If your e-mail does not go through, you can also ask for help at the Assistants in France 2011-12 Facebook group, as Jennie (the administrator Nadjezhda on the forums) is also a member.
]]>For more information, please see the Alumni of the Teaching Assistant Program in France - USA Facebook group.
]]>Even though the form says that you will receive an e-mail in June, do not count on this. Many times assistants do not hear anything concrete until September or even October because new assistants have priority over renewing assistants, and so the rectorat must wait until a new assistant resigns before offering the position to a renewing assistant.
]]>If you're having trouble with the online application, call or e-mail Carolyn Collins at the French Embassy in DC. Also check out the TAPIF page on Facebook - a lot of questions have been answered there.
Good luck!
]]>The American program made their application available as of October 11 and it is completely online: www.tapif.org The deadline is January 1, 2011.
For other countries, a list of links to the various French embassy sites as well as the number of positions available for each country can be found here:
English Language Teaching Assistantship in France for 2011-2012 School Year
]]>Summary of visa validation fees for different statuses:
340€ for visiteur and conjoint de français
70€ for salarié
55€ for étudiant
free for travailleur temporaire (this includes assistants de langue)
If you are able to renew your visa/change your visa into a Carte de Séjour for the second year, then the renewal fee is 110€.
]]>
Image via Wikipedia
The official American program has updated their website with information for prospective, current and former English assistants in France. There is also a Facebook group for alumni if you are a former assistant and want to keep in touch with other alumni or with the program itself.
]]>
The forums should still be fine and dandy, so stop on by...
]]>Enjoy your spring vacations and have a Happy Easter!
Zone A: April 10-25
Zone B: April 3-18
Zone C: April 17 - May 2
Don't forget that Easter Monday, April 5, is a jour férié.
]]>The latest e-mail from Carolyn Collins at the embassy in D.C. clears this up:
Many of you responded to my last e-mail with questions about the rules for leaving France over winter break, and after looking into the situation some more, I would like to clarify and correct the information contained in my last message. This information does not apply to those of you who have already had your visas validated by the OFII, or for those of you who were able to get the "visa de retour" from your local Préfecture.
A number of you went to your local Préfecture after my e-mail to get the "visa de retour" and were told by the officials there that you no longer need to get this special stamp in your passport since the new visa rules allow assistants to enter France more than once. I checked with my contact at the visa service here in DC and he confirmed that this information about the new visa rules is correct. The assistant visa should be good for multiple entries into France and will remain valid for the entire length of your stay, thereby eliminating the need to get a "visa de retour". Having your visa validated by the OFII is apparently only an issue if you want to use the visa like a "carte de séjour" (to get the CAF, etc.) and should not affect your travel in and out of the country, so I apologize for any confusion and stress my last e-mail may have caused!
In short, your current assistant visa should allow you to travel over winter break without a problem, even if the OFII hasn't officially validated your visa yet. If you are still worried and want to be extra cautious when you travel, you can always bring along copies of your "arrêté de nomination" and/or any paperwork the OFII has sent you to show that you are legally employed in France and have taken the necessary steps to begin your registration with the OFII in the rare case where the border authorities ask questions.
The Christmas vacation begins soon for all zones (samedi 19 décembre 2009 - lundi 4 janvier 2010), so take advantage of your time off to travel. Here's the remaining vacation schedule for this school year:
Zone A: Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Rennes, Toulouse
Winter vacation: samedi 13 février 2010 - lundi 1er mars 2010
Spring vacation: samedi 10 avril 2010 - lundi 26 avril 2010
Zone B: Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Besançon, Dijon, Lille, Limoges, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Poitiers, Reims, Rouen, Strasbourg
Winter vacation: samedi 6 février 2010 - lundi 22 février 2010
Spring vacation: samedi 3 avril 2010 - lundi 19 avril 2010
Zone C: Bordeaux, Creteil, Paris, Versailles
Winter vacation: samedi 20 février 2010 - lundi 8 mars 2010
Spring vacation: samedi 17 avril 2010 - lundi 3 mai 2010
Remember that vacation begins after class on Saturday (if you have Saturday classes) and la rentrée is the Monday morning indicated. If you are teaching in a DOM-TOM, you will need to check your académie's website for their academic calendar.
And don't forget the jours fériés:
April 5th: Lundi de Pâques (this is already included in spring vacation for Zone B)
May 1st: Fête du Travail
May 8th: Victoire 1945
May 13th: Jeudi de l'Ascension
May 24th: Lundi de Pentecôte