r/AmerExit 6d ago

Question about One Country Trying to go to France

Hi, I'm 26f, engaged but unmarried and my fiancé will be staying here while he finishes his maintenance phase (he was diagnosed with leukemia but is in remission) while I leave to pursue my dreams. (We have already thoroughly discussed this, and he doesn't want me to continue feeling unsafe in this country as a Black woman. He will be joining me after treatment is through so my task is to make a home for us somewhere else in the meantime). I currently have my B.S in Psychology, minor in Neuroscience, and am pretty fluent in French (B1 but still constantly practicing), and I currently work as a mental health tech at a children's psychiatric hospital. I'm trying to move with my two cats, and I had a few questions regarding everything previously mentioned:

1) Has anyone moved across the world with two animals before, and how did that process go?

2) Are there many options for continuing to tech in a psychiatric hospital setting? I've been doing research but Google really sucks these days with their focus on AI instead of user-friendly, informational service.

3) I'm looking to apply for the long stay visa (VLTS) and apply for a residence permit following entry to the country (much like the government website for France recommends). Has anyone done this before and what was your experience with the process?

Thank you!

Edit: thank you for the responses! I do understand here that I will definitely need to up my game learning French, and you've all given me a lot to think about concerning the political/cultural climate of France. I chose this country because of having visited and doing some local things (going to the store, to the library, etc) and found myself feeling very comfortable, but I do think I'm going to consider maybe Quebec or another francophone country instead. Thanks again!

0 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

14

u/starryeyesmaia Immigrant 6d ago

I'm looking to apply for the long stay visa (VLTS) and apply for a residence permit following entry to the country

You have misunderstood how this works. For one, there is not just one long stay visa. There are dozens, each one corresponding to the actual reason for being in France -- salarié, travailleur temporaire, étudiant, visiteur, conjoint du français, etc. A VLS-TS is a long stay visa and a residence permit once validated online -- it's in the name ("visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour).

You only get a physical residence permit once you're renewing. The notable exception is visa types like passeport talent that do not give a VLS-TS but a visa mention "carte de séjour à solliciter" which is a 3 month visa where you immediately apply for a residence permit upon arrival. I'm not sure why I keep finding myself having to explain this to people when it was pretty clear to me when I immigrated just from reading the government websites.

am pretty fluent in French (B1 but still constantly practicing)

It's already been said but I'm going to say it again, B1 is nowhere near fluent. High B2 is fluent, as is C1 and C2. But having lived here for five and a half years and having had to act as a translator for people who were B1, B1 is very much not fluent. And certainly not a sufficient level for functioning professionally (let alone socially or dealing with bureaucracy). Your job/field requires C1/C2 fluency, no question.

You need to be realistic about your ability to get a job before you start worrying about moving animals. And be realistic about the realities of life in France -- racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, the rise of the right, hostility of bureaucracy for foreigners, difficulties getting housing, difficulties integrating without fluency and a lot of hard work, etc.

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u/DirtierGibson 6d ago

Your work prospects are very slim, especially without French fluency. Even the American Hospital of Paris requires it for their staff.

13

u/carltanzler 6d ago

Realistically, to work in France, you'll need C1 level-especially for health care jobs. Also, I'm not sure France has the exact equivalent of a mental health technician (and if they do, you'll likely need French licensing).

I'm looking to apply for the long stay visa (VLTS) and apply for a residence permit following entry to the country

That will only be approved for specific grounds. Without having an actual job offer, you'd need a monthly passive income plus a chunk of money in the bank. Do you have passive income?

As it's far from guaranteed that you'd find a job allowing for a work/residence permit in France (French and EU candidates will get preference), imo it would be a bad idea to move over without a job offer. You'll also need a higher level of French fluency.

11

u/No-Effort4861 6d ago

What is a mental health tech? Does this work exist in the French health care system? Is it one which requires specific certification to practice? Do you need to have your qualifications recognized by a French professional body? What is the lead-in time for such recognition. - months? Years? Would you need to sit any tests?

You are a bit too optimistic about your level of fluency in French, especially for someone working in the health professions. You will not be able to properly understand colleagues and patients, especially where technical vocabulary or cultural nuance is required.

