Nurse and Husband moving to France for more than a year

[megane]

Hello Frenchies :)

I'm new to this forum. I am a 25 year old nurse and my husband is a pharmacist and we are moving to France in February from Australia.

I think I have to get a working holiday visa to start with to get over there but what if I want to stay longer?

Also are there any english speaking nurses out there who have battled the paper work and have got their nursing registration in France?? I have been taking French lessons all year and will continue to do so until we leave but I'm not fluent. There is no way I can line up a job before I get there so how do I get a working visa?

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

[Boiling a frog]

Info here

http://www.ambafrance-au.org/

 

However your chances of obtaining employment as a nurse in France  if you cannot speak fluent French is almost NIL.

[cooperlola]

Have a look at this very telling thread from another forum (sorry Mods, hope this is OK.)

http://www.totalfrance.com/france/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46228  (the 11th post on the first page explains why this is so apposite).

Far be it from me to put a damper on anybody's plans but France is not all that user-friendly in terms of employment, so take great care before you dive in.

[megane]

 Thank you,  I have visited the embassy site. 

I understand it is going to be difficult and I have enough resources to support myself  over there for a few months while I study up my French. If I can't get a job as nurse I have heard that I might be more successful getting a nurse aide position but I'm yet to find any english spesaking person that has done this.

The working visa requires you to provide an employers name before you apply but I don't know enough french yet to contact employers.

Is this totally impossible? Should I just do like all ohter Australians and go to the UK?

[cooperlola]

I am sure nothing is totally impossible!  However, I doubt it's just a coincidence that many Australians do go to the UK.  You might think about doing that and spending some holidays in France and polishing your language, and looking for employment in France from the UK, which could be less risky.

[Sprogster]

I believe you are thinking of the reciprocal working holiday visa arrangement between Australia and the UK, for British and Australian citizens under the age of thirty. I am not aware that an equivalent arrangement exists between France and Australia, but I would check with the French Embassy.

Otherwise, unless you or your husband are entitled to an EU passport through parentage, you will only be allowed into France for up to six months as a visitor and will be prohibited from any employment. There is a possibility that this period may be reduced to three months per visit, under new EU immigration rules under consideration.

If you apply for a working visa, you will need a job offer and your prospective French employer will need to demonstrate that they have tried to recruit a EU citizen for the post, but were unable to find anyone suitable qualified and experienced. Both you and your husband would almost certainly have to requalify in France to continue in your profession there and being fluent in French goes without question, as a French nurse or pharmacist I believe would have to do in Australia.

Australia operate equivalent immigration restrictions on French citizens wanting to work in Australia, so the rules should not be surprising.

[megane]

There is a french working holiday visa agreement available to non Schergen countires which is aimed at young people (18-30) ie: backpackers, au pairs etc. So I would be surprised if you were entitled to a short working holiday but you had to line up your "fruit-picking" job here in Australia.

I have little interest working in the UK as my main goal is to speak French, eat great food and drink great wine. I only wanted to investigate nursing as an option as this is my trade. I don't really mind if I have to scrub floors as long as I can get over there.

I have read that if I can prove my skills in an area of specialty and my language skills(I am haemtology/oncolgy/apheresis nurse) than I may only have to sit an exam to get the IDE. My husband has no intention of doing pharmacy, he wants to pick fruit, drive a tractor,  be a gardener, whatever

I'm sure it would be very difficult for anyone moving to another country for a cultural experience, but I'm not giving up... I just have to find out how.

[megane]

oh and I apologise for my poor typing skills :)

[cooperlola]

[quote user="megane"]oh and I apologise for my poor typing skills :)
[/quote]No need to appologise - unless of course you were looking for secretarial work![:D] (I can type, but I've never mastered spelling myself...)

As pointed out above, and as you will see if you look at the thread - no matter how good or rare are your skills, because the exams are in French, and because French employees are favoured above everybody else - do not underestimate the problems here.  As long as you don't I'm sure you're right - determination is probably your single best attribute with these things and if you want something enough you will get it. 

If your husband is happy to do anything, then it may be easier to find a job for him first, and sort yourself second.  If he trawls through as many job ads as possible, and finds himself something - anything - and can demonstrate that he has a job to go to before you both set off, then this may prove the easier course, rather than trying to find a nursing position, where language will be key.

[Lori]

You might consider having someone help you put together your CV in French AND English and then send it off to some of the hundreds of nursing opportunities available.

I know you say your French isn't good, but you're going to have to start somewhere.  Here are a couple of sites that list hundreds of openings in Europe (not all are in France).  I would imagine if you apply, you will get valuable information straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Click on the appropriate icon at the top of each website page for job openings.

http://www.staffsante.fr/contenus/dossiers/1/-infirmiere-experte-aux-frontieres-entre-les-professions.html

http://www.infirmiers.com/inf/etranger/etranger.php

As a non-EU citizen, if you arrive in France on a normal long stay VISA, you are not allowed to work for the first 5 years of living here.  That is exactly how we arrived.  So, you are right to attempt to find employment BEFORE entering France.  Getting the correct VISA is important here.

[Lori]

Also, try to manage this article.  It relates specifically to foreign nurses wishing to come to work in France.

