Kiwi-australian seeking information on long stay visas without work for France.

[cagillbanks]

Bonjour tout le monde! I'm new to this forum thing but it seems a great way to connect with people who may have advice for me about moving to France. I am a 37 year old kiwi-australian (dual citizen) whose partner is French. From the research I have done (mainly on the French Embassy in Australia website) it seems I can not work in France legally (and I would certainly not want to do so illegally). It seems my best option for spending longer than 3 months on a tourist visa is to apply for a long stay visa without work. Does anyone have experience with applying in Australia for said visas for France so my partner and I can live together there? How much money am I likely to need to have saved to apply for, and have a good chance of being successful in obtaining, a one year long stay visa bearing in mind that although I have accommodation and financial assistance I am not able to work? We prefer not to marry at this stage as we suspect that marriage may be viewed a little more suspiciously by French authorities as a union of convenience and the visa application process to marry a French citizen seems more complicated than simply applying to live there for an extended period. Also and finally, does anyone know of any lawyers in Australia (preferably Melbourne) who specialise in providing accurate but not-too-costly advice for Australians moving to France? Any leads for further research or advice would be hugely appreciated!
Health and happiness,
Charlotte

[Bevdeforges]

Hi Charlotte and welcome to the forum.

Your best source for specific advice on visas (long-stay or other) is the website of the French consulate in Australia. However, you'll find that the information on long-stay non-working visas is a little sketchy - deliberately so. In essence, the long-stay non-working visas are intended for retirees, preferably those with a comfortable pension.

The French authorities are suspicious of most applications for long-stay non-working visas, because they believe that during a long "tourist" stay you will inevitably be tempted to work under the table to support yourself. They also tend to discount promises by "partners" to support you, given the rate at which these arrangements tend to dissolve over time. I believe they still ask you for a "reason" for your visa request - and unfortunately, saying that you want to live with your partner probably isn't going to cut it. (OTOH, a research project or pilgrimage to all the Catholic shrines in the country on foot might get you a long-stay visa if it sounds plausible enough.)

I would also advise you to save your money on an attorney. I can't prove it, but I strongly suspect that coming through on a first attempt for a long stay visa with an attorney could really put them off. When I had my immigration problems here in France, my attorney was late (as were other attorneys) to the court appearance I had to make and when I saw how the judges treated the other folks who were pleading for more time "until their attorney arrived" I decided to just forget about waiting for mine and not mention I had engaged an attorney. Turned out it was the right move.

Depending on how long you've known your partner, you may have a better chance getting a visa "with a view to marriage with a French national" - though if that's not in your plans, then it's not an option.
Cheers,
Bev

[cagillbanks]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Hi Charlotte and welcome to the forum.

Your best source for specific advice on visas (long-stay or other) is the website of the French consulate in Australia. However, you'll find that the information on long-stay non-working visas is a little sketchy - deliberately so. In essence, the long-stay non-working visas are intended for retirees, preferably those with a comfortable pension.

The French authorities are suspicious of most applications for long-stay non-working visas, because they believe that during a long "tourist" stay you will inevitably be tempted to work under the table to support yourself. They also tend to discount promises by "partners" to support you, given the rate at which these arrangements tend to dissolve over time. I believe they still ask you for a "reason" for your visa request - and unfortunately, saying that you want to live with your partner probably isn't going to cut it. (OTOH, a research project or pilgrimage to all the Catholic shrines in the country on foot might get you a long-stay visa if it sounds plausible enough.)

I would also advise you to save your money on an attorney. I can't prove it, but I strongly suspect that coming through on a first attempt for a long stay visa with an attorney could really put them off. When I had my immigration problems here in France, my attorney was late (as were other attorneys) to the court appearance I had to make and when I saw how the judges treated the other folks who were pleading for more time "until their attorney arrived" I decided to just forget about waiting for mine and not mention I had engaged an attorney. Turned out it was the right move.

Depending on how long you've known your partner, you may have a better chance getting a visa "with a view to marriage with a French national" - though if that's not in your plans, then it's not an option.
Cheers,
Bev

Awesome Bev. Thank you very much for so willingly sharing your advice and experiences. You have definitely given me food for thought especially on the lawyer angle and the intent of the long stay without work visa. As I'm sure you are fully aware any little hints that make one a little more savvy about the whole visa process are extremely valuable! Do you mind me asking what is your original nationality? Are the rules pretty much the same for all "western" English speaking countries regarding immigration to France? The French Embassy in Australia website seems much clearer now than it was even a year ago when I started investigating the process but as I have come to understand the French system is not always as clear as ours is in Australia. But I love the French culture and way of doing things so am willing to accept it and do my best with research and perseverance to find a solution that works for us. It will be a challenge and I guess at times frustrating but I am convinced it will be worth it!
Thanks so much again Bev.
Kind regards,
Charlotte.

[Bevdeforges]

From other folks I've spoken with, I'd say that the hurdles for Australians are roughly the same as those for Americans these days (yes, I'm originally American).

I actually came to France from Germany in the early days of the Schengen treaty, when the French had yet to work out their procedures, so I got bad advice from the consulate and wound up illegal for 2 years after marrying a French national. This new procedure, however, looks promising if you are interested in getting married. Since you have to apply for the visa before coming to France, they'll have whatever chance they want to hassle you about it before you've paid the airfare and all.

After all was said and done (and we'd accumulated a pile of attestations from friends stating that we had known each other for a few years, etc. etc. and other stuff to "prove" our marriage) it turns out that all my immigration hassles turned on the fact that I had not had my passport stamped on entry to France - because I'd driven in from Germany and there was no longer anyone at the border to stamp the silly thing. They really didn't care how valid our marriage was or wasn't, it was simply a procedural thing I hadn't followed. (But would they simply tell me that? Heck, no.)
Cheers,
Bev