US citizen moving to France

Claudia577x · #1 (**permalink**) 28th April 2012, 11:06 AM

Hey,

I got a couple questions but first let me describe my situation.

I'm a EU citizen (not living in France!) and have a boyfriend who is a US citizen. Due the long distance we decided to move to France after the summer.

What options do we have with the visa? I read something about a ''long stay visa for non professional purpose ''visitor visa''. I guess that would be considered the residence permit then right? But there is also a spouse visa, meaning we would have to get married and skip a lot of hassle? Do I have to be a french citizen for that or not? And would that also be for just a year?

Basically what are the options we have here?

Thanks! Claudia

Bevdeforges · #2 (**permalink**) 28th April 2012, 12:32 PM

Don't confuse a visa and a residence permit (or in France, a "titre de séjour", usually a carte de séjour). The visa only gets you into France. Once you're there, you then apply for a titre de séjour so you can stay.

In your case, the "long stay visa for non-professional purposes" (the "visitor visa") is for someone coming to France for some reason other than to work. You're not allowed to work on that type of visa, and to get that sort of visa you need to show that you have the resources to live in France for the duration of your proposed stay without resorting to working. Your boyfriend would also have to have a private health insurance for the year, roughly equivalent to the French health care system (but probably with "medical evacuation" coverage so he could be shipped back to the US in the event of serious accident or illness).

Since you're not a French citizen, he's not eligible for a spouse visa. But, the good news is that, if you were married, he wouldn't need one. The spouse of an EU citizen can apply directly for a carte de séjour if he is coming to France to join his EU spouse who is exercising her EU rights. As the spouse of an EU national, he would have all the same rights you have in France, including the right to work.

He could enter France on a Schengen tourist visa (i.e. the stamp in the passport that lets you stay for 90 days) and he would have to apply for the carte de séjour within the first two months he is in France. You would have to show that you are living in France and it's actually much easier if you've got a job or can show that you are studying in France (i.e. exercising your EU rights).

If you're not married, then things get really tricky. To get PACS'd you'd have to live together in France (with him on some form of long-stay visa) for either 6 months or a year - and at that point it's unclear whether he'd have the same rights as a spouse with regard to a carte de séjour. (European regulations get interpreted differently by different prefectures.)

If he could find a job in France, he could get a work visa, which would give you a bit more time to decide whether or not you want to get married.

I'm sure if there are other options, someone will pop in here with suggestions.
Cheers,
Bev

Claudia577x · #3 (**permalink**) 29th April 2012, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Don't confuse a visa and a residence permit (or in France, a "titre de séjour", usually a carte de séjour). The visa only gets you into France. Once you're there, you then apply for a titre de séjour so you can stay.

In your case, the "long stay visa for non-professional purposes" (the "visitor visa") is for someone coming to France for some reason other than to work. You're not allowed to work on that type of visa, and to get that sort of visa you need to show that you have the resources to live in France for the duration of your proposed stay without resorting to working. Your boyfriend would also have to have a private health insurance for the year, roughly equivalent to the French health care system (but probably with "medical evacuation" coverage so he could be shipped back to the US in the event of serious accident or illness).

Since you're not a French citizen, he's not eligible for a spouse visa. But, the good news is that, if you were married, he wouldn't need one. The spouse of an EU citizen can apply directly for a carte de séjour if he is coming to France to join his EU spouse who is exercising her EU rights. As the spouse of an EU national, he would have all the same rights you have in France, including the right to work.

He could enter France on a Schengen tourist visa (i.e. the stamp in the passport that lets you stay for 90 days) and he would have to apply for the carte de séjour within the first two months he is in France. You would have to show that you are living in France and it's actually much easier if you've got a job or can show that you are studying in France (i.e. exercising your EU rights).

If you're not married, then things get really tricky. To get PACS'd you'd have to live together in France (with him on some form of long-stay visa) for either 6 months or a year - and at that point it's unclear whether he'd have the same rights as a spouse with regard to a carte de séjour. (European regulations get interpreted differently by different prefectures.)

If he could find a job in France, he could get a work visa, which would give you a bit more time to decide whether or not you want to get married.

I'm sure if there are other options, someone will pop in here with suggestions.
Cheers,
Bev

Aaah so basically if we get married and he gets here we just have to apply for the carte de séjour? Aren't there any requirements of a sufficient income that we might run into? Or anything else? Because it sounds too easy actually.

Cheers

Bevdeforges · #4 (**permalink**) 29th April 2012, 10:44 AM

There are no "adequate income" requirements - but you do have to show that the EU spouse is "exercising their EU rights" which means you can't just be "hanging out" in France. You need to have a statut of some sort - either you're working, studying, retired or you are living in France without working, in which case you would have to show what you're living on (say, savings or whatever). The prefecture can get sticky about this exercising your EU rights bit, so obviously, the better prepared you are, the easier things will go.
Cheers,
Bev

Claudia577x · #5 (**permalink**) 29th April 2012, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

There are no "adequate income" requirements - but you do have to show that the EU spouse is "exercising their EU rights" which means you can't just be "hanging out" in France. You need to have a statut of some sort - either you're working, studying, retired or you are living in France without working, in which case you would have to show what you're living on (say, savings or whatever). The prefecture can get sticky about this exercising your EU rights bit, so obviously, the better prepared you are, the easier things will go.
Cheers,
Bev

Understandable that I can't be just hanging out there. You have any idea how much savings we're talking about till I find a job there? Or maybe a website so I don't have to keep bothering you with my questions

I'll have a place to stay there so that's not an issue.

Thanks

cathinfigarol · #6 (**permalink**) 2nd May 2012, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

There are no "adequate income" requirements - but you do have to show that the EU spouse is "exercising their EU rights" which means you can't just be "hanging out" in France. You need to have a statut of some sort - either you're working, studying, retired or you are living in France without working, in which case you would have to show what you're living on (say, savings or whatever). The prefecture can get sticky about this exercising your EU rights bit, so obviously, the better prepared you are, the easier things will go.
Cheers,
Bev

I am a US citizen who moved to France three years ago with my EU (UK) spouse. To obtain my titre de sejour I had to show savings/pension income (no amount was specified) and evidence of private insurance. I was able to enter on a tourist visa and apply once I was here.