You've submitted your Talent Visa application (highly skilled employee, researcher, entrepreneur...) on ANEF, and since then: silence. This is the most common source of anxiety for foreign talent in France. Here is a realistic breakdown of what happens to your file, the timelines observed in practice, and the levers you can use to stay on track.

Step 1 — Submission Confirmation (Immediate)

As soon as you submit on ANEF, you receive a submission confirmation. It proves the date of your application but does not in itself constitute a residence authorization. Unlike the old system, a paper receipt is no longer systematically issued for a first application: depending on the case and the prefecture, an attestation may be issued during the processing period.

Step 2 — Processing (Wide Variation: from 3 Weeks to Several Months)

This is the most variable step across France: some prefectures process a Talent Visa in a matter of weeks, while others — Île-de-France leading the pack — take several months. A realistic observed range is 2 to 4 months, with outliers in both directions. During this period, one habit matters above all: check your ANEF inbox every week — this is where requests for additional documents arrive, and every day's delay in responding adds to your overall wait.

Step 3 — Additional Documents (Where You Gain or Lose Weeks)

The documents most commonly requested for an employed talent applicant include: your degree certificate (certified translation if required), a signed employment contract stating your salary (check the threshold for your category), pay slips if you are already working, an employer attestation, a recent proof of address, and your digital photo-signature (e-photo code). The winning reflex: prepare your complete file BEFORE it is requested, and respond to any requests for additional documents within 48 hours.

Step 4 — Decision and Collection (2 to 4 Additional Weeks)

Following a favorable decision, the card goes into production; you are then notified to collect it at the prefecture, with your tax stamp in hand. Generally allow 2 to 4 weeks between the decision and receiving the card.

If the Silence Goes On Too Long

If more than 4 months pass with no news at all: follow up via the ANEF messaging system (leaving a written record), have your employer escalate (HR departments and retained lawyers sometimes have dedicated channels), and be aware that a prolonged administrative silence can, in certain circumstances, be interpreted as an implicit decision that opens avenues for appeal — a lawyer will tell you whether your situation qualifies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I travel while my application is being processed? If your long-stay visa is still valid, yes in principle; as its expiry approaches, exercise caution — check before making any trip.

Can I work while I wait? If your current visa or status allows it, yes. The submission confirmation alone does not create a right to work.

Can my employer speed things up? Indirectly: a complete file, prompt responses to requests for additional documents, and follow-ups through the company's HR channels genuinely make a difference.

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Further reading: APS and change of status: the URSSAF attestation trap