Incidentally, @vero’s words merely echo what many folk think (French and English)… so it’s nothing “personal” just, in many cases, a misconception.
None of us has the same capabilities… some will absorb all the nuances and grammar… some of us float on the edges… no matter how hard we try.
I can talk the hindleg off a donkey, in French (and English ), on any topic under the sun.
I use my own technique of words/phrases for those occasions when I don’t know the correct words/phrases and/or don’t understand what is being said.
This has never met with an adverse reaction from French folk, rather an appreciation of my efforts.
But… sadly, that is not how it works in an exam.
and… exam jitters have bugged me since my schooldays… so I’ve not a hope
Bless you you work in a lycée generale! Currently still exhausted post covid and really really frustrated and upset at how CRAP a lot of my kids are I know I’m tired and this week has been tough but seriously tearing my hair out! They should be A1 to A2 but loads are A0 and then I’ve got classes with anglophones plus refugees who are a good B1-2 arrrrgggghhhh
Yes sorry the level expected in mainstream education in both languages, 2 are compulsory throughout a child’s school career. B1 is actually the target level in 3eme, even though they tick the box at A2 for the brevet so everyone can get it.
Oh dear I am sorry to have hurt your feelings and that you feel personally got at - not my intention at all. But what I said is how the vast majority of French people think because that is how we are formatted.
same reason as the UK might still take an interest - or argue an interest if you were recently departed (in any sense) - they want to tax you.
In the UK not everyone has to fill out a self-assessment form but the level of interest in ensuring you have correctly “left” and correctly stayed gone, will be the same in different countries.
Jumps in with both feet…
I think it’s perfectly normal to require a basic level of French (which is a doddle compared to the mountain of paperwork required!) for people asking/applying for French nationality. And that’s what you’re talking about, not just an admin thing to make life easier and get a passport, which isn’t usually needed anyway by most people who have been naturalised as we have an ID card for everything
I think the carte de séjour system suits most people perfectly and the French bent over backwards to simplify everything for Brits post-brexit.
On the permanent residency card, remember it’s not the card which gives you the right but the facts of the each persons case and the law!
I had the understanding that it was being physically out of the country for > 5 years which lost you the right - return for even one day (overnight ?) within the 5 year period and your right is maintained?
I.e the right of permanent residence once obtained is NOT dependent on taxation, registration with the health system etc.
Of course before being obtained (i.e. the initial ‘5 years’) affiliation with the health system is required as well as > 6 months physical presence each year (with potential exemptions for 1 year for ‘important reasons’, military service etc)
My understanding!
On the frontalier side, for the OP the tax benefit of being a ‘frontalier’ would be any france generated income or income taxed in France under the double tax treaty (e.g. some UK pensions or lump sums taken etc) would remain taxed in france and not UK - if no france taxable income (e.g. french house not rented out?) then no advantage?
On the other hand, if this is the case (no income) still no need to stop making France tax declarations - just declare the UK salary as worldwide income in France and it’s still zero tax to pay, but the OP has a tax return each year to back up any permanent residency.
Anyway, if owning a house in France (I don’t yet so presuming here) wouldn’t there still be France taxes - e.g. tax d’habitation?
I agree that France was amazingly generous to us Brits in France, who were hung out to dry by UK-Brexit.
My CDS(WA) is carefully guarded… many thanks to the French Govt!!
I do agree that a basic level of French is necessary for Nationality…
I just wish I had applied some years ago… before an actual language exam was needed for my age group.
I’d started swotting history etc… very interesting stuff… quite happy/ready to chat about anything…
and then came the unexpected/ghastly delays…of getting the myriad pieces of paper together…
However, I’ve made some very interesting discoveries about my family history…
so it’s not all bad news.
But not having Nationality means I can no longer serve my commune in quite the same way as I had before… and losing my right to a local vote is a great disappointment.
frontalier=works there, lives here (2 countries). Usually home for weekends if work is UK.
Many frontaliers near Geneva who live in France drive each morning into Switzerland then back to France each evening - used to be quite a traffic jam at the border.
I thought the cross border working arrangement was an EU thing, and only now possible for those WA beneficiaries who were already established as cross border workers pre Brexit and are continuing on the same arrangement.
Do you happen to know if it is still possible to set up UK-EU cross border working arrangements?
It is hard to see how an agreement would have been reached on this since it would now be so restrictive. The vast majority of EU citizens living in the EU, and the majority of British citizens and other non EU nationals living in the UK, would not be able to do this due to not having the right to work the other side of the UK/EU border any more.
Like you Sandcastle I think the issue would be about work permits if needed. But otherwise, before Switzerland was so closely linked to the EU, frontaliers were a thing, so I am sure subject to work permits it’s still doable.
Just as with any other international work opportunity that would be outside of the EU/crossborder or even just simply in another country with or without commuting, the individual would have to look very carefully as to.what the position would be as to accruing pension rights and rights to other state benefits, or things like healthcare, as between the UK and the EU these wouldn’t be guaranteed as they were before.
I believe the definition though is “a worker who lives in one member state and works in another”, which as you say extends to the EEA but not sure if the UK is still included.
I do not think you can have “cross border worker” status between other third countries and the EU because the arrangement only works because of the EU social security cooperation agreement.
My concern really is, without actual cross border worker status, how would this work with your permitted absences from France if on a provisional CdS?
Residence rights and residency are two different things.
Your only issue using your UK registered car and your WARP will be that if stopped by Gendarmes they will want to know why you haven’t registered it in France and could be fined after the ensuing argument.
However if you are planning to use your French home as your maison secondaire and return to France at least once within 5 years you retain your right to your residence card and will renew when the card is expiring.
I know I’m tired and this week has been tough but seriously tearing my hair out! They should be A1 to A2 but loads are A0 and then I’ve got classes with anglophones plus refugees who are a good B1-2 arrrrgggghhhh