From Texas to the Aude

[Rdupre]

Hi all. How does one go about getting a long term residency card if one isn't from anywhere close to the EU? For the next several years my husband and I will be using our property as a holiday home; eventually we'd like to retire there. Most of the information I've seen for getting a residency card has dealt with Brits coming over and of course our situation is somewhat different. We would be retired and have our own private income.

Also is there way we could eventually pay into the French health care system if we do attain residency?

Thanks so much!

Ruth

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

No idea, but I would love to swap nationalities with you as I want to move to New Jersey!

I dare say someone on here will come up with a proper answer. Good luck in the meantime.

[NormanH]

I think Americans can have a Carte de Séjour 'visiteur'.

This allows you to be here as a visitor, but not to work.

The health system for non-Europeans is a minefield.

There have been posters on here from the States, but I don't know if there is anybody currently posting.

5 element  may be able to help you on this as she knows much more than I do about the position of American citizens in France.

There is also the American women's' group of Montpellier where you could post a query

http://www.awglr.org/

[Russethouse]

My friend is American has has worked in France for the last 15 years or so...employed and self employed.

Which part of Texas Ruth ?

[Rdupre]

Thanks so much for all the info!!! This is a great help!

Just outside the Dallas/Fort Worth area. :)

[Judith]

I have a memory that there was (some time back - 1 poss 2 years?) a similar question about Americans coming to France on the forum.  Try a search perhaps? .  Also, presumably, your embassy (in Paris??) should be able to help - there are many americans here, esp in the big cities, even if they are not posting on this site. 

And try these - specifically aimed a women - but they will have [american] women who might be able to point you in the right direction

http://pariswic.free.fr/

http://www.newcomersclub.com/fr.html

and these for americans in france

http://www.americansinfrance.net/

http://www.americansintoulouse.com/index.php

[Rdupre]

Judith, thank you so much!!!!! What a great help!

[Russethouse]

[quote user="Rdupre"]Thanks so much for all the info!!! This is a great help!

Just outside the Dallas/Fort Worth area. :)
[/quote]

Visited Dallas last year, saw some of the sites and visited the 6th Floor Museum, also went to a 'casual Friday' concert, the first of the season, really enjoyable....great City !

Here is something about what we did http://quimperclubinternational.blogspot.com/search/label/Dallas

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Actually, although my ex and I entered France on our UK passports, we actually signed up into the system as Australians (I hadn't lived in the EU for 8 years and she'd never lived in Europe anyway).

I think we joined the CMU first, and paid like €800 to get into the system. We were lucky in that our tax return for the previous year came out zero as we had a business, otherwise I think the entrance fee would have been 8% of that.

Long time ago and the ex sorted that part out so I'm not really 100% on the details. I still don't really understand the French system.

[Rdupre]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

[quote user="Rdupre"]Thanks so much for all the info!!! This is a great help!

Just outside the Dallas/Fort Worth area. :)

[/quote]

Visited Dallas last year, saw some of the sites and visited the 6th Floor Museum, also went to a 'casual Friday' concert, the first of the season, really enjoyable....great City !

Here is something about what we did http://quimperclubinternational.blogspot.com/search/label/Dallas

[/quote]

What fun!!! And all the faience is lovely!!!

[Judith]

[quote user="Rdupre"]Judith, thank you so much!!!!! What a great help!

[/quote]

No problem, just the sort of work I did professionally plus a little local knowledge....  I transitted via Dallas in a thunderstorm on the way to San Antonio (now that is a super place!), on one of my business trips years ago - never seen so many planes stuck on a runway all at one time, surrounded by lightning flashes etc - I was in one of them too ...... very scary.

[Russethouse]

Ah Judith you remind me- my flight out of Dallas was delayed - the pilots safety belt was broken, after it was fixed we taxied in advance of take off, but no, the flaps weren't working ! eeek !

Sorry about the the thread hijack....

 

[Sprogster]

Ruth, Brits don't need a residency card to live in France, being a Citizen of an EU Country.

It is a lot more difficult than it used to be for a US citizen to obtain permanent residency in France and next to impossible if you are retirees, as France would you see you as a potential burden to their health system, not having financially contributed to the French social security system during your working life.

Brit retirees are only able to affiliate to the French health system, as the UK government pay the French government for this under the E121 system. No such similar arrangements are in place between France and the USA.

US Homeland security are very tough these days on visiting EU citizens, limiting their visits to 90 days, requiring full fingerprinting and photos on arrival and the new ESTA procedure, which you now have to pay for, is a visitor visa in all but name. In response, the EU including France, have tightened their immigration policy for US citizens and there are are proposals that visits may be limited to 90 days, in response to the restrictions on EU citizens visiting the US.

