Dear Hungus,
Before I begin my answer, let me refer you to the disclaimer on the
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In other words, if in doubt, please contact an immigration lawyer. If
you want to know whether there are tax implications to living in
France, I suggest you'll contact an accountant specialising in such
cases.
I am surprised that the French consulate could not give you the answer
that I'm about to give you, because it is pretty straight forward (and
yet, suits your needs exactly).
The French authorities issue several types of visas that would enable
their bearer to legally reside in France. Basically, they could be
divided into the temporary visas and the permanent ones. A permanent
visa could be obtained only after three years of legal residence in
France (through a temporary visa or other permits), so it's not
relevant here.
There are several types of temporary visas. All of them are granted
for a period of one year, and could be renewed. It is important to
note, that before that, you can live in France for three month legally
without requiring any permit.
Types of Temporary Permits:
--------------------------
"Visitors (visiteur): You may not work and need financial resources to
live during your stay.
Student (étudiant): You may work part-time during the academic year
and full-time during holidays. You need sufficient financial resources
for the study period (2004 ?826.83/month) and be enrolled in a
recognised French educational institution.
Employee (activité salariée): To obtain this permit, you need a work
permit (see our guide on working permits ).
Self-employed (activité non salariée): Gives the right to exercise a
professional activity. To get this permit, you need to be authorised
to exercise such an activity in France (i.e. have the corresponding
and homologated professional qualifications).
Trader (commerçant): Gives right to exercise trade and commercial
activity. To get this permit, you need to be authorised to exercise
such an activity in France (i.e. have the corresponding and
homologated professional qualifications).
Scientific (scientifique): Gives right to regular entry and residence
in France for scientific research or/and teaching at university level.
You need a certificate ( protocole d'accueil) from a research
institution or from a university, which states your scientific
qualifications and the purpose and duration of your stay/s.
Cultural and artistic profession (profession artistique et
culturelle): You can obtain this permit if you have a contract for
more then 3 months with a relevant organization for exercising
cultural or artistic professional activities.
Temporary employee (travailleur temporaire): You can obtain this
resident permit if you are employee with a temporary working permit.
Private or family purposes (vie privée et familiale): You have rights
to receive this residence permit for example if you are:
a minor (18 years old or less) of a holder of a residency permit
the spouse of a holder of a residency permit and enter France legally
a minor (18 years old or less) living in France since the age of 15
resident in France for more then 10 years (or 15 years if living as a student)
the spouse of a French national and you enter France legally
one of the parents of a child with French nationality and the child is
financially dependent on you or you have custody of the child"
(SOURCE: Just Landed.com, "Types of residency : What do you need to
apply for?", <http://www.justlanded.com/english/france/tools/just_landed_guide/visas_permits/types_of_residency>).
Of these, the visitor's visa would be your best option. It is intended
at people who do not (and may not) work in France, and have financial
resources from elsewhere (i.e., your job in the UK).
How to obtain a temporary visitor's permit
------------------------------------------
You will first have to find a place to stay in Lille. As mentioned
before, your first three months are visa-free (which is an interesting
loophole, I'll refer to it later): however, you must sort your legal
issues and apply for a temporary visa in France.
You apply in the following place:
Préfecture du Nord
2 rue Jacquemars Giélée
59039 Lille Cedex
Téléphone : 0320305959
Télécopie : 0320570802
Site : http://www.nord.pref.gouv.fr
Further addresses for information:
Direction régionale des affaires sanitaires et sociales du Nord Pas de Calais
62 boulevard de Belfort
BP605
59024 Lille Cedex
Téléphone : 0320626600
Télécopie : 0320626662
Direction départementale des affaires sanitaires et sociales du Nord
Cité administrative
175 rue Gustave Delory
BP2008
59011 Lille Cedex
Téléphone : 0320183333
Télécopie : 0320850826
Délégation régionale de l'Office des migrations internationales (OMI) -
Délégation de Lille
Tél. : 03 20 99 98 60 concerne le Nord (59)
SOURCE : Etrangers : carte de séjour temporaire
<http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F2209.xhtml?&n=Papiers&l=N21&n=Papiers%20des%20%C3%A9trangers&l=N373>.
Information in French on the requirements are in the link above. If
you need an English version:
JustLanded: Residency in France/ What is a residency and how do you apply for it?
<http://www.justlanded.com/english/france/tools/just_landed_guide/visas_permits/residency_in_france>
This is of course also valid for your wife.
The Loophole
------------
This is a weird loophole, and this might be the reason why the French
bureaucrats were puzzled. As an American, you are allowed to enter
France without any permit for three month. However, if you leave
France every week, the three-month period would in fact never end, as
long as you do it.
I am not recommending to rely on this loophole, although it seems that
theoretically you won't even need the visas mentioned. This is because
you're actually planning to move the centre of your life to France.
This might be considered by some immigration officials as actually
"living" in France, despiet the fact that you leave France every week.
For your wife and child, of course, this would be also easier, if you
also had a visa, in case you needed to stay with them for a longer
period.
Please note, that I am not sure that your wife would be entitled to
get the same maternity rights as permanent residents of France, shall
you move there. This is a topic for a different question, I'm afraid.
Here is a bit more that *might* help:
Find a lawyer in France
<http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=246954> - lawyers
spcialising in employment law in Lille.
Lille: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
<http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=46042> - Get to know Lille.
I hope this answers your question. Please contact me if you need any
further clarification on this answer before you rate it. My search
strategy was to rely on official French documents as well as on terms
related to residence, permits, in France. |
