Uprating a 5 year WA Titre de Sejour - Closed

There seems to be an awful lot of worrying out there regarding the 5 and 10 year cards. For those that qualified for a residents card pre Brexit, I would assume that the 10 year card would almost automatically be issued, unless the person in question has fallen foul of the authorities in some capacity. For ‘normal’ law abiding citizens I can’t see what the problem is, unless I’m missing something. Maybe a bit too much overthinking going on on the subject.

Please can a Holder of the CdS(WA) 5-year card, tell me the date on which said card “expires” …

(I note that my CdS(WA) 10-year card is dated 2020-2030.)

cheers

31-03-2026.

Edit - Card arrived June 2021 - of course, doh! (not 2020 as I put)

Well that is exactly what concerns me, because the WA states quite clearly that the normal FoM conditions apply. A 5 year CDS is issued in order to give recent arrivals an opportunity to qualify.

Thanks.
So you can apply for the 10 year card to be issued 2026 - 2036… provided you’ve “not been a naughty boy” :wink:
Seems straight forward…

I’m not sure there’s worrying as such, it just seems like some cough*who I think almost all seem to have permanent residency already :roll_eyes:*cough can’t seem to see why, for piece of mind, some would rather get acknowledgment of their permanent rights sooner rather than later. Frankly it makes me cringe to the degree some people on here are ‘by the book’ to an almost ridiculous level, but we’re all different and we all have different ideas and ‘life codes’ if you like, that we live by, so what’s important and valid for them is valid, it’s not my place to run them down for it as what they choose for their life is what matters. I only keep posting on this thread as it still seems like some are completely unable to appreciate that although they see it as a bit of a fuss over nothing, especially when we could have a far right, foreigner hating (unless they’re Russian seemingly) president for the next 5 years, anything that anchors someone to France just that little bit more and makes them feel a little bit more safe and comfortable, can only be a positive. But ultimately we shall see.

It’s a shame there’s not someone for residency like Kim C is for driving, someone with a direct line who could clear it up once and for all.

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Oh I can absolutely see why people would like that, that but I can also see why it may not be practical or possible and may not be considered necessary.
My ‘life code’ if you like is, that I accept there will often be a gap between what I would like, in an ideal world, and what I actually get. As long as I have what I actually need I try not to waste angst worrying about what I would like but do not have.

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Definitely, I agree with you completely, none of my comment was aimed at you, or anyone specific, it’s just unfortunate, as I said to you further up this thread I think, that people were told specifically that it would be possible, repeatedly, by the organisations working with the french and British governments to help people, and even by prefectures. I’m leaving out embassies and the ministry of the interior as I can’t actually remember for certain but I’ve a feeling they said similar too.

While as you say it may not be in the WA, trust me, there were a lot of sources saying words very close to ‘when you get to 5 years residency you will obtain permanent rights, a new card is not necessary until expiry as but if you want one you can apply to your prefecture directly to be issued one’. If this is all effectively nonsense it’s a concern as to where it came from and why it was said.

Just randomly my first hit on a search was the diocese in Europe who had the contract to do quite a few areas of France and were, I understood in direct close contact with the french government. Their page says

If you are issued a five-year Withdrawal Agreement residence permit, but reach five years of legal residence before the card nears expiration, you can request your ten-year permanent residence permit. This may not be immediately issued by the préfecture, but be assured that under EU and French law, your rights of permanent residence exist even if they’re not reflected in the card that you possess.

Source: https://www.frenchresidencysupport.org/post/the-withdrawal-agreement-residence-permit

Not quite as direct as my remembering but not far off. It’s certainly not saying wait to the expiry of the card before asking for a permanent.

Edit: I see now that @ JaneJones quoted the same article, and paragraph much further up. I really should scan the whole of a thread before commenting :see_no_evil:

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I just fill in various boxes on a spread sheet and return it to french based Englishm speaking accountant and three months later my tax assessmnt arives which he then checks…and any general queries are answered in between…best €120 I spend every year!..

