# Greetings and Not sure which visa to apply for?



## dgcmcm (Jan 14, 2015)

Bonjour à tous et à toutes,
I recently turned 60 and have decided to take a long 'sabbatical' from work and undertake some serious language study (i.e. 20 hours pw) in France for a year or so. If I can get my level up to C1 (its currently around a solid B1) I'm thinking about doing a Masters as well so quite feasibly be in France for up to three years (I have plenty of savings to support myself).
I've read through the requirements for both a student and visitor visa and the docs that need to be furnished to renew these. Technically, age is not a barrier to becoming an 'international' full time student but I'm wondering though whether I should just go for the 'visitor' visa as this avoids the extra conditions for applying for the student multi-year titre de sejour. These are listed as:
_The real and serious nature of your studies is verified in particular by means of:_

_of your diligence,_
_your exam results,_
_diplomas you obtain,_
_explanations that you provide if you change courses_
Also, perhaps I'm overthinking it, but I'm somewhat anxious that the folks at VFS Global and/or the French consulate here in Sydney might wonder about my study plans (i.e. given my age) and so it may be better to stick to a visitors visa ?
Would appreciate any advice 
David


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

As far as I know, there is no restriction on enrolling in an academic program for someone on a "visiteur" visa. The one hurdle you'll have there, though, is the financial resources issue. Normally for someone age 60 or over, they would be looking for you to have some sort of "retirement income" (i.e. a pension) to support you while you're in France. They can be touchy about accepting "plenty of savings" simply because of the danger of you running through your savings or getting stuck in France when the exchange rates turn on you. Better to have a regular source of income rather than to drain your savings.

OTOH, for a student visa the level of financial resources is considerably lower and savings is a more acceptable resource since you're ostensibly in France for a finite period of time (i.e. however long your academic program lasts).


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## dgcmcm (Jan 14, 2015)

Thanks  Yes - I see what you mean. I won't have retirement income as I'm not retiring although I guess I could arrange regular payments to an account for a period before I apply for a visa so that it appears that I do.
But as you suggest, student visas are finite and I need only show that I have 600 odd Euros a month for the period of study...


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

One other consideration might be that to change status on a student visa (i.e. after getting that masters degree) you would have to be able to find a job in your field of study - which isn't nearly as easy as it sounds, and there is the consideration of your age. If you have no intention of staying on past the "student experience" then that's certainly the easier of the two visas. But if you decide you would like to stay on you would have to return back home to apply for a visitor visa.


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## dgcmcm (Jan 14, 2015)

Thanks, think I'll probably go the 'student' route as it does seem, as you note, the easier option. Not really looking at France as a long-term/permanent home - though I might change my mind !


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