After the degree: APS, change of status or return?

By The FrenchPappers team · Published on 20 July 2026 · Last checked on 20 July 2026 · 7 min read

After your degree, three paths exist in 2026. With a job offer, aim for the change to salarié status or the passeport talent. Without a job but holding a master's or a professional bachelor's degree, apply for the APS job-search or business-creation permit, valid for one year and non-renewable. Always file before your student permit expires.

Three possible outcomes after your degree

Your student residence permit is about to expire and you have just earned your degree. At this precise moment, three doors open, and only one truly applies to you depending on your situation. Either you have already landed a job and you apply for a change of status. Or you don't yet have a position, and your degree entitles you to the APS, the Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour « recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise ». Or none of these paths is open and you need to consider continuing your studies or returning home.

All these procedures are filed on the ANEF (Administration Numérique pour les Étrangers en France), the State's single platform. Here we guide you through the decision tree, without ever promising you an outcome: the prefecture alone decides. Our goal is for you to choose the right path, within the right deadlines.

The decision tree: which path is open to you

Three questions are enough to identify your path: what is your degree level, do you have a job offer, and how much time is left on your student permit? The table below cross-references these criteria.

You already have a job offer: the change of status

If an employer offers you a contract related to your training, you don't need to go through the APS: you can apply directly for a change of status from « étudiant » to « salarié ». The prefecture checks the consistency between your degree and the position. In 2026, the pay must at least reach the SMIC, i.e. 1 867,02 € gross per month.

One case is particularly favourable: if you hold a master's degree, the job is related to your training and it is paid at least 2 800,53 € gross per month, the authorities do not raise the employment-situation test (in other words, they don't ask you to prove that no local candidate was available). We detail each document and each step in our guide dedicated to the change of status from student to employee in 2026.

For highly qualified positions, another path exists: the passeport talent « salarié qualifié », reserved in particular for master's graduates hired for a qualified position and paid at least twice the SMIC, i.e. about 39 582 € gross per year (amount set by the arrêté du 29 August 2025). This multi-year permit avoids annual renewals. We explain its conditions in our article on the passeport talent 2026.

No job yet but a master's or a professional bachelor's: the APS

This is the most common situation: you have your degree in hand, but you haven't yet signed a contract. The APS « recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise » is designed for this. Since the reform, it often takes the form of a residence permit or a VLS-TS (long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit) bearing the same mention. It lasts one year and is not renewable.

It is only open to certain degree levels earned in France:

• a master's degree or a diploma conferring the master's grade;
• a professional bachelor's degree;
• a Mastère Spécialisé or a Master of Science accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Écoles.

The degree must have been earned within the twelve months preceding the application (or within four years if you have returned to your home country in the meantime). During this year, you can look for a job or develop your business project, and you are allowed to work. To hold a salaried position related to your studies paid at least 2 800,53 € gross per month, the 60% annual working-time limit that applied while you were a student no longer applies.

The idea of the APS is therefore simple: it gives you twelve months to find the position or launch the activity that will then trigger a change of status to a lasting professional permit.

You have a general bachelor's degree: your room to manoeuvre

If you only have a general bachelor's degree (and not a professional one), the APS « recherche d'emploi » is not open to you: this scheme targets the master's and professional bachelor's levels. This doesn't leave you without a solution, but the options are narrower.

• Continue your studies (master's, professional bachelor's degree) by renewing your student permit, which will open up the APS to you once you earn the higher degree.
• Apply for a change to « salarié » status if you land a job related to your background, while meeting the pay conditions.
• Failing that, consider returning home, bearing in mind that a degree earned in France remains an asset for a future application.

What happens if you miss the deadlines

The deadline is the most sensitive point. The application, whether for the APS or a change of status, must be filed within the two months preceding the expiry of your student permit. An application filed after this date may be rejected as late, without any review of the merits of the file. You would then find yourself without a valid permit, with the risk of an obligation to leave the country.

Once your file has been submitted on time, the prefecture issues a récépissé that maintains your rights during processing. Timeframes vary greatly from one prefecture to another, and can be long in Île-de-France. If your ANEF file gets stuck, we explain what to do in our article ANEF file stuck. For a strong file from the start, also check our help filling in your ANEF file.

Frequently asked questions

Can the APS be renewed after one year?

No. The « recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise » permit is valid for one year and is not renewable. It serves as a bridge: during this year, the goal is to find the job or launch the activity that will allow a change of status to a professional permit.

Can I go directly from student to employee without the APS?

Yes. If you already have a job offer related to your studies at the time your student permit expires, you apply directly for a change to « salarié » status. The APS is only useful if you don't yet have a job and your degree gives you access to it.

What salary is needed for a change of status in 2026?

The salary must at least reach the SMIC, i.e. 1 867,02 € gross per month in 2026. For a master's graduate in a job related to their training, pay of at least 2 800,53 € gross per month exempts the authorities from raising the employment-situation test.

When exactly must I file my application?

Within the two months preceding the expiry date of your student permit, on the ANEF. Never go past this date: a late filing exposes you to a rejection without any review of the file.

Which path should I choose if my position is very well paid?

If you are a master's graduate hired for a qualified position paid at least about 39 582 € gross per year, the passeport talent « salarié qualifié » is often more advantageous, as it is a multi-year permit that avoids yearly renewals.