Working in France

[Invincible Summer]

Hey people.

So my girlfriend may be going to France to teach English with one of those language exchange sort of things. I would hate to miss a chance to go on such an adventure (with a girl that I absolutely love no less) so I plan on going with her. Of course, I can't just sit on my ass for 9 months, so I want to get a job while I'm there.

So I've got a few questions, and if any of you can help me out, that would be excellent.

- Do any of you know how easy it is to get a work visa in France?
- What kind of jobs should I (a Canadian citizen that speaks very little French) expect to get?
- How far can I get without knowing French? I plan on taking some lessons beforehand, but I doubt I will be able to speak at a working level
- What is the average cost of living in France? We will most likely not be living in Paris, as it's too expensive.

I know this is really pro-active and jumping ahead of myself (I may not even be able to go), but I figure I ask now just in case things take a long time to process things/get stuff approved/etc.

[Magón]

Well from my visit to Southern France, I can tell you from experience, that they're not happy with people who come there and don't know French. I went there, with very little French myself, and it was a nightmare. Things got crossed, the taxi guy didn't know what I was saying, I lost the map, it was pretty much a disaster getting to our hotel from the airport. But I'm sure if you study French (book, something like that) you'll pick it up in no time. Plus, being thrown into a foreign language, where it's spoken to you 24/7 basically, you're gonna have no problem learning it after maybe a few weeks, maybe an entire month? But for being there nine months, you've got plenty of time to learn.

As for jobs and cost of living, I don't know. As for a work visa, it wasn't hard at all. I think it took about the same amount of time for me to get my work visa as it did my traveling non-work visa. Of course, the rates may have changed since the last time I got a visa was awhile ago. At least to France. But to you, I say good luck and Au revoir! :thumbup1:

[danyboy27]

hello, they dont even like people who speak their own brand of french.

French canadian who visit france ca be considered Primitives by some people if their french arnt alright compared to their.

[ellipsis]

I have a friend who fled federal probation in the US to live in Paris illegally. He says he just posts really funny and weird ads on craiglist and apply to jobs his not qualified for. Last I heard he found a job, still without documentation driving a vehicle covered in cameras for making a street view map, for 15 euros an hour. He works for a company in California so im guessing french language skills aren't a big deal. Plus most europeans traveling in france will speak some english and sometimes language is not needed. Also you may consider farm work labor exchange type thing, through woof or a similar organization. I am sure there are zapatista solidarity orgs to connect and work with. there is a thriving street kid and squatter culture in Europe that we don't really have in north america.

I say go for it, life's too short not to.

[Pavlov's House Party]

hello, they dont even like people who speak their own brand of french.

French canadian who visit france ca be considered Primitives by some people if their french arnt alright compared to their.

so true, i went with my friend who is perfectly bilingual (he translates official documents for cash) and in paris and most regions they thought both of us were morons or something because of our accents and the slang that quebecers use; they'd talk slowly like we couldn't understand them and shit.

it was only in the norman countryside that we got some awesome hospitality (and even some free meals!), because most quebecers ancestors are from normandy and our versions of french are very similar.

[Devrim]

- Do any of you know how easy it is to get a work visa in France?

I would imagine that it would be very difficult to impossible. Officially non-European citizens can not be given jobs that a European can be found to do, so unless you have some special skills, you can virtually count it out.

Exemptions are very rare, I have only ever personally met one person who got one.

That means that you will have to work illegally, and the work you can do will obviously be limited by your lack of French.

I'm sorry it is not a very optimistic response.

Devrim

[MilkmanofHumanKindness]

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0501/working_in_france.shtml

Work Permits

Going through the hoops of obtaining a French work permit for a non-European is just not on, unless you are a highly skilled professional if no European can be found for the position that work permits are mostly issued in such cases. To this category includes IT contractors, engineers, and other specialists who may be hired by foreign companies that have service contracts in France. In general, the French American Chamber of Commerce in Paris says, the opportunities are in services and technology.

In 2003, France issued only 6500 visas for permanent employment, of which 313 were to Americans. The construction industry and hotel-restaurant sectors accounted for a large part.

If you belong to the majority who cannot explain what a computer's hexadecimal ASCII codes mean, then how about picking fruit. 14,566 visas were issued in 2003 to seasonal agriculture workers, mainly in the sunny south. The bad news is that because of special agreements, 90 percent of them went to Poles and Moroccans, so I suggest polishing up your fruit-picking knowledge before trying this category and avoid being picky if offered a job. Alternatively, get Polish or Moroccan nationality.

Scientists, artists, and authors belong to special visa categories. If you can get a contract in one of these sectors, then you will have fewer problems getting your visa. Numbers are low, however. Only 1162 scientist visas and 375 artist-author visas were issued in 2003.

[mossy noonmann]

i live in france , and getting a job is a nightmare. You really need to speak french. when i arrived with no french i picked apples. The season only lasts a month and the money is shit and you will need a work permit, there were cops coming and checking papers.

why not try to do the same scheme as your girlfriend? i teach english now despite not having a degree or anything. being a native english speaker can go a long way but you really just have to get lucky.

like most places off the books work depends on who you know.

As for the cost of living. depends on what you like doing:
going out to drink is very expensive €2.50 for 25 cl of lager :(
eating out can be quite cheap esp at lunchtimes €11 for a main course and a pudding with 25 cl of the local plonk thrown. round here for €11/12 you can eat really well:)

sorry if this is a bit depressing

if you want anymore info i'm happy to help

[Invincible Summer]

Thanks for the replies everyone!


I would imagine that it would be very difficult to impossible. Officially non-European citizens can not be given jobs that a European can be found to do, so unless you have some special skills, you can virtually count it out.

