I run an internet business, want to live in france - which visa do I apply for?

[kancan]

I would appreciate someone with firsthand knowledge. I've been reading online but do not have a definite answer.

I've been running a business for 2 years and I would like to move to France and eventually pay our taxes to France and live there. Do I first apply for a "long stay visa" while still paying taxes to the US and while I live in France, eventually apply for a permanent residence and eventually pay into the system there? Thoroughly confused!

[Bevdeforges]

There are lots of variables in your situation, but basically you need to apply for a long-stay visa and after that is granted, you need to establish your business in France.

To get a long-stay visa, you need to give them a reason for wanting to live in France and to a large extent it will depend on that reason whether or not your visa application is accepted. Check the French consulate website for the area in the US where you live, but some of the consulates advise "entrepreneurs" to apply for a long-stay visitor visa and then apply to the prefecture on arrival for the ok to either enroll as an auto-entrepreneur or to start the business set-up process for another sort of business entity. The risk here is that it's not a "sure shot" - some prefectures are more difficult than others when it comes to allowing foreigners on a visitors visa to register their businesses.

There is also the possibility of going for a competences et talents visa, which involves submitting a business plan and showing how your business enterprise would benefit France or relations between France and your home country.

It can depend a bit on what sort of business it is you're running, and whether or not it would be beneficial to operate it from France (i.e. what is the possibility you'd be creating jobs in France, or introducing a new type of industry, etc.).
Cheers,
Bev

[furic]

@kancan - where you able to make this happen? I'm looking to do the *exact* same thing and would love to know anything further you learned about making the move.

Thanks.

/joseph