Fans joke about Emily Cooper's visa after 'Emily in Paris' Season 5 renewal
As Netflix's Emily in Paris has been renewed for another season, fans of the hit romantic comedy series are now scratching their heads about how long the titular character's visa lasts.
In case you missed it, Netflix announced that Emily in Paris will have a fifth season through a video announcement featuring protagonist Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins.
"There’s no place like Rome," she says, before taking a sip of coffee and showing the number five at the bottom of the cup.
Fans were expectedly excited for the continuation, but some could not help but wonder about the "unrealistic" visa being used by Emily, originally an American from Chicago who temporarily moved to Paris for a new job at French marketing company Savior.
"What kind of visa is Emily on in Paris?!" one user on X asked.
now you're asking the right question 😭
— 🥀𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖞🥀 (@saylesssavage) September 15, 2024
"What kind of visa is Emily on in Paris?! It’s giving over stayer turned to illegal immigrant," another joked.
What kind of visa is Emily on in Paris?! It’s giving over stayer turned to illegal immigrant 😂 https://t.co/mUAxJeuJx6
— kaltuma (@GaladimaKaltuma) September 17, 2024
According to Welcome to France, a platform designed to help international talents settle in France, people who are looking to settle in the country for a period of more than three months are required to apply for a long-stay visa.
This is usually valid between three months and 12 months as it enables the holder to apply for a residence permit on arrival in France. If the stay exceeds 12 months, an application for a residence permit is required.
However, some fans have begun to enlighten others about how Emily is still legally residing in Paris.
"Emily almost certainly got sent to Paris with an Intercompany Transfer visa. This visa is valid for up to three years, and it requires being sent by a foreign company for a specific mission in France," France relocation consultant Allison Lounes explained on Threads.
"Emily would have to wait six months in the US to get the same visa again. Quitting would technically leave her in a precarious situation, visa-wise," they added.
Another option would be Emily getting a "Passeport Talent Salarié en Mission" visa, which is similar to the ICT visa but she had to be on a French local contract and had to have a master's degree or five years of professional experience. This can be renewed multiple times for up to three years each time, but it doesn't enable the holder to apply for French naturalization.
As the latest season saw Emily traveling to the city of Rome to spend time with a new love interest, some users wondered how she was able to move to another country in Europe without permanent residency.
One viewer on Reddit surmised, "She'd be under a French employment visa, which is only valid for France, even if transferring to another European Union country but for the same company."
"There are pan-EU work permits though, but [there are] for specific highly qualified positions. EU permanent residency holders qualify for a similar permit, but it's not valid for all EU countries," they added.
Meanwhile, a user on X reminded fans that there was an episode dedicated to Emily being assisted by her boss Sylvie to get a work visa, which allows non-European citizens to work in France for longer than 90 days.
Emily in Paris released the first part of Season 4 on Aug. 15 with five episodes, while its second part premiered on Sept. 12.
The show is created by Darren Star. Joining Collins in the cast are Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, Lucien Laviscount, Eugenio Franceschini, Ashley Park, Camille Razat, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, and William Abadie.