This topic leads me to ask the following question, just for my personal satisfaction : how many “working holiday visas” can one obtain as a non-EU citizen successively and/or in total ? Is it one per EU country ? That is potentially still a very long time of bumming around Europe with intermittent work.
This thread could be an eye opener to a lot of British Citizens who are in denial and like to claim that Brexit will make no difference. I’ve read quite a lot of Brexit threads and have come across more than a few people who bandy about phrases like; ‘Brexit won’t make any real difference to (British) people who want to move to Europe after Brexit, plenty of people did it before the Common Market and it will be just as easy after we’ve left the EU.’ Believe me it won’t! As a non EU Citizen even balancing visits can be like a military manoeuver, moving to and working in Europe is something else. Luckily when I moved over to Europe, and I’ve done it twice, once everything was organised by the US Military and the second time I had a job to come to and my employers did a lot of the paperwork for me. I just had to turn up now and again and sign my name.
I know a lot of people who have moved to Europe on extended stays and some who even came to work and for most of them it was far from a straightforward process. The message I’ve got from several of those people is, do it by the book, immigration departments don’t like people who try to bend the rules however well intentioned they may be.
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/sarcasm_on/
Don’t worry, I’m quite sure the “people’s friend” BJ will fix it by July 2020, and all will be well again
/sarcasm_off/
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You have to be within a certain age band though I think, so you wouldn’t have time to get round all 28 soon to be 27 states!
I think it’s a great programme. I’m all in favour of young people travelling and getting to know other cultures.
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The factor of going home and applying from there is totally possible. I am delighted that this Dutch visa gives me extra time in Europe to get all my ducks in a row. The aim of all of this is to end up living in France with Residency rights – the fact that it is pushing me to get off my comfy seat and design a means to an independent income is incredible. I have always wanted to work for myself, the fact that the one visa that seems obtainable is the one that is pushing me to do this.
I do think you are right about applying in the NL - totally a plausible way of doing it, a lot of back & forth but definitely doable - I would rather go straight through the French way as its where I want to be, and as I am slowly learning more about the system here - I can’t imagine having to go forth and uncover a whole new one. This temporary residence/visa for the NL does give me a safety net regarding time and the ability to enquire in French establishments without getting into trouble re. overstaying etc…
Ah mate! There is a whole league of people over here that visa jump. It’s quite incredible but at the end of it you still end up with no residence in Europe AND working rights ONLY in your host country - after the NL there are several other countries I could apply for…
It’s very similar though for Europeans or Brits headed to Australia - not many will return to their native country after two years in Australia to then take two years in NZ and maybe after 2 years in Canada and… why not do 1 yr in Japan just to mix it up!! Applying for the next visa in your current host country. It doesn’t make sense sending anyone all the way back to their native country when their current country holds all of their latest information.
So what are you actually qualified to do, that might enable you to earn a living here? (which would make your visa application more likely to end well).
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30 is the evil cut off for a lot of them and they aren’t all available for every country. It depends on the individual agreements of host country & visiting country – for example Kiwis CAN get an Austrian visa but Australians can’t (stinky sheep loving bastards 
!!) – I REALLY recommend anyone to do at least one year abroad. It has opened my eyes and have never met anyone say ‘I wish I hadn’t done that’!
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Tilly, I’m going to be really rude here, and you don’t have to answer, but… How old are you?
I’m guessing quite young.
Your enthusiasm is wonderful, please don’t lose it, but you have to be realistic. Most non EU citizens that want to move to France, spend years and years planning the move and getting their ducks in a row.
Of course the quickest route for you would be to find the Frenchman of your dreams and marry him 
problem solved.
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You do realise most people you are speaking to here don’t live in their original home country, and haven’t for some time, don’t you ?
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Dutch now! ahaha UK one expired since original post- Exhibit A of visa jump mentioned below. I honestly have almost no qualifications and I am almost certain what I have wouldn’t be recognised here - I have basic hospitality certificates, a diploma in Aquaculture, a cert 2 in Ambulance services and I was once upon a time in the Army reserves so a cert 2 or 3 in Military services, & a TESOL certificate.
I quite enjoyed the previous comment from Anna of designing a business plan and getting it going and the advice that she gave - I realise I am not painting a very winning picture for myself but I do think it’s possible. Now that everyone has said that my personal services business idea would not be an adequate income earner - it is back to the drawing board which is great.
Where do you find information on what qualifications are necessary for what business types?? Are qualifications required to run a food van?? Unlikely… what about a property management company (change over cleans, bookings & maintenance)… or as I mentioned tour guiding, a good friend of mine runs two projects which I believe could be of interest to tourists visiting our area, I am in a tourist town - that would be the greatest market.
Don’t worry I am well aware of days allowed. I am quite conscious of my passport remaining clean and legit - for this exact purpose. Thank you though 
Don’t even think about food vans! yes you need food hygiene certificates but the standards your van has to be equipped and maintained to are very high and you can be inspected at any time. It’s also not ideal for micro entrepreneur because the capital expenditure and overheads are going to be pretty high.
You really would find the process a lot easier if you had some solid experience in your own country. Running a profitable business in France really is not easy. It’s not just about providing a good service, you also need good business skills. Sorry to keep sounding like a party pooper, but businesses don’t run themselves. It’s a steep learning curve and even when you think you’ve got it, the rules keep changing or something happens to throw a spanner in the works, and you are expected to keep up or get fined for getting it wrong. You could take a look at the New URSSAF Cotisations Website thread on here - Alex has got loads of experience, he’s been successfully running a business here for years, and suddenly he’s tearing his hair out because they’ve changed the online platforms and he’s got to work out how to get at his attestations. I eventually figured out how to get at mine but whether it will work the same for him, who knows.
