2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Global Immigration Program Impacts

The countdown to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, taking place from 26 July through 8 September 2024, has officially begun.

With less than four months until the opening ceremony, athletes are now intensifying their training and qualification efforts. Meanwhile, the city of Paris is wrapping up its construction projects and making necessary preparations for various weather conditions that could affect the Games.

In conjunction, the Fragomen Paris office has relocated to a new site and is actively preparing for the Games by organizing webinars, offering advice to clients affected by the events and making necessary arrangements to ensure smooth operations during this period.

Immigration and Mobility Impacts

Global mobility and immigration professionals are also beginning their preparations and “training.” Those engaged in business activities in Europe, particularly in France, are familiar with the customary slowdown in government agencies during the summer months. Due to limited resources and staff availability, immigration procedures tend to experience delays. Anticipating an even more pronounced slowdown during the Olympics and Paralympics, and during the few weeks before and after the events, adjustments should be made accordingly.

About 70,000 participants are expected to apply for visas in connection with the Paris Games, which does not include the estimated one million foreign visitors, tourists or workers who are also expected to descend upon Paris.

To effectively manage this unprecedented influx, the French authorities have set up a specific “Olympic Consulate” that began in January 2024. This entity is dedicated exclusively to the management of visa applications from the “Olympic family,” which includes athletes, Olympic committee members, accredited media and other key stakeholders of the Games.

Although this initiative aims to speed up the process for those directly involved in the competitions, its concrete impact on other categories (including official guests, expatriates and their families) is still unknown. In particular, backlogs in visa application centres and appointment scheduling issues are likely to increase as the Games approach.

On a similar note, processing delays are expected at all other Embassies in Paris for outbound moves. This means that all employees who are applying for their visas for a move out of France may experience travel delays. The Embassies’ focus will be on supporting their nationals visiting France with their various needs. There will likely be a reduced number of appointments available due to the summer period. Foreign consular employees may also take extended summer leave or attend the Events. In addition, there might be more complexities and increased security measures in place when physically attending appointments. This will need to be considered when travelling to the appointments, and the individuals should assume that if an appointment is missed, it could take some time to obtain a new one.

Specifically, US Embassy sources have indicated to Fragomen’s team that, as the Embassy building is located in the designated “red” zone, it will be closed for operations during both the Olympics and Paralympics. Place de la Concorde is currently blocked for construction of the Olympic Village, which is already affecting the appointment availability at the US Embassy. This should be taken into account when considering any employees who need to undergo consular applications.

Preparations

Given these significant considerations, what steps should one take to prepare for the plethora of potential scenarios? A few initial recommendations include:

• Consider changing an employee’s start date. If an employee’s desired start date presently falls between July and September, consider plans for either starting now or postponing until after September.
• Apply early for short-stay visas. Applicants can apply between one and six months before the planned visit. As the event approaches, visa appointments might be harder to book, and processing times for non-accredited staff may take longer than usual.
• Consult and plan. On a case-by-case basis, employees will have circumstances requiring a more tailored approach. Fragomen can advise on the best options.

Need to Know More?

For more information and updates on the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, please contact Senior Immigration Manager Géraldine Renaudière at [email protected]. To discuss your company’s immigration program strategy during this period, please contact Senior Immigration Programme Manager Sanja Janjić at [email protected].

This blog was published on 22 March 2024, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.