Moving to Cote d'Azur with ill teen and father

[dreamoutloud]

Originally Posted by missingmenton

Bev wrote:
I do intend to study in France at a four year college/part time for a degree in the medical/healing arts. It would not be "student visa for french language classes".

Although obviously your first priority is getting a visa, I just wanted to point out that the higher education system in France is not set up like in the US. There are no four year colleges in the American sense (other than the American University of Paris) and very few options for studying part-time like in the US.

You can find more information on the French higher education system at the Campus France website (apparently I don't yet have the right to post links to the forum!) and you can follow the link "Trouver sa formation" to sort through almost all of the degrees offered by French schools and see if there's something that seems like what you want.

[missingmenton]

Well that is very interesting and so I am a bit confused by your comments regarding 4 year colleges. All of my French friends attended colleges/universities in Paris. They were French and all of them four year programs. They graduated after completion of their fourth year. I am a bit confused. The school I am interested in is also a four year college. The campus website is a good reference. I will go back to that site per your reccomendation. Thank you.

[missingmenton]

Thank you Bev. I would be able to renew the student visa without problem but I do see your point. After the program is completed we would have to return to the US to begin afresh and apply for new visas. You are correct. The "visitor" or "retirement" visa (I am assuming they are the same thing?) is the way to go.

Thank you SO very much. I am on the right track now!!

[missingmenton]

Bev,

This is the correct page for aquiring all the necessary documents for applying for the "retirement" visa....correct?

Long stay visa for visitors - Consulat Général de France à Miami

There doesn't seem to be any other type of long stay which pertains to one involving retirement other than the VISITOR Long Stay Visa.

Correct?

Thank you in advance!!

[Bevdeforges]

Yup, the "retirement" visa is basically a renewable "visitor" visa. But do note section 7 on that page. The consulate reserves the right to ask for further documents to back up whatever you have put on your application. They can also refuse a visa request, even if you have all the requested documents.
Cheers,
Bev

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by missingmenton

Thank you Bev. I would be able to renew the student visa without problem but I do see your point. After the program is completed we would have to return to the US to begin afresh and apply for new visas. You are correct. The "visitor" or "retirement" visa (I am assuming they are the same thing?) is the way to go.

Thank you SO very much. I am on the right track now!!

is a student visa renewable??

if it's a 3 year course do you have to a 'renew' every year, or do you mean that you would be an 'eternal student' taking one course after another, getting a new student visa each time in order to stay in France??

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Yup, the "retirement" visa is basically a renewable "visitor" visa. But do note section 7 on that page. The consulate reserves the right to ask for further documents to back up whatever you have put on your application. They can also refuse a visa request, even if you have all the requested documents.
Cheers,
Bev

yes, that sounds like what frequently happens in Spain, too

a poster will think they have everything required & way more money than they believe they will need (the Spanish govt. doesn't seem to want to tell anyone how much is required) & yet they are refused

and Spain doesn't have to tell you why.....

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by xabiachica

is a student visa renewable??

if it's a 3 year course do you have to a 'renew' every year, or do you mean that you would be an 'eternal student' taking one course after another, getting a new student visa each time in order to stay in France??

Like all things in France, "it depends." Actually, you don't renew a visa, but rather the carte de séjour (the residence permit) you obtained after arrival in France. To renew a carte de séjour, you have to show that you still meet the conditions of your original visa. As a student, they usually allow you to change your program - but they may look askance at an abrupt change of subject area or if you switch programs without finishing the diploma or degree you started.

yes, that sounds like what frequently happens in Spain, too

a poster will think they have everything required & way more money than they believe they will need (the Spanish govt. doesn't seem to want to tell anyone how much is required) & yet they are refused

and Spain doesn't have to tell you why.....

Actually, France doesn't really have to tell you why if they refuse you a visa or a carte de séjour. Usually they give you some nominal reason, without telling you what it was they really didn't like about your application.
Cheers,
Bev

[dreamoutloud]

Originally Posted by missingmenton

Well that is very interesting and so I am a bit confused by your comments regarding 4 year colleges. All of my French friends attended colleges/universities in Paris. They were French and all of them four year programs. They graduated after completion of their fourth year. I am a bit confused. The school I am interested in is also a four year college. The campus website is a good reference. I will go back to that site per your reccomendation. Thank you.

Since the Bologna reforms, the French higher education system is generally divided into a 3 year undergraduate Licence degree, then a 2 year Master degree, and then 3 years for a Doctorate. Although a Licence is supposed to be recognized as an independent qualification, in practice, most employers require a Master. Although there has been an effort to make the higher education system a little more flexible in the past few years, there is still a much greater expectation of continuity between Licence and Masters degrees than between Bachelors and Masters in the US.

Which school in particular are you interested in, out of curiosity?

[Bevdeforges]

One other thing to keep in mind about the French educational system is that it's based on 13 years of school for the primary and secondary levels.

Don't know what your background is, but generally, for admission to a French university program, you need to have completed at least one year of university in the US in addition to having a high school diploma. They consider this to be the equivalent of the "bac" for those coming from the US. There are also darned few part-time university level programs available.
Cheers,
Bev