It is rather long and I don't have time to try to translate it, but print it out and try to understand it.  It is very very clear.

http://www.infirmiers.com/inf/etranger/infirmieres-etrangere-souhaitant-travailler-en-france.php

[Lori]

I think this is the area that explains your comment about working as a nurse's aid, while awaiting your nursing diploma from the Ministry of Health in France (see last part of paragraph).

3- Ressortissant d'autres pays, titulaires d'un diplôme extra communautaire

Si vous êtes originaires d'autres pays, le diplôme extracommunautaire

dont vous êtes titulaire n’est pas reconnu en France pour l’exercice de

la profession d’infirmier.

Néanmoins vous pouvez vous présenter aux

épreuves de sélection d’entrée aux Instituts de Formation en Soins

Infirmiers (IFSI) afin d’obtenir le diplôme d’Etat d’infirmier Français

(Liste des IFSI).

Des dispenses de scolarité, portant au plus sur deux années d’études,

peuvent être accordées par le directeur de cet IFSI, après avis de son

conseil technique. Cette décision est prise au regard du niveau de la

formation initiale détenue par le candidat. Durant cette scolarité,

 vous pourrez obtenir une carte de séjour temporaire (CST)

« étudiant », si bien sûr vous satisfaisez aux conditions légales et

réglementaires prévues pour l’admission au séjour sous le statut

d’étudiant. Pour vous permettre de suivre les stages nécessaires à

l’obtention du diplôme, il vous sera délivré des autorisations

provisoires de travail (APT) pour la durée de ces stages dans les

établissements ou services agréés à cet effet.

Dans l’attente, vous pouvez solliciter une autorisation auprès d’une Direction Départementale des Affaires sanitaires et Sociales (DDASS) pour exercer les fonctions d’aide-soignant (Liste des DDASS).

Source : Conditions d'exercice des aides-soignants et infirmiers (Juillet 2004) Ministère de la Santé

[Nickel]

I have no idea how well you know France or if you have any idea of where you would like to live. If you already know the country well then I apologise but if not then I would not necessarily be too dismissive of the idea to go to UK first where you ( considering your skills) will probably easily find employment and once there it would be far easier to make frequent trips to France to see the country whilst continuing to learn the language even arranging placements in French hospitals?

I think fruit picking long term might become a little tedious. Whatever you decide -good luck.

 

[Russethouse]

Yes, and we have good  food and wine here too ! [:)]

The other consideration is that both of you could probably get work in your respective fields fairly easily, agency or locum work, be reasonably paid and be able to then explore many areas of France as well as the rest of Europe.

[megane]

Thanks for those websites Lori. I have sent an email to Aile Medicale which looks like a health professional agency, and they have been very helpful. Things are looking more hopeful now for work.

After closer inspection, it also looks like the frnace working holiday visa allows you to apply without having a pre-arranged employer. Wahoo!

Only problem now is to find a place to stay, which the agency might even be able to help me with!

Here's the website if anyone is interested:

http://www.aile-medicale.fr/

Anyway I'll keep you posted, so to speak

[megane]

Yes I've spent a little time in the UK and we have so many friends living there. Its actually quite expensive now for Ozzy nurse to get registered over there, but otherwise very straight forward.

EVERYBODY goes to the UK and I know this sounds silly but I don't really want to go where there will be thousands of Australians living already.

Next year is more about a new challenge and being surrounded by a different culture. I'll be visiting the UK quite often to see friends but I'm going to do everything possible to make France my base.

[Lori]

You're welcome.  I'm glad you are finding some assistance.  Best of luck to you.

[Sprogster]

Megane, probably the two main reasons your fellow Aussies tend go to the UK for a European working holiday are common language and more and better job opportunities.

My advice would be to apply for a UK working visa at the same time, so that if you are unable to find work in France you have a plan B to fall back on.

France has significantly higher unemployment than the UK and one of the main reasons so many economically active Brits moving to France end up returning is finance related, in that they cannot make a living. Also you need to be realistic as to how fluent you can become in French before your planned move, as that will also have a major impact on your job prospects.

 

[Lori]

I agree with Sprogster.  I can't speak to the UK subject as I am not from the UK, but I agree that you should have a plan B for all the reasons he/she stated.

[megane]

Thank you Lori and Sprogster and I may do that but please don't take offence when I say, if I can't work in France I'm still going to live there until my money runs out  and then come home. My plan B is to work on Thursday island right on the top of Australia. I have absoultely no interest in working in the UK. None what so ever. I want to holiday there but if I start settling and working there, I would never get the experience of France that I'm hoping for.

[Lori]

No offense taken Megane, of course not.  Sounds like you already have your plan B.  

Good luck with the agency links.  Perhaps they will be able to help you out.  I think they are the best places to start.

[Russethouse]

You've been to the UK then ? [:)]

[megane]

Yes I've been to the UK and France. No new news as yet. Just trying to practice my French

[Sprogster]

megane, you are probably right about the UK, as according to a recent news report record numbers of Aussies are leaving the UK to return to Australia because of the fast deteriorating economic situation. Apparently, a lot of the Aussies in the UK work in financial services, an area that is being particularily badly hit with job losses and new job opportunities are currently better in your neck of the woods.

The general economic situation in Europe is pretty gloomy with increasing concern that we are headed for recession and therefore unfortunately your timing is not ideal against a trend of rising unemployment and cutbacks. Australia seems to be better protected because of the wealth being generated from exports of minerals and metals to China.

Good luck anyway.