One of the things I appreciate about France is the healthcare, which is struggling hugely. And yes charges in France are high for a reason, So I find the idea of people being encouraged to avoid contributing on their earned income does rather upset me.
I am less upset by digital nomads taking minimum wage jobs under the table while passing through France as they are not setting out to be a permanent resident here. But should an high earning executive, for example, be encouraged to carry on their remote consulting work earning a 3 figure salary and benefit from French HealthCare for a minimum contribution?
I hope it doesn’t feel like you’re being ganged up on. I’m sure everyone has your best interest at heart and just wants to make sure that you’re going into this fully aware of the challenges that will potentially await you.
You are correct KarenLot has asked some good questions.
But she has also made an assumption that I am looking for a way to stay in
France and work illegally which is wrong.
I like to work and although I could move to France have no mortgage and a good sum of savings plus a monthly income that is above the minimum I need to live plus a widows pension (non of which I need to share).
I am just putting out that what I was thinking of doing and looking to see what advice I could get but as you will see this post has not got the response intended and that was to introduce myself to the group and understand the Gotchas I may encounter.
This is not a whim it is something I have thought about for a couple of years and I have considered English speaking countries but I have lots of memories of my travels both work and holidays in France and this is the country I want to move to as I feel it is the right choice for me and my son.
As with some of this post the advice has been useful and has sparked some more questions for me so that when I make my decision it is done the correct way and I have considered all the possible outcomes that could have an impact on my move
Other parts of this post have made me think twice about why I signed up to this site!!!
Surely you have had nothing but good advice from this site even if it’s not what you want to hear. Brexit changed everything and U.K. passport holders now need to seek permission to live in France and additional permissions to work in France. Work will only be allowed if you tick all of the boxes. As I said before I have the experience of close family members who would have loved to work remotely for their U.K. employers but the employers said no because of the huge additional costs involved to them. One of those employers was a law firm so I’m sure they were up to speed. Third country nationals are no longer able to come to France as visitors then look for jobs. As I said I have close friends who applied for and got a visa post Brexit and they had to sign an attestation promising that they understood that they had been accepted as visitor and must not carry out any paid work while in France. Coincidentally their British neighbours inherited their house. Straight away the researched to see if it was possible to move into the inherited property and start a hairdressing business. Their application was rejected and the inherited house is now for sale. Moving to a different country is a huge step and a basic requirement is knowing exactly what is and what is not allowed.
I think some people struggle with that concept. I think a useful tool would be a “can I get away with it” (CIGAWI) index.
Some matters are taken very seriously and have a low, or say less than 10% CIGAWI, so we always have to do those. Others have very high CIGAWIs and one can waste a lot of time, effort and cash complying or doing something that should just have been ignored.
Before one embarks on any project or course of action a quick glimpse at the CIGAWI index could save a lot of bother, both in compliance and non compliance. It helps remove the grey area.
A further refinement could be the “what happens if I get caught” (WHIIGC) index, 90% means really bad things and 10% means nobody cares. 100% might mean you’ve had to skip the country and are now living under an assumed name in Bulgaria.
By consulting the two indices one could work out the associated risk/reward of any action or inaction. So an activity with a low CIGAWI and a high WHIIGC is no-no territory, but the inverse is game on.
We could build up a panel of well informed French people (I think the nuances would be too opaque for those who haven’t spent a lifetime here gaming the system) to vote on the CIGAWI and WHIIGC scores for a wide range of activities, regulations and laws. We could refine the scores over time based on what happens to those that have used them.
I feel sure there must be a law against encouraging people to break the law. Its a bit like flashing your headlights to warn of a speed trap. I give your suggestion a CIGAWI index of 0% and a WHIIGC index of 100%. However I suggest an index of 100% for creativity.
You are correct.
I have some ideas but I dont know all the Gotchas with them. So if its something I cant do then I look at another way.
Main thing is what I do is achievable and is legal
I think it’s all about ignoring, not breaking the law. There’s an enormous law making machine, some of what it churns out has to be rubbish. There are regulations heaped on regulations which are heaped on even more regulations. People can’t cope with all the regulations, and neither can the enforcement agencies. Personally I always test the water with my French pals as whether some rule or other is serious or not.
