I'm from Vancouver but I'm currently working in France as an au-pair (live-in nanny). I was issued (by the Canadian government) a student visa, valid for 3 months. When I arrived in France, I was supposed to apply for a residence permit/carte de séjour, which I did. However, I've been here since Oct. 2008 and now it's mid-May and I still haven't got my residence permit. My flight home is in 3 weeks. Am I going to have problems flying out of Europe (I'll be flying out of Luxembourg and then Amsterdam) with an expired visa? It's not my fault that it's taken so long to process my application. If anyone has any info or advice, it'd be much appreciated. I've tried contacting the Canadian government, but I haven't got a reply yet.
Other - Europe - 2 Answers
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1 :
You must contact your embassy ASAP! No visa is very big trouble for you. I do not think you will be permitted exit until you have a valid visa. Do not wait. Contact the consular now!
2 :
You will be just fine, it is not a big problem. Your student visa was not issued by the Canadian but by the French government. The country you are *visiting* is the one that grants you a "permit" to stay/study. However you will *not* have any problems leaving France or the Schengen zone (see: Luxembourg, Netherlands) with an expired visa. It will of course be noted that you overstayed, and this will now have consequences for future visa applications. You will be allowed to go back to your own country, of course, but you will probably receive a "ban" for some time after you return home. You will not be allowed to return to the Schengen zone for some time (from months to several years).
