How can a person relocate to live in France?

Question

Been thinking of trying to move and work abroad. Anyone know how a person can move to France and then work there (legally)? I'm from North America, single and free, no kids, I have a Bachelor's degree (no Masters) and don't speak French, but would obviously learn it eventually! How easy or difficult is it to become an expat there? Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

Answer 1

Get off your bum and get a job with an international company in the USA.  Then, if you do a decent job and LEARN TO SPEAK TO LANGUAGE, you might get transferred to the French offices.  Otherwise, you're SOL.

Answer 2

You have several things working in your favor: No kids/significant other, a university degree and an adventurous spirit.

However those alone will not enable you to easily relocate to France (or any other industrialized nation).

Most expats work for larger companies who have the resources to move people and their families around the world.  Ex. the relocation cost for moving a small family and their possessions from the US to Europe runs in the tens of thousands of dollars.  This is nothing to say about what it takes to get a work permit.  A specialist at a company can take 2-3 months getting a permit for a foreigner.

The best idea is to get your Master's degree and try to choose a program that is applicable to someone who wants to work abroad and pertinent to your previous degree.  Ex. an MBA in International Finance.  That extra degree will set you a big step above others in the workplace.  This will be a huge advantage when interviewing for that multinational job with offices abroad.

If you want to try to go it alone, and you have the resources, you can live in France for up to 3 months on a Tourist Visa.  During this time you can try and look for a job yourself and test the waters, both for the job market and for France.

Be aware of the current economic climate, though.  Unemployment is running ~10% and has been for some time.  Due to French law, companies are reluctant to hire workers, since they are almost impossible to fire (if you are fired in France, your company must pay you 80% of your salary for the next 2 years).  The weak dollar makes prices in W. Europe decidedly more expensive than across the pond.

Finally, keep your options open.  Don't get too romanticized with France, even though it is a wonderful country.  Look elsewhere for an experience outside of North America.  I've traveled a lot and there are many wonderful, exciting and beautiful places to go.

Answer 3

This site has links for "Visas", "Employment", "Studying and Teaching", etc. Best of luck! http://www.ambafrance-us.org/visitingfra...

Answer 4

If your plan is to come to France then look for work, it won't be easy! Even if you spoke French, it would be very difficult to find decent employment  without already having working papers; any company that agrees to hire you would have to go through a huge hassle to help you get these... so alot of want ads specify "working papers required." As a US or Canadian citizen, we don't have the automatic right to work in France as do EU member citizens; if you come here on a student visa (which requires full-time enrollment at a school here), you can work part-time. This, however, limits the type of jobs you can get.

Not knowing any or very little French before you get here and lacking working papers, your best options are:

1 If you want decent employment (ie someplace that fits your career, substantive work): get employment in the US (or Canada) with a co. that has an office in France, and where you can reasonably get relocated to (or to which you can get placed right away). Look at job websites, job listings on websites of int'l companies & organizations with French offices (most likely will be in Paris).

2 Many intl orgs (and some companies) offer internships (won't be paid great, unfortunately), typically to young people who are still in school or recently graduated. Look at listings/websites aforementioned as well as internship manuals.

3 Becoming an English instructor. Some schools may hire you based on your native English skills alone BUT you will be a much more attractive candidate if you get a certification in teaching english to foreigners (i think it's called TEFL). This is one of those jobs where lack of working papers is slightly less of an obstacle, because the number of qualified French (ie native English speaking) is so small.

4 If employment doesn't have to be tied to your career goals, you could become an au pair, a tour guide for English speakers, a travel writer.

5 If you're lucky, maybe you can strike up an arrangement for freelance employment in France with a company in your home country. It won't be enough to pay all the bills, but it'll help. (I have several friends - journalists, antiques dealer- who do this)

I have French-speaking (non-French) friends with working papers (either via student visa or EU citizenship), some with university degrees, others not, who are still looking for work after several months. Don't be discouraged, but find something before you get here. And if this is a goal for you, make a plan to get here, eg study for TEFL certification, research and apply for internships, etc...

Good luck!