Exemptions are very rare, I have only ever personally met one person who got one.

That means that you will have to work illegally, and the work you can do will obviously be limited by your lack of French.

I'm sorry it is not a very optimistic response.

Devrim



If you belong to the majority who cannot explain what a computer's hexadecimal ASCII codes mean, then how about picking fruit. 14,566 visas were issued in 2003 to seasonal agriculture workers, mainly in the sunny south. The bad news is that because of special agreements, 90 percent of them went to Poles and Moroccans, so I suggest polishing up your fruit-picking knowledge before trying this category and avoid being picky if offered a job. Alternatively, get Polish or Moroccan nationality.

I'm trying to prepare myself to work illegally. How um... often do French police check for illegal workers? Chinese ones at that...

And I'm not too picky about what kind of work I do, which may help. I actually figured I might have to do the work of the marginalized immigrant population (e.g. fruit picking), so it's not a huge surprise to hear this stuff albeit depressing.




i live in france , and getting a job is a nightmare. You really need to speak french. when i arrived with no french i picked apples. The season only lasts a month and the money is shit and you will need a work permit, there were cops coming and checking papers.
Um... do the police check permits frequently? If I tried to even get a job as a recycling depot person or something that lots of immigrants do, would they check?


why not try to do the same scheme as your girlfriend? i teach english now despite not having a degree or anything. being a native english speaker can go a long way but you really just have to get lucky.
The thing is, the program she's planning on going on requires you to be interviewed partially in French. I don't think I'd be able to get my French up to snuff fast enough to do that.

I would very much like to teach English as well (seems like the easiest route) but I'm not sure how feasible it is for me.



like most places off the books work depends on who you know.

I'm not very well connected. :(


As for the cost of living. depends on what you like doing:
going out to drink is very expensive €2.50 for 25 cl of lager :(
eating out can be quite cheap esp at lunchtimes €11 for a main course and a pudding with 25 cl of the local plonk thrown. round here for €11/12 you can eat really well:)
I don't drink anymore so I guess I don't have to worry about that.



My gf found this: http://www.ambafrance-ca.org/spip.php?article1950

And if she can't get a work contract (her professor/work supervisor may be able to hook her up with some university contacts in France) to get the 2A Visa, then we'd both try to get the 2E one and stay for a shorter period of time.

How accurate/legit is this?

[MilkmanofHumanKindness]

I'm trying to prepare myself to work illegally. How um... often do French police check for illegal workers? Chinese ones at that...

And I'm not too picky about what kind of work I do, which may help. I actually figured I might have to do the work of the marginalized immigrant population (e.g. fruit picking), so it's not a huge surprise to hear this stuff albeit depressing.

The country's recession has made under-the-table jobs hard to find, and if you get caught working illegally the punishment is dire: immediate deportation plus a five-year ban on visiting most of Western Europe.

I wouldn't recommend working illegally. I scrounged up some places to look at:

http://disneylandparis-casting.com/en

Bombard Balloon Adventures, SRO Ground Crew, Chateau de Laborde, Laborde Au Château, 21200 Beaune, France; U.S. fax. 561-837-6623; [email protected]; www.bombardsociety.org/jobs. Hot-air balloon ground crew for summer season, mainly in France (hiring begins late Feb.) and for winter season (Jan./Feb.) in the Swiss Alps (hiring begins Oct. 20).

http://www.learn4good.com/jobs/language/english/list/hospitality/france/

Butterfly et Papillon, 8 Av de Geneve, F-74000 Annecy, France; 011-33-4-50-67-01-33; [email protected], www.butterfly-papillon.com. All nationalities placed as au pairs in French families for three to 18 months. French language courses paid by family for long-stay au pairs.

Centres d’Information et de Documentation Jeunesse (CIDJ), 101 Quai Branly, 75740, Cedex 15, Paris; fax 011-33-1-40-65-02-61; www.cidj.com. Advisory centers for young people throughout France. Paris branch distributes leaflets (fiches) and booklets on work, study, etc. in France (see www.cidj-librairie.com for prices). Foyer notice board carries many small ads of use as a starting place for the job or accommodation seeker in Paris.

Club du Vieux Manoir, Ancienne Abbaye du Moncel, 60700 Pontpoint, France; 011-33-3-44-72-33-98; clubduvieuxmanoir.asso.fr. Fifteen-day summer workcamps and longer camps to restore ancient monuments.

Demain.fr (www.demain.fr). French language site with up to 4,000 vacancies all over France.


Fédération Unie des Auberges de Jeunesse, 27 rue Pajol, 75018 Paris, France; 001-33-1 44 89 87 27; www.fuaj.org. French youth hostels association offers short-term work (catering, reception, sports, instruction, etc.) at its member hostels throughout France. Applications must be sent to individual hostels. FUAJ also organizes voluntary workcamps to renovate hostels. Another chain of youth accommodations is Ucrif Etapes Jeunes, 27 rue de Turbigo, BP 6407, 75064 Paris Cedex 02; 011-33-1-40-26-57-64; www.ethic-etapes.fr.


La Giraudiere: Work and Stay in Southwest France at a Tourist Hamlet. Here is an offer of work abroad that we have for you. Seven days full board and lodgings at La Giraudiere in Southwest France for €90 per week plus three days of work for La Giraudiere. You give La Giraudiere three days of work and it will give you four days holiday for the simple cost of €90. You cannot lose and at worst you will end up with the cheapest holiday on the Internet. Contact: Contact: [email protected], www.lagiraudiere.com/workprogram.html.

Hope some of this helps, but unless you don't want to be in Western Europe for the next 5 years, or want to be deported back to canada without your girlfirend, I would highly, highly, highly recommend not working illegally.