“How to Strengthen Your U.S. Teams Using Your French Entity with the V.I.E Program”
Nicolas Medan, Managing Director of KMH Benefits, shares his perspective on the V.I.E. program. In his view, this initiative is a genuine opportunity for U.S. companies with a French entity: a way to strengthen their teams in the United States without administrative complexity or legal risk.
Nicolas Medan, Managing Director of KMH Benefits, shares his perspective on the V.I.E. program. In his view, this initiative is a genuine opportunity for U.S. companies with a French entity: a way to strengthen their teams in the United States without administrative complexity or legal risk.
Send Talent to Your U.S. Team Without U.S. Headcount? If You’ve Got a French Entity, You’re In.
During a recent trip to New York — meeting with the UN procurement teams thanks to Business France — I re-discovered a program that deserves way more attention on this side of the Atlantic: the V.I.E Program.
If your company is headquartered in the U.S. but has a French legal entity with employees, you may be eligible to deploy young European professionals in your U.S. operations — without adding them to U.S. payroll, and without the usual visa red tape.
Yes, it’s fully legal. Yes, it’s simple. And yes, it’s being used today by over 6,000 companies worldwide.
Get the full picture here (CCI Paris)
How does it work?
The Volontariat International en Entreprise (V.I.E) is a program run by the French government via Business France. It allows French entities to assign young European professionals (ages 18–28) to missions abroad — including in the U.S. — for up to 18 months.
Here’s the kicker:
The V.I.E is not on your U.S. books.
They’re officially employed by Business France, not your U.S. entity.
Your French subsidiary signs a simple hosting agreement and pays a flat fee (around €4,000/month, all-in). Business France handles contracts, social protection, compliance, and paperwork.
What’s in it for you?
This is a smart way to strengthen your U.S. team — without triggering U.S. employment risks or visa processes.
Companies use the V.I.E to:
- Bring in highly qualified profiles for business development, tech, ops or client-facing roles
- Send team members from France to support U.S. growth
- Train a rising talent at U.S. HQ — then send them back to France with operational U.S. experience
- Stay lean, fast and compliant while scaling
It’s a real lever — not a workaround.
Who are the candidates?
- European citizens (mostly French), 18–28
- Most have Master’s degrees and relevant business or technical backgrounds
- Many already have international experience
- You can pick someone from your French entity, or select from a 65,000+ candidate database pre-vetted by Business France
Numbers that speak for themselves:
- 110,000+ assignments completed
- 6,000+ companies have used it
- 2,339 V.I.E roles already created in North America
Key eligibility: your company must have employees in France
This isn’t a tool to explore the French market.
It’s a solution for companies already active in France — with real teams on the ground — to scale smartly abroad.
If you’re growing your U.S. business and have a French entity, the V.I.E is likely one of the most cost-effective, risk-free ways to add talent with international perspective — on your terms.
At KMH, we help U.S. companies activate the program as part of a wider HR and growth strategy.