Moving to the USA from France: Visas, Green Cards and Where to Apply

No. France is not among the 39 countries restricted by Proclamation 10998 (effective January 1, 2026), and it was not on the 75-country immigrant visa pause from January 2026.

The one change that matters for French immigrants is worldwide: Since August 25, 2026, the State Department has paused immigrant visa interviews at US embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers are trained on public charge reviews. Scheduled interviews were moved to later dates, and no restart date has been announced as of September 2026. Visitor, student, and temporary work visas are not part of this pause. Details: immigrant visa pause.

E visas, L-1, H-1B, O-1, J-1, and student visas continue to be processed in Paris.

For an overview of every route, see our guide to US immigration and how US immigration works.

Usually not. France is a Visa Waiver Program country, so French citizens can visit for tourism or business meetings for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). Apply only on the official CBP ESTA website.

ESTA does not allow work, study for credit, or stays over 90 days. You will need a B-1/B-2 visa instead if you were refused an ESTA or visa before, have certain arrests or convictions, have traveled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen since March 1, 2011, or Cuba since January 12, 2021, or also hold Cuban, Iranian, Iraqi, North Korean, Sudanese, or Syrian nationality. French citizens from overseas departments (such as Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Reunion) use the same rules.

E-2 investor visa. France has had E-1 and E-2 treaty status since 1960, and the treaty also covers the overseas departments. French nationals who invest a substantial amount in a US business they develop and direct can get an E-2, which can be issued for up to 48 months at a time under the State Department's reciprocity table. Employees of a French-owned US company can also get E-2 visas if they are French nationals in executive, supervisory, or essential roles.

J-1 internships and training. Many young French graduates start with a J-1 intern or trainee program through a designated sponsor. See J-1 intern and J-1 trainee.

H-1B. Since February 27, 2026, the H-1B lottery gives more entries to higher wage levels. A separate $100,000 fee on some new H-1B petitions (from a September 2025 proclamation) is being fought in court, with judges split as of September 2026. See H-1B $100k fee.

Students. Since September 15, 2026, new F-1 students are admitted until a fixed date instead of for "duration of status", so you may need to file for an extension if your program runs longer. See F-1 fixed admission period.

Family. Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of US citizens have no annual cap. Other relatives wait in the F1 to F4 lines of the Visa Bulletin. French applicants use rest-of-world dates.

Employment. EB-1, EB-2 (including the NIW), and EB-3 use rest-of-world dates. Many E-2 and L-1 holders later move to a green card through their employer or through EB-1C for multinational managers.

Diversity Visa. French natives were eligible for DV-2026. The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery is paused: visa issuance stopped on December 23, 2025, and DV-2027 registration never opened. See DV lottery paused.

The US Embassy in Paris processes both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for France. It is the only post the State Department lists for visa services in France. Book appointments through the embassy's website. The State Department's guidance is to apply for a visitor or other temporary visa at the US embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Applying elsewhere is possible but can make it harder to show you qualify. See our visa interview guide.

For immigrant visas, the State Department's France page lists:

• Police certificate: an Extrait de Casier Judiciaire (bulletin n. 3) from the national criminal records office (Casier Judiciaire National) in Nantes, which you can request online. Anyone who lived in France at any time after age 15 needs one, whatever their nationality.
• Birth certificate: a Copie Integrale or Extrait d'Acte de Naissance from the town hall (mairie) where you were born. French nationals born abroad request it from the Service central d'etat civil in Nantes.
• Marriage and divorce: a marriage record from the mairie; the divorce should be noted on the marriage and birth records. A PACS (civil partnership) is not treated as a marriage for US immigration.

French documents need certified English translations.

French expatriates are concentrated in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles in California, Miami in Florida, and Washington, DC. Houston, Boston, and Chicago also have large French communities, often linked to French companies. French-language schools (lycees), chambers of commerce, and the French consulates are common first contacts for newcomers.