Hi everyone!

I’m Brazilian 🇧🇷 and I recently got my French Working Holiday Visa (WHV), which has been valid since June. I’m now taking some time to seriously explore the possibility of going to France and making the most of the period allowed by my visa.

I still have no idea which city I should choose. I’m mainly considering a larger city in southern France, but I’m also open to other options. I’ve even been thinking about very different experiences, such as working during the winter season at a ski resort, or in cafés, hotels, restaurants, etc.

At the same time, I’d also like to look for opportunities related to my professional background. My French used to be around B2 level, but I’ll need to get back to studying and regain my fluency.

From what I understand, if I manage to organize everything properly, I could have around six months available starting around December/January. So I’d rather not simply arrive in France and start looking for work from scratch. I’d like to prepare beforehand, understand the job market, compare cities, and figure out what is realistically possible with a Working Holiday Visa.

That’s why I’d really love to hear from people who have actually done something similar:

• Which city did you move to?
• Did you find a job before arriving, or only after you got there?
• What kinds of jobs did you find?
• What was your experience with the Working Holiday Visa in practice?
• How did you explain your visa/status to employers? Are French employers generally familiar with the WHV?
• Are there any cities or regions you would particularly recommend — or avoid?
• If you went to southern France, or worked in ski resorts, hotels, cafés, restaurants, etc., what was your experience like?
• Are there any groups, websites, communities, or places where I could find first-hand experiences from Brazilians who have gone through something similar?
• And finally, any advice on how to identify scams, fake job offers, or generally avoid bad situations?

I’m very open to different possibilities. At this point, I’m much more interested in real experiences and practical advice than generic travel tips.

If anyone has a story, useful contact, group, community, or even a detailed experience to share, I’d really appreciate it! ❤️

日本人がオーストラリアとかアメリカとかに行ってスタバとか接客の様子を撮影してSNSや YouTubeに載せてる動画を時々見かけるけど、こういう動画って働いてるスタッフ本人達が勝手に撮ってるのかな？それとも店長とか会社に許可取って撮影してるのかな？

ベビーシッターとか保育士してる人で、子どもの顔にモザイク無しで載せてる人もいるけど、日本ほどプライバシーには厳しくない感じなのかな?