Flagship legacy · France–Taiwan
When a new visa existed on paper, we built the journey around it.
The France–Taiwan Working Holiday agreement opened a new route in 2016. Yet early participants still had no clear answer to the questions that decide whether mobility is truly accessible: how to apply, where to live, how to work, how to integrate and who to turn to after arrival.
Context
A bilateral programme launched without a practical user journey.
When the agreement entered into force, the main working-holiday information platforms had not yet translated it into practical guidance. Visa steps, settlement, the local job market, everyday life and integration were scattered or simply unavailable.
The need quickly became bilateral. Young Taiwanese preparing for France faced the same uncertainty, calling for one trusted bridge between both communities.
The challenge
Eligibility was official. Usability was not.
A visa agreement alone does not create a successful experience. Participants needed clear answers before departure, trusted contacts after arrival, access to local employers and a community able to turn administrative possibility into confidence and belonging.
The response
Information, employers and community—in one free ecosystem.
The Alliance Franco-Taïwanaise pour la Jeunesse created practical online guidance, connected working-holiday holders with employers and peers, and organised regular gatherings in both Paris and Taipei. The platform evolved from launch support into a living bilateral community.
The approach
Exchange before transaction.
The non-profit model was deliberate. Working holidays were designed to remain accessible and based on mutual exchange, rather than being controlled for profit by a central organisation. Free information and support from the traveller community helped preserve this approach, while giving local travellers a voice in shaping the experience.
Bilateral delivery
The infrastructure an emerging programme needed.
Understand
Translate the new agreement into clear guidance on visas, settlement, work, daily life and integration.
Connect
Bring working-holiday holders into contact with employers, peers and trusted contacts in France and Taiwan.
Belong
Create regular Paris and Taipei events where language exchange, friendship and practical support could continue offline.
The legacy
Success meant the community could continue without the association.
The initiative grew into a community of more than 2,000 people supporting friendship and language exchange between France and Taiwan. As established platforms such as PVTistes.net published comprehensive guidance and community members took over the social groups, the association had achieved its launch mission and could responsibly step back.
The lasting result is not an organisation kept alive for its own sake, but a working-holiday route with accessible information, active peer support and relationships that continue independently.
Media coverage
Covered in France and Taiwan.
The project was documented by regional French press, Taiwanese media and the official French representation in Taipei.
Official interview
Presented by the French Office in Taipei.
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