You can I believe get a visa that is valid for a year, but it prohibits employment and you have to have private health insurance. This is actually quite generous by US standards, as no such equivalent visa is available to French or other EU citizens who wish to live in the USA.

[NormanH]

Just another link:

For some time  I have been following this blog of an American woman in the Aude  who has finally obtained French nationality.

I know you don't want to go as far as that, but reading her 'journey' might be interesting for you, and you might even be able to contact her for advice.

http://chezlouloufrance.blogspot.com/search/label/French%20Citizenship

[RicandJo]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Ah Judith you remind me- my flight out of Dallas was delayed - the pilots safety belt was broken, after it was fixed we taxied in advance of take off, but no, the flaps weren't working ! eeek !

Sorry about the the thread hijack....

 

[/quote]

You'd be surprised how often that happens..........

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

[quote user="Sprogster"]

US Homeland security are very tough these days on visiting EU citizens, limiting their visits to 90 days, requiring full fingerprinting and photos on arrival and the new ESTA procedure, which you now have to pay for, is a visitor visa in all but name. [/quote]

ESTA is free. Or at least I didn't have to pay for it when I visited the States in Feb.

The only thing it cost me was time as it took about 5 minutes to process each person coming in. A real pain in the neck.

In contrast, foreign citizens coming into France were processed in about 5 seconds each.

[Sprogster]

Mr Coeur de Lion, the ESTA is no longer free, or will not be very shortly as the US are introducing a $17.00 fee per applicant and of course you need to re-apply every two years,

Foreign citizens coming to France do not have to give full sets of fingerprints and have their mugshot taken!

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Wow, that must be very recent.

I applied for one before I spent a month in February out there, does that mean if I go to the US this summer, I won't need to reapply then? Or do I need to update it with my travel dates?

Yes, that was part of it, the mugshots and photos, but they really give you a grilling when you enter. It's quite scary actually.

Amazing when you consider Europe has had the crap bombed out of it in its history, the US just once and yet security is much tighter there. The French just don't seem bothered.

[Sprogster]

As an indication of the tougher stance being taken by French immigration, a retired Brit we know, who has been resident in France for many years was returning to France from London with his American Fiance and she was refused re-entry, on the basis she had overstayed her visitors visa. They had to go to the US from London, get married, wait for three months and then apply for a visa based on her marriage to an EU citizen, to enable her to return to France.

Unfortunately, most countries in determining who qualifies for a permanent visa discriminate against retirees, as rightly or wrongly, they are perceived a potential burden on the countries social security and health systems.

On the blog referred to by Mr C de L, the American lady concerned looks quite young from her picture and she entered France over 5 years ago.

[Sprogster]

Mr C de L, you don't need to re-apply for ESTA clearance, as your existing confirmation covers you for multiple trips over two years. Unless, you need to renew your passport, then you need a new ESTA clearance with your new passport details.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Thanks Sprogster, I didn't realise that until you said.

[tenniswitch]

[quote user="Rdupre"]Hi all. How does one go about getting a long term residency card if one isn't from anywhere close to the EU? For the next several years my husband and I will be using our property as a holiday home; eventually we'd like to retire there. Most of the information I've seen for getting a residency card has dealt with Brits coming over and of course our situation is somewhat different. We would be retired and have our own private income.

Also is there way we could eventually pay into the French health care system if we do attain residency?

Thanks so much!

Ruth
[/quote]

As of July 2009, US citizens planning to stay in France for an aggregate of more than 90 days in any six-month period must obtain a long-term-stay visa prior to their trip.  Info is available at the France Diplomatie website.  I think this is a prerequisite for obtaining a long-term residency card.

BTW, you will need to make an appointment at a French Consulate for an interview and to provide, among other things, proof of health insurance coverage (in French) as part of the application process.

[Rdupre]

All of you--- thank you so very much for this information! This is extremely helpful. (And thirty whacks with a paddle to whomever in the Bush Administration who thought up making it harder for EU citizens to visit the US. Short-sighted stupidity... sigh.)

Ruth

[Sprogster]

Rdupre, it is an issue that you should lobby your local congressman on if you get the chance. As countries tend to operate their visa policies on a recipricol basis, so the tougher the US gets on Europeans visiting the US, the more likely it is that Europe will tighten their immigration policies on US citizens. The last thing you want is to find that come retirement you can only spend 90 days in France at your house in any six month period, as the US do not offer long stay visas to European retirees wanting to spend the winter say in Florida, and therefore there is the risk that this option in France for US long stay visitors might be vunerable, as visa policy in Europe is now agreed amongst the 25 European countries that form the Schengen travel area..

[Rdupre]

Thanks Sprogster. I'm looking into how to do this right now. We can be so short-sighted here sometimes... <sigh>. If nothing else, perhaps I can point out how nice it would be to have those Euros flowing in this direction.

Ruth