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LONG STAY VISA
If you are a U.S. citizen and would like to travel to France, Monaco, an Overseas Department (DOM) or Territory or New Caledonia for a long stay (over 90 days)
You DO need a visa. Please submit:
* a passport signed and valid 3 months after the last day of stay +
3 photocopies (The consulate will not keep the passport, only the copies)
* 4 long stay visa application forms signed and legibly filled out.
* 5 recent passport-size photographs .
* Financial guarantee such as:- a formal letter of reference from the applicant's bank showing account numbers and balances or recent bank, savings or brokerage account statements + 3 copies- for people wishing to retire in France, proof of sufficient income: pension, dividends, savings, band and brokerage account statements + 3 copies
* Proof of medical insurance with coverage valid in France + 3 copies
* Police clearance: document obtained from the Police Department of the place of
residence in the United States stating that the applicant has no criminal record
+ 3 copies
* Letter from applicant certifying that he/she will not have any paid activity in France
* Visa Fee
It seems relatively simple. We gather the required information and send it in to the proper address--three months later, we have a visa in hand.
Nope.
If you would like to find a legal channel for long term living in France, please read this carefully. However, the rules will change so try to get the most up-to-date information as possible before you go.
The following are the rules, caveats and snips of information you can't find on the French Embassy web:
- Though I will be employed with my U.S. company, I will not report this to the French government. This would be a paid activity in France and, therefore, I would be a representative of my company IN France. This means that there would a plethora of paperwork, tax and problems for my employer, lawyer and me. In this aspect, I am NOT the decider.
- The best visa in this situation would be a Long Stay Visa with no option for French employment.
- The applicant HAS to prove financial means for a year. This means that I will have to have a statement from my bank stating I have one year's worth French minimum wage. In short, USD$ 22,000.00**.
- All of my forms (birth certificate, marriage, divorce papers) have to have an Apostille AND be officially translated by a certified translator.
- The medical coverage I have with my employer isn't recognized by the French government. I'll need to apply separately for this which will cost approximately 500 Euro per year.
- Copy everything more than you need and get extra passport sized photographs.
I can see why American's live illegally in France. Oy! The good news is that I have until May 2008 to get all of my paperwork together which will not be a problem. And once IN the system, I hear that it is easy (better?) to change your status (i.e. change to student, self employed, etc.).
For me, this will be the least hastle.
**The French minimum wage is less (I think 11,000.00 USD), but the lawyer stated that I would need more for acceptance. The reason? A U.S. citizen is used to a certain style of living therefore needs to show more funds available.
8 comments:
Regarding that last part, it's not surprising that our decades of collective, runaway consumption would come back to bite us in the ass.
Man. Fuck all that red tape. If I ever get over there, it'll certainly be under-the-table. Now I just need to find a fabulously wealthy patron.
It's time for another sacrifice to the Red Tape Goddess, don't you think?
Randal,
Yes, sacrifice. I don't know where I'll find a red-tape virgin. :-) But seriously, I was told this: "I don't know an American that can live on 11,000.00 per year do you? So show that you have at least 22K and you'll be OK." No one tells you this when applying. However, living illegally for American's isn't too much of a big deal. An official told me that there was an American that has been living in Amsterdam for 20 years without a visa. It is easy for American's to slip under the radar.
This information might not even be worth anything...but you could go over there with the intention to go to a Non-EU country in 3 months and then re-enter France. That is what we did (since we were going to live off savings while there and didn't need employment) and they never even stamped our passport upon entry into France.
We did have to go to the dr while there, but we either paid for it in full (extremely cheap) or it was FREE (when we had to take our daughter to the ER at the children's hospital).
CC,
Yes, this is true but it would be more difficult to get good long term rental or a bank account.
With the expansion of the Schengen agreement, boarder jumping isn't as feasible as it used to be.
I'm sure it would be fine, but it is a possibility that I'll want to stay long-long term. One never knows. :-)
Will all of this be all right with your employer?
Having read all of this, I'm now even more grateful to the Japanese government for handling all the paperwork for my employment there a decade ago. All I had to do was submit my passport to the embassy, and two weeks later, voila! I had my visa. Plus, they made all arrangements for accommodations, in-country travel and long-term housing. My colleagues even allowed me a small loan when I first arrived (as my first paycheck wasn't forthcoming for another month).
I'm glad things will be easier once you get all these things squared away. I'm assuming that your lawyer will assist you in shepherding all of these docs through French immigration?
Salut,
Marjorie
Marjorie,
It won't matter to my employer because I am not going to go that route. I'll be proving my existance in France with my investments ($22,000.00 to be exact). So it doesn't matter if I'm working or not with regards to the French gov't. Good news.
That was fabulous that your employer in Japan was able to help you. I'll be moving all on my own accord (groan).
Yes, the lawyer will be helping with all the rules, paperwork and advice. thank goodness!
Dear Colleen,
Well, think of it this way: once you've jumped through all those hurdles, you'll have derived an enormous amount of satisfaction knowing that you've really earned your right to live in France. Now make your lawyer earn the money you've given him! ;-)
Salut,
Marjorie
A lot of interesting info here, especially about the French considering Americans need more to live on. Do you think I could use that as an argument to get a raise from my employer?
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