France’s embassy in Conakry, working with OFII, Expertise France and Campus France, opened the first “72 Heures des Mobilités” on 11 June. Running through 13 June, the event mixes visa-application workshops, alumni networking and cultural performances aimed at convincing young Guineans to use legal channels—student visas, talent passports, volunteering programmes—instead of irregular migration routes.
![‘72 Heures des Mobilités’ launches in Conakry to promote regular pathways between Guinea and France]()
For Guineans ready to act on the advice given at the fair, services like VisaHQ can streamline the next steps. Its dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets users check document lists, book appointments and monitor application status in real time, smoothing the path from information session to stamped passport.
Ambassador Luc Briard told participants that France wants “circulation, not drain”, stressing scholarships, entrepreneurship visas and return-support schemes. Panels feature representatives from French universities, the Guinean diaspora and private recruiters who explained how to align skills with France’s shortage-occupation lists. For French employers active in West Africa, the fair is a chance to spot bilingual talent before they apply for long-stay visas in September. OFII used the platform to preview an online appointment system for Conakry that will replace the current email request process by October 2026, cutting wait times that have frustrated HR departments. France Volontaires showcased its circular-mobility projects, including short assignments that allow Guinean specialists trained in France to return home without losing residence rights. Organisers plan to repeat the format annually and may take it on the road to Dakar and Abidjan. The initiative dovetails with EU plans for Talent Partnerships with African states and signals that, even as France tightens asylum channels under the Pact, it wants to expand controlled labour and study mobility.
For Guineans ready to act on the advice given at the fair, services like VisaHQ can streamline the next steps. Its dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets users check document lists, book appointments and monitor application status in real time, smoothing the path from information session to stamped passport.
Ambassador Luc Briard told participants that France wants “circulation, not drain”, stressing scholarships, entrepreneurship visas and return-support schemes. Panels feature representatives from French universities, the Guinean diaspora and private recruiters who explained how to align skills with France’s shortage-occupation lists. For French employers active in West Africa, the fair is a chance to spot bilingual talent before they apply for long-stay visas in September. OFII used the platform to preview an online appointment system for Conakry that will replace the current email request process by October 2026, cutting wait times that have frustrated HR departments. France Volontaires showcased its circular-mobility projects, including short assignments that allow Guinean specialists trained in France to return home without losing residence rights. Organisers plan to repeat the format annually and may take it on the road to Dakar and Abidjan. The initiative dovetails with EU plans for Talent Partnerships with African states and signals that, even as France tightens asylum channels under the Pact, it wants to expand controlled labour and study mobility.
