed to just 25 months previously. This covers two existing visa types – Treaty Trader (E-1) and Treaty Investor (E-2) – which will be extended from 25 months to 48 months for French nationals. 

The requirements to qualify state that: “You must be coming to the United States to engage in substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, in qualifying activities, principally between the United States and the treaty country; develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which you have invested a substantial amount of capital; or fill an executive/supervisory role or provide skills essential to the operations of a firm that qualifies as an E-1 or E-2 business.”

Becht and the US Ambassador in Paris, Denise Campbell Bauer, formalised the agreement on Tuesday, but said that the new systems have been up and running since November 16th.

For US nationals hoping for a move the France, the visa process is the same as other visa types – done via the French online visa portal under the Talent Passport section. 

EXPLAINED How to apply for a French visa

French visa applications are all decided on their own merits, so there is no stated minimum amount for what would count as an investment – the important thing is that it’s not simply about money – you will also need a detailed business plan showing how you intend to invest and grow your business in France.

The existing Talent Passport scheme has been expanded under the Macron government and its stated aim is “to encourage talents from all over the world to choose our country to develop growth and employment.”