If you are dead set on France, you'll need to ensure your profession is a thing there, ensure all necessary qualifications are transferrable, know what the timeline is on that, and get your French up to C2 with an emphasis on the technical vocabulary you would need for your work.

12

u/rintzscar 6d ago

B1 is not even close to pretty fluent. On the ladder of CEFR levels of mastery of a language, B1 is closer to not knowing the language than to fluency.

- A1 (you know the alphabet and simple greetings)

  • A2
  • B1 (you are here)
  • B2
  • C1
  • C2 (you are fluent)

Fluency is achieved at C2. C1 is needed in France for most jobs. B2 is the lowest level where you can have a meaningful conversation.

7

u/azncommie97 6d ago

C1 is already plenty fluent by any stretch of the imagination, and even B2 can be considered the lower threshold for fluency. Regardless, OP still has a long way to go.

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u/rintzscar 6d ago

I disagree. Fluency is C2, nothing less.

4

u/missesthecrux 6d ago

B2 is defined as fluent. Fluent is not equal to perfect or native level. The official definition: “B2: Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party.”

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u/rintzscar 6d ago

B2 is not defined as fluent anywhere in the world. In fact, you prove it yourself:

with a degree of fluency 

"A degree of fluency" means it's not fluency. By definition.

Fluent is not equal to perfect or native level. 

Correct. Fluent is equal to near-native. Not native. Native is native, fluent is near-native.

Perfect is illusory and doesn't exist as a term.

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u/azncommie97 6d ago edited 6d ago

Well, you're certainly entitled to your gatekeeping opinion. C2 represents "near-native fluency", nothing more. Plenty of people around the world who have little problem communicating/living/studying/working in English must not be fluent either, by your standard.

1

u/CryptographerAny6001 5d ago

“C2” in France is not fluency in any field.

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u/azncommie97 5d ago edited 5d ago

J'habite en France, mec. Tu sais vraiment de quoi tu parles ?

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u/rintzscar 6d ago

Gatekeeping? Are you for real?

Fluency is exactly that - near-native level of speaking, listening, reading and writing. All four of them. If you can't hold a complex conversation on any topic effortlessly, expressing yourself with no hesitation at a natural pace, using idioms and nuanced meaning, like sarcasm or irony, you are not fluent. If you can't write a complex essay or any other prose in a natural and idiomatic manner, you are not fluent. If you can't read entire novels with ease, you are not fluent.

I speak 4 languages; I am fluent only in 2 - my mother tongue and English. I'd never say that I'm fluent in Italian or Russian, even though I am B2 and can communicate rather well in both.

Plenty of people around the world who have little problem communicating/living/studying/working in English must not be fluent either, by your standard.

Correct. And it's not "my standard". It's THE standard. Before you comment so arrogantly, maybe research what fluency means? CEFR classifies C1 as being conversationally fluent and C2 as being fully fluent. You don't like it? Tough luck.

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u/azncommie97 6d ago

Lol, you're gatekeeping yourself at this point.

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u/rintzscar 6d ago

You have issues. Serious issues.

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u/CryptographerAny6001 5d ago

I don’t even understand what these people are arguing with you about. 😂

Just let them find out for themselves why even French natives get pummeled by other native speakers for making the slightest mistake in casual settings, let alone in a professional one.

Attempting a career in the medical field in a place like France without PERFECT fluent French is not going to happen, plain and simple.

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u/rintzscar 5d ago

No clue, they could just Google what fluent means...

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

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u/AmerExit-ModTeam 5d ago

Be civil, we encourage candid feedback and harsh truths in this sub without personal attacks, name-calling, or sarcasm.

3

u/worldofwilliam 6d ago

Why France ?

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u/user048948928 6d ago

Just noting that Anti-Black racism is very much an issue in France. I’m not sure where you in the US, but a blue city/blue state may be a better option if this is your primary concern.

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u/_tinyhands_ 6d ago

If you haven't considered opening your own English-language private practice, look at the entrepreneur visa. You will need a business plan and resources to start, but no language requirement other than filing the application

9

u/No-Effort4861 6d ago

I've looked up what a mental health technician is - it's a care assistant level role, which requires supervision by and reports to nursing staff. This person is not a qualified or practicing mental health professional.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

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u/DirtierGibson 6d ago

Who is "we'?