The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees immigration services. France’s severe immigration laws, in contrast to those of other European nations like Latvia, may make it more challenging to obtain a residency card. A simple “visa” and a long stay or residence permit, formally known as a “stay document” (carte de séjour in French), are treated very differently under French law. Any person requesting a stay document must have a lengthy stay visa or entry permit. To proceed, the applicant must apply all necessary supporting documentation to a French consular office and be permitted to travel to France. All Pakistani nationals seeking entry into France must be able to present the required documentation at the border detailing their accommodations, means of support, and reasons for their stay.

Types of visas  

You can enter French territory if you have a visa. Your stay in France will determine how long your visa is valid. You can stay in the Schengen region if you have a short-stay visa. You can enter France with a long-stay visa and remain there for more than three months. You will be issued a long-stay visa, which is the same as a residence permit if you stay for between three months and a year. You can acquire a travel visa for periodic, brief stays.

The primary procedures for requesting a French visa

The procedures for requesting a French visa include:

Complete your online application.

On the official website for France, you must register. Then, accurately present all the information that is needed.

Send the visa center your application.

All you need to do is submit your completed online application to your neighborhood visa center.

Keep track of your application.

Track the status of your application once it has been submitted to learn when and how to pick up your passport and how to get ready for your trip to France. Depending on the season and your country of origin, waiting times for appointments and application processing may differ. Therefore, users are urged to submit their visa requests well before their departure date.

Submitting a French residency application

To apply for a residence, permit within two months of entering French territory, holders of entry and long-stay visas marked “carte de séjour à solliciter à l’arrivée en France” (residence permit to be requested upon arrival in France) must contact the French prefecture in their place of residence. When arriving in France, those with long-stay visas with the designation “CESEDA R.311-3” must make immediate contact with the French Immigration and Integration Office (OFII).

Providers of immigration services

The general practice is that an applicant shall not be issued a stay document unless he has first been reviewed and accepted by a French Consulate, although French law establishes specific exceptions for visa and entry permit criteria. As a result, anyone wishing to enter France must first prepare and apply to the French Consulate in Pakistan. Most likely, an application submitted to the incorrect Consulate authority will not be approved.

Legitimate immigration

Immigrants must adhere to all rules outlined in French law to legally visit France. The Code of Entry and Stay of Foreigners and Asylum in France is the primary statute that governs the immigration of non-EU nationals into France. Various choices are available based on why you are there. However, to successfully apply for a visa, you must submit to the very specific Consulate, accountable for your country of residency. The Foreign French Consulate overseas accepts, hears visa applications, and provides approvals.