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Yes, lots. This being France, you need qualifications for practically every job, you can’t just busk it.
You have to be registered if you work, and pay your social security contributions.
I think that if you really want to live and work in France as a non- EU person you need to sort out your situation - you need to get proper qualifications which would be recognised here, to have some coherent business plan or valid job lined up, and to realize that a bunch of working holiday visas for neighbouring countries while you live here isn’t going to give the OFII a very good impression.
If, for example, you had been a language assistant in a school in France via CIEP or were pursuing a course of recognised study, (which won’t be a possibility at this stage), your situation might be easier, because a lot easier for the OFII people to identify and react to.
As it is, it is unclear and that, as I said, doesn’t create a favourable impression. Speaking as a French fonctionnaire, we don’t like ambiguity.
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This is really important to get your head around, there is a pizza van which delivers to our village - his certificates are displayed in the van and I suspect that they have to be. Not just hygiene either he actually has a certificate in making pizza!
There is a group for whom it won’t, I suspect, make much difference - retirees living off their pensions and classed as inactifs I think genuinely won’t experience much more difficulty - well, at least not unless the whole process of Brexit pisses the EU/France off so much that they start to penalise Brits compared with citizens of other 3rd nations.
If, however, you want to come and work that will be a completely different ball game and much harder, miles more red tape.
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As with so many things the devil will be in the detail. What actually happens re access to healthcare and minimum income levels are two obvious stumbling blocks. Pensioners aren’t at the top of the Which Immigrants do we Want wish list, even the DDR was happy to let them leave East Berlin anytime they wanted on a one way journey. Then there’s the exchange rate, the British Government will need to keep the pound low in the foreign exchange markets and that will mean fewer euros for pensioners who receive their pension in pounds. Unfortunately my crystal ball is playing up, I, like everyone else will have to wait and see what the future brings.
In my experience a huge number of the British I came across in France were working and self employed at that. There will be huge changes ahead for newcomers who want to join that group.
If you have an interest in being self-employed then the strongest advice I can give you is to go for something you are passionate about. It is remarkably difficult to set up a business here, so you need to be motivated. I had my own business for a few years in the UK and then when I looked at bringing the business with me to France I just decided it was too much hassle (and I had reciprocal qualifications).
Then look at a basic business plan guide and work through all your ideas to see what might be feasible in your area. If it is a tourist area then perhaps can capitalise on your language skills, but make sure it is not limited to 24 weeks a year. Remember also that you have to look at in a French context, so need to plan for income tax, CFE, social charges as well as your contributions to your caisse - profit margins for a one person business here are constrained.
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No I don’t mind at all! I’m 31 - thank you, I do consider myself young, even if paper doesn’t say so- and it has been several years in the planning…
I have known that I haven’t wanted to live in Australia for awhile, I didn’t like South Africa or the UK either - France works really well for me. It’s great. This South West region works incredible for me - two of my greatest passions, surfing & skiing within moments away of each other. Its taken me 3 years of being in Europe and 2 years elsewhere to find my mecca - and I have it.
NOW. How to stay?! Long Stay Visa via a new or existing enterprise. Great. My original ideas aren’t likely to be good enough. Thanks everyone for clarifying but no worries. Back to the drawing board to give a business idea strength.
The plan: Working for myself in a place I love. Likely doing something I enjoy as I have created it. I totally understand that this may be the start of another couple of years of design, paperwork and processing. I have a very realistic view-point that this is not just an overnight, voila! here’s your rights to stay.
It’s great. No one previous to posting on this page had been able to tell me anything about creating an enterprise here, and I’m feeling really good about it. Dammit scrubbing toilets isn’t the key. Ah merde, I was looking forward to that! 
But with French minimum wage being the lowest target - its not that high! 18k annual profit - (assuming its profit) - the guideline says ‘you must be able to prove that you have sufficient financial resources i.e. the equivalent of the minimum legal wage in France for a full-time worker.’ Thanks JJones
Also noooo Anna! 
“Of course the quickest route for you would be to find the Frenchman of your dreams and marry him problem solved.” This has been said to me so so so often - but no absolutely not! 
I will not have anyone else responsible for my rights to stay where I want. We’ve often joked about it in my circle of friends… My passport is of so much value as well!! Not a bad trade off to get the Aussie ticket.
I would still love to chat to an Aussie or Kiwi who has ventured down this enterprise track before… and played the Long Stay Visa game. There are likely parts to the process that I haven’t considered. There is also a lot of risk in investing so much time & money into something to fly back into my face.
Personal financial situation, ability to fund a business and legal status in my current country of residence or country I am visiting - not an issue.
Everyone’s contributions have been incredible! You have been providing great resources and questioning grey areas. So thank you.
You are quite right, none of those would be recognised here (because they aren’t a degree or a vocational qualification with a recognised equivalent) - so if you want to stay in France on a long-stay visa, they won’t be enough, you will have to show that you already have solid academic or business achievements to build on. I really think you need to think about your project more pragmatically.
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This is also such a grey area - just as an overall FYI for everyone. Currently at this point in time across Europe you can work for companies from your host country elsewhere, from what I understand it is done via a bridging agent… It’s less common now in relation to the UK visa with the looming Brexit, but my first winter in France was with a French company (French Visa), the next two winter seasons I worked for a British company in France (UK visa - paying into the NI)… NOW… IF! IF I wanted to, this coming season I could work for a Dutch company in France - having been offered employment in the Alp’s via a Dutch owned chalet company.
In my personal situation I have always received confirmation that I am not stepping outside of my visa guidelines (whatever country it is). From I understand, however, this system of syndicate contracts isn’t well respected and so it shouldn’t be BUT it happens everywhere, not just in France. We will leave that subject alone as I am sure there is a whole other thread on this site that highlights the disgust or championing behind foreign companies operating out of France.