Carte de sejour service company

Hi

I’m sure this may have been covered but i just need a little help.
does anybody know if there are companies or people who can help you through the process of applying for a Carte de Sejour ??
we bought a house a few years ago but still live in england; we will make the move once our house is habitable and ready, but that will certainly be after any brevet withdrawal date.
we are keen to obtain withdrawal rights to avoid issues in the future.
does anyone know if there a companies to help you through that process ??

thanks

Rob.

Hi Rob…

There doubtless are companies who may offer to help… but as no-one yet knows what the situation will be after Brexit… I would hang onto your money…

There are even folk who reckon Brexit may never happen… :open_mouth:

Once the lines are drawn in the sand…however… we will all know where we stand and can then do the necessary. Whatever, it will not be rocket science…:wink:

Hi Stella, thanks for the reply.
thats been my approach up to now…
but id hate to be in the situation of having worked all my life with a dream of french retirement with my wife…and I’m somehow penalised by not preparing correctly.
i really hope we don’t leave - for purely selfish reasons…
but id also like to get any withdrawal rights if we do…that would be my backstop.
unfortunately i don’t live there full time yet…

thanks

Rob.

Rob, when you move here you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised to find how transparent these things are in France. The French government website sets out very clearly what the requirements are for any given situation. Residency is dealt with at departmental level and there are sometimes slight differences in local interpretation, some prefectures will insist on this but not that and others will insist on that but not this. There are gripes about this, but by and large the process happens as it says on the tin. Immigration on the other hand is dealt with by consulates and OFII and again, they all follow the same rules. Basically the way France sees it, there are rights and responsibilities on both sides. If you meet your obligations, you will be granted the corresponding rights, if you don’t you won’t, simple as that. There isn’t really a role in the process for a third party. If you meet the criteria you normally won’t have any difficulty in producing the paperwork required to prove it. If you don’t meet the criteria then no third party will be able to arrange for yçu to be granted a right you’re not entitled to, French immigration runs a tight shop and it doesn’t leave back doors open.

All that just to basically agree with Stella - save your money, wait and see what hoops they put up, and then jump through them with goodwill.

Until you live here, there is nothing you can do to establish any kind of residency rights.

Hi Anna

thanks for your reply and information. it all makes sense.
just for information, i wasn’t asking for any loopholes through the process; more for a contact of a service provider to help WITH the process.
I’ve read a lot about the Carte De Sejour, so I’m aware of the criteria; and also that a temporary can be obtained if you have not been a permanent resident for more than 5 years, my issue was time due to work in the UK, and my currently limited french language…

i just wanted to protect my future investment with my wife in france.
i have french friends in england, and i know they are facing a similar position; but use cost effective UK companies to help them through the process, legitimately.

kindest

Rob

No I know you weren’t looking for a back door, I didn’t mean to imply anything of the kind. But I guess we kind of cling to a hope that expensive advisor will somehow have inside knowledge of tricks of the trade, which other folks don’t know about.

If Brexit goes ahead then I think you will be looking at applying for a visa rather than exercising freedom of movement, because TM seems dead set on taking the UK out of FoM. But obtaining a visa to come to France isn’t difficult for retirees as long as you’re not a danger to public safety and as long as you can show you have enough money to live on when you’re here. The income level set by French immigration is not high at all, and really, anyone who can’t meet that income level shouldn’t be considering making the move at all because they wouldn’t enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. It’s Brits who were hoping to come to France and work who will find it more difficult, because work visas are a lot harder to get.

I think it’s a bit different for anyone wanting to immigrate to the UK because I believe HMG has set an insanely high income requirement and created its famous “hostile environment” for immigration. Not so in France, immigration is rigorous but not hostile.

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As far as I am aware you can’t get a CdS until you are permanently resident in France-so although you own the house you are resident in the UK. Others may know otherwise but that’s my take on it.

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That’s absolutely correct. To apply for a CdS as an EU citizen you need to prove that you are correctly exercising freedom, ie meeting whatever conditions apply to your particular status (eg income criteria for an inactif, work criteria for a worker). A Brit living in the UK is by definition not exercising freedom of movement at all and has no status in France, except possibly as a visitor.

Thanks Anna, i know you were not suggesting that. i just stated it for the benefit of any further posts to help me.
we may end ‘working’ as we have a large house in an area of need for B&B etc…so maybe the visa route will be the way for us post Brexit

thanks

Rob.

As said - getting a non-working visa that lets you retire to France shouldn’t be a problem, it’s pretty much a formality as long as you meet the criteria. Getting a visa that allows you to work or run a business in France is a lot lot harder.

Thanks for your help Anna

Further to my original Post…

There are many, many non-Europeans living in France… After Brexit, if push comes to shove… you will simply follow the same route through the bureaucracy that they have already navigated…

And the forum is here to help you do just that… come the day… :hugs:

Until then… concentrate on learning French, as that will stand you in good stead… and is something that so many overlook or put off… :roll_eyes:

Hi Stella

i couldnt agree more, thanks for your help.
we cant wait to be out there full time…and i will make sure my french is very good !

thanks

Rob

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Of course one of the differences between going through the immigration process and coming here courtesy of freedom of movement, is that the immigration process involves attending a language and integration course arranged by OFII to ensure that you learn basic French, you understand the basics of how France works administratively, and you know a bit about French customs and habits. In that sense you could look at it as a bit of a blessing in disguise if Brits are going to be put through this process in future, rather than in some cases arriving totally unprepared and ill equipped to deal with the settling in process, finding it all a bit of a mare and risking a premature end to their love affair with France.

Exactly Ann.
We have far more French friends in our village than english…which is just the way we like it.
so im sure once we are there ‘properly’ then our love affair will continue…

thanks for your help today

Rob.

Read this, particularly points 5 and 6 https://remaininfrance.blogspot.com/2019/04/legal-residence-long-extension-and.html?fbclid=IwAR0pXU6B1CTHDSvN8h4xI1Vg3EYROXWDnb90-840vcX4gQenqJXHiIkS9MA&m=1