Hi I’m 73 and being retired get a UK state pension, I’ve lived here for 15 years. I have a Carte Vitale and mutual and have done my tax returns here for maybe 10 years. I own a building plot (which has been up for sale for 10 years now at a continuous reducing price) but live in rented accommodation. My big company pension which was due to start at my 60th turned out to have been fraudulently disposed of, and there was no available legal solution to this. The French state now gives me some assistance with my rent (250 euros per month) because of my low income which is about 800 euros per month. My question is does this preclude me from receiving a Cartes de Sejour because I’m dependant on the french state. My health isn’t too good, I had a triple bypass 4 years ago and diabetes, both considered long duration illnesses. I live with my two children 23 and 20 either of which are working. Both of whom are applying for French Nationality.
If you have lived here legally for that length of time you are a permanent resident and will not be thrown out. You will get a permananet CdS.
However low income might mean that neither you nor your children will get French nationality.
Hi John
As Jane says… no problem for you…
Re your children… did they go to school here in France ??? since I believe there is a provision for “foreign” children who have been through French Education…
someone will have the details…
I know foreign twins (not Brits) who managed just that… and the whole commune celebrated when they gained their FNationality… but that was years ago… things might have changed or may not apply to your childrens’ situation…
Thanks for your reply, both my children went through the French school system, my son got his BAC but my daughter didn’t , she’s now planning after a 2 year gap year (or, as we used to say back in the day, a long holiday) to return to school to get her BAC. She also been in receipt of various financial assistance from the French state, including while she lived and worked in New Caledonia. My son is still working out what he wants to do whilst remaining in his bedroom for the last 4 years.! One other point is although they live with me and have done for years they are, according to the various parts of the France system still part of my ex-wife household, She has a micro-enterprise. We discovered recently that although we went through a divorce, for some inexplicable reason the final part of that procedure was never completed, so we are still married but have been separated for 13 years. I would like to get French nationality but doubt if I could get past the language standard. There are conflicting reports if this is an issue given my age. I wonder what difference it who make to me either having a Cartes de Sejour or full nationality…maybe more protection if governments change their minds?
They will stand a better chance of being naturalisé if they can demonstrate some commitment to becoming useful, productive members of society. We have plenty of home-grown bons-à-rien so your daughter getting back into education is good, however, bear in mind that we aren’t obliged to take her in lycée if she is over 18 and that the bac has changed dramatically since the latest reform implemented from last year. What sort of Bac would she be aiming for? Why isn’t your son in education?
This may sound harsh but that’s not how it is intended.
Thanks for you reply, Jane and please forgive me if I press you on this but my income is so low and, given the exchange rate, is still falling that I worry (quite a lot ) that I will not reach the minimum income standard required to be allowed to stay, everything I’m able to read says there is this income standard. What do you based your, extremely welcome, input on? I really dread the idea of having to go back to the UK.
John… re income levels… please do NOT fret about income levels.
My son is very intelligent but painfully shy and seems to possess no drive to do anything, he, not unlike a lot of his contemporaries seem to be perfectly happy living some form of life in front of his computer screen. All efforts have been made by my ex wife and myself to get him out into the world. We have failed. My son and I did try to start a business here and he was fine with that -and bloody good at it as well, but that ended with supplier problems -and never rose to the state of being a company here. My daughter is the complete opposite, she does some modeling, special effects makeup to a professional standard, if fact almost everything she puts her mind to she excels, apart from maths which was the reason she failed her BAC - our current understanding is that she can retake the parts of her bac which she failed in June next year. She then wants to pursue a career in some form of Pathology, maybe in criminology.
As an innocent in the world of forums, I must admit I am finding it astonishing and a little unnerving to see such very serious and very personal questions being discussed.
I don’t see how it is possible to second guess the préfecture’s decision on John Rolfe’s application without being privy to all the details that they will take into consideration. I wonder if the two children already have cartes de sejour? Pinning their hopes on being granted nationality based on their track records as model citizens, in the boy,'s case especially, seems to me fraught with risk.
[quote=“John_Rolfe, post:8, topic:31019”] almost everything she puts her mind to she excels, apart from maths which was the reason she failed her BAC - our current understanding is that she can retake the parts of her bac which she failed in June next year.
[/quote]
Which série of Bac did she do? I am very surprised she failed just because of maths. Read this article carefully, she may have to do the new Bac after all, it is complicated by her having been out of the system for two years - it is most likely she will be a candidat libre in any case and that does tend to complicate things, in terms of support.
She will have to register with ParcourSup to get into higher or further education and as the usual route into criminology is social sciences or psychology she should be aware that (again since the reform) these are now courses it is difficult even for people with good results to get onto. Pathology is usually accessed via medicine (again very competitive). It isn’t helped by the fact that lots of people now ask for these courses purely on the strength of watching various TV series.
My children do not have their cartes de sejour, And I’m sorry if I posted up too many personal details, I was just trying to give the complete picture. Also I was trying to find what the rules were, I didn’t know that these were solely in the gift of the Préfecture. This doesn’t fill me with confidence…
I’m afraid I can’t answer your question, but yes Maths wasn’t the only one she failed in just the main one.
Good luck.
Hi Stella, I’m just wondering why you say not to worry? It is giving me sleepless nights tbh as having lost what was a secure job (in tourism) due to covid we aren’t meeting the requirements (although I am still signed up with the Pole Emplois, and pestering my person for help, so i guess that shows willing). We own our home outright (which is pretty good as I’m only in my early 40s!) which I know will work in our favour as there is some sort of leniency but just wondered if you can point me to the info which spurred your comment that will reduce my current stress levels? 
Many things are looked at from different angles, as far as I am aware… depending on how long you have been Resident…
We’ve been here (this time) just over 5 years.
I’m sure I read it somewhere that those with under 5 years’ worth of suitable “whatever” will be granted a CdS and can continue … with the aim to achieve the 5 years’ worth of “whatever”… necessary for Resident Permanent .
Covid happened this year and will only affect your next year’s Declaration…
Applying for CdS this year will (I would have thought) take into account your Declarations already made…
but who knows what will actually be called for … whatever, do NOT worry… that will get you nowhere. You are here… and doing your best.
John falls into a completely different section…
If you have been a legal resident for over 10 years you cannot be turfed out for lack of income. (Over 5 years you have greater protection, but 10 is even better).
Can you imagine the diplomatic fuss! Deporting a 73 year old man who has lived here properly for 15 years…
So wait till October and the online site opens up and then you should apply for the new carte de séjour. I really wouldn’t think about nationality right now as you shouldn’t need it and the exemption to the language test for the over 60’s has been scrapped . Depending on where you live it can also cost several hundred euros and take up to 3 years. Once you have your carte de séjour see how you feel. If you still feel insecure then you can think about nationality then.
I actually think your children might have more difficulty than you with getting a carte de séjour as they are adults in their own right and will be expected to be supporting themselves.
That is the beauty of forums like this…even with our names it is still a pretty safe place to seek other people’s opinions in “privacy”. And most people would realise that they are getting people’s opinions based on personal experience alone, so have to judge the validity for themselves. And many of us have wide experience of préfectures and have spent many hours studying the rules.
(Anyway having had some completely appalling advice from paid professionals it, sometimes you do get better advice from ordinary people with their ordinary experience)
Not sure what you are referring to… but in case it was in response to something I wrote…
I agree… it is impossible to second guess… almost everything… which is why we have to fall back on what has been issued by the government bodies… about whatever subject.
The Prefecture will apply whatever Rules/Regulations/Guidelines the government has laid down… when looking at an application for Carte de Sejour…for example.
There has been very clear guidance so far…