Please help - living and working in Paris?

Question

My fiance and I had a wonderful 10 day holiday in Paris in December 2006 and since then we have considered the idea of living in Paris for a long-term arrangement, like a year or so. I have looked at apartment rentals and they are all so expensive, how can I find something affordable?

Also, we would need to be working to pay the rent and bills, how much are living expenses usually, and how can we find jobs? We only know a little french. Any help and advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.

Answer 1

Do you have a passport from a country that is in the European Union?  If not, you will find it very difficult to find legal work in France because you will need a company to sponsor you.  Companies have to justify to the French government why they want to hire someone from outside the country.  This means they have to show that you have some kind of unique knowledge, experience, or skill that is not available among people who live in France.  With unemployment hovering around 10% in France, it will be difficult for you to find an employer willing to sponsor you.

The second problem is your lack of French language skills.  My recommendation to you is to immediately enroll in French classes.  If you're lucky enough to live or work on the north side of Atlanta, the school that I attend is the Language Institute of Atlanta.  My French teacher is from Normandy and her husband is from Lyon.  She is a wonderful teacher.  If you're not so lucky, just google "French language classes" and your city to find what's available in your area.  

While you're learning French, save every penny you can so that you can live comfortably in Paris.

Answer 2

Try baby sitting it's called au-pair. Even if you need work permit released by the French Goverment.

Answer 3

Maybe take a year off to learn more french and save more money.