For example, do you remember the breathalyser in the glovebox debacle We’ve still got them knocking around the garage.
Not ganged up on no, but I do feel some have used it as lets have a pop at someone.
Maybe how I worded my introduction has sparked some people thinking I am looking for legal loop holes and maybe I could have worded it better.
If I had my way and it was possible I would apply for full residency at the start and not a visitors visa, or look to find a French employer who would sponsor a work visa but these are few and far between and I only want to work so I can contribute to services I may need in the future.
At the end of the day I like everyone before me is seeking advice and guidance.
I have to engage with experts who live and breath these things and I also have to accept that the advice given to me is correct at that time. I joined this site to seek advice and guidance from others who have trod this path.
Like with all countries things change and legislation that may have been allowed some levels of grayness to it may change with a new administration or even change in policy.
What I will say is that compared to some of the other posts from New Members introducing themselves mine seems some what controversial.
This would be fun. In theory only. Perhaps though, it would need to have categories divided into a) French nationals and b) Foreign guests.
There are sometimes allowances made for ‘weaknesses’ held by indigenous citizens that may be far less overlooked when performed by non-French.
To my mind, whilst living in a country that is not ours it is well to follow laws to the letter in order to never provide complaint that might result in expulsion. Wise too, not to provide a bully with a grudge, any ammunition for complaint against us.
And, the ‘dogs to ride in the back of a vehicle behind a safety grill installed or seat harness’. I always think of this when I see the many cars and vans driven through our village with doggies gaily and freely riding in the passenger seat, and sometimes on the dashboard.
I’m sorry if you feel responses were harsh. I think responses to queries here are generally informative and prompting caution.
SF is an open forum. When someone opens a thread there may be responses that wander far beyond the original topic. It’s organic. There is too, an awareness that posts may be read by many, other than the original OP, and at any time in the future. So, some may make more general statements applicable to all.
Hopefully my posts didn’t come across that way, but apologies if they did.
Yes, I kinda see your point. Because of Brexit, the subject of immigration still feels something of a hot potato to many of us Brits on here. I think all of us have been inconvenienced in one way or another (including financially so, in my case!).
Not in any way suggesting you were planning on flouting any laws, but we have had people here before who’ve somewhat arrogantly thought they can just turn up and work as long as they stay under the radar*. Perhaps that’s why some new members appear to receive a cooler welcome than others.
I hope you manage to make a success of moving to France, and that you’ll stick around the forum.
*just to say, this always happened even before Brexit - arguably moreso than it does these days
I got them free with the new car from Ford - they were a rip-off to all those who rushed out to get them as they only lasted a short while if you checked the expiry date.
I hope you don’t think we have been having a go at you.
Many have pointed out that the advice you have been given, and told us about, is wrong. If we did not tell you that, you may have gone ahead following that advice and then been in difficulties.
No I dont feel like people have had a pop, dig, or Go at me but what I posted may have been misinterpreted from what my initial posting was actually meant to be about.
I like most people I have to accept advice given at the time may change or it is possible something has made it possible to do what I am looking to do.
“I” and “I dont” mean this in any nasty way dont care about others that have failed was it they did not submit the right information or it was not strong enough, or was it that the business case was again not strong enough or did they not take expert advice each case is different.
At the end of the day I will use not just an expert in this area who it is their reputation and business on the line if they give bad or wrong advice, but also those people that have lived and breathed this whole thing, who can point out some things I may have missed.
All advice given will only inform me and make it possible for me to achieve my end goal and hopefully a happy life in France.
So far I have lots of questions from this posting I need to get answers for and I need to double check how I will got about this. I have time to make sure that when I do apply and start the process I am doing it right and I have ticked all the box’s I need to so it will be successful
So thank you all for the information you have provided it is valuable and I will be double checking if its relevant to what I want to do, or if I need to change my thoughts and look at how I do this differently so as to make sure my move is done legally and I have no reason to take into consideration the CIGAWI or WHIGC index
We’ve still got them knocking around the garage.