Well this is the important bit surely and this is why I do not see any real need to exchange the card. You have those rights regardless of whether you are given a new card or not. I completely get that having a new card would give you reassurance that your rights have been recognised but I also get that people in offices do not see it as their job to issue documents because people want reassurance because they do not trust the system, they issue documents to meet actual legal requirements.

The narrative below is from the official explanation published by HMG when the withdrawal agreement was signed

30. Those who have not yet resided continuously and lawfully for five years in their host state by the end of the implementation period will also be able to stay until they have reached the five year threshold, at which point they will have the right to reside permanently. The Withdrawal Agreement enables the host state to restrict these rights if the individual is a serious or persistent criminal, or if they seek to abuse or defraud the system.

To me it seems pretty clear that at the five year point from when permanent residence started (which in most cases will be earlier than the start date of the 5yr CdeS) a settled personc who has met residency requiremrnts in first five years will have the right of pernanent settlement aka 10yrs card.

So worry ye not unless President Le Pen decides to tear up a whole raft of EU treaties, or of course if you are really naughty!

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To be fair the really naughty people are generally the ones worth being around, although maybe not in this context :laughing:

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One further thought …HMG and French Authorities worked together quite well regarding the issue of the WA CdeS, but now that’s all history, replacing 5yr cards is not going to concentrate minds in the same way, so i think it’s best to apply for a 10yr card as soon as you have achieved the 5 year period, which in many cases will be at least a year or more before the 5 yr card date expires, the applications being spread over many months will not cause the work load like the original ones did, so maybe it will just be a standard process and be reasonably hassle free.
Anybody know anybody who has applied to exchange 5yr for a 10 yr.

I’ve encountered people who have tried, and have been told to go away. (Many préfectures are also a touch occupied sorting out permits for Ukrainians.)

The 5 year card shows when you arrivied, your tax returns show your continuity, and that’s what proves your rights. Anyway, if the worst happens the a plastic card would be no more protection than the documents.

The original poster applied to her prefecture (see first post) … and from their response it seems clear that there isn’t anything in place to accept the CdSWA exchange, just yet.
No doubt something Official (ANTS?)…will click-in nearer the time (maybe even sooner), depending on workloads/priorities within the various govt depts who organise such stuff.

Is this a typo? Or do you mean that it just shows that you arrived before ‘brexit day’? The only dates on my 5 year card are DOB, date of issue in 2021, which is almost 5 years after I arrived, and expiry. The date I arrived should, I guess, be in my file somewhere as it obviously was an entry field during the online application, assuming that information has all been kept rather than just some of it.

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I think something will be in place before all the 5 yr CdS expire. I imagine it’ll just be added to all the existing CdS and that you’ll have to go through the normal route : timbre fiscal and renewal at your nearest mairie that deals with them (not the small village ones). But given the current delays for CNI renewals don’t hold your breath !

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Yes, sorry. Meant it shows one is WARP enabled, and the dossier itself is the detail.

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This article seems to answer this question pretty definitively. Although, I do think it seems very foolish having everyone with 5 year cards all applying to exchange in the same 6-8 month period as will likely happen, they managed to pull a blinder with the original rollout but that was with significant prep, I somehow doubt in 2025 they’ll be anywhere near as tooled up as in 2020 which could potentially lead to a Driving License style debacle and a massive headache for all.

Thanks for posting this article. My interest is because Madame may be relying on the 1 year absence exemption, so cue getting various letters from doctors etc…

If the article is reporting the position correctly (I have read the connexion is not necessarily at the heights of totally accurate legal position reportage - don’t mean this in a curmidgeous way) then it would indeed be of some comfort.

I’m hoping that a file of 5 French tax returns will help smooth any process - though her 2020 return now seems truly lost - will have to return to the Fisc once 2021 has calmed down to try to sort out 2020 for her. At least we got an official in person receipt stamp on the paper forms this year!