Hello! I am speaking on behalf of myself and the 5 other friends who I plan to spend a good chunk of my life with! We are soon to graduate from highschool, none of us are actually interested in college! In fact, we all want to travel the world. Starting with living in Europe. We were hoping to move to France, Lens to be exact. And we have a plan to gather the money, and we plan to just buy an apartment that could house the 6 of us (were easy living). We have our plan and we know what we need to move, but honestly I do not think any of us are sure how to approach this. We plan to leave late summer of 2014! Does anybody know how we should approach this (finding an apartment, finding jobs, maybe another city to live in France?) We are very cultural people and our goal is to experience life as we want to experience it. (As the great reggae band, SOJA, said "So why we try so hard in this place? Where pain and suffering's a gaurantee and happiness is a phase.") I plan to change that! I grew up as an average American kid, along with my friends. From a moderate city in the East Coast of the US, suburbs, families. And we all love our lives, but it isn't the life we want to live forever. I want to start my life as soon as possible, because the sad truth of life is that we don't have all the time in the world. Haha, so sorry for ranting, but I was just hoping to give some insight on our personalities. Anyways, any advice would be much, MUCH appreciated! Maybe tips for finding a good apartment in a nice place to live. (Preferably by Paris area!) Thank you!
-The Europe Bound Six
You might not be "interested" in college, but you will be once you realize that your life is going NOWHERE without education. Once you pass 40, it will all be downhill for you, and once you pass 50 your options in life will have been exhausted. What makes you think that France will allow unskilled immigrants - I seriously doubt it!
I'm very much afraid there is another "sad truth of life" and that is that US citizen are only allowed in France and the whole Schengen area for 90 days out of 180, and that's as a tourist.
If you want to stay there longer, you need to apply for a visa, a student visa may be your best bet. If you want to work in France, you'll need a work permit which you'll only get if your employer can prove that nobody from France or the whole EU can do this job. That's more than unlikely if you are an unskilled worker.
Why don't you save your money and spend three months in France with your friends just as tourists?
First, here's the in the USA (from the French consulate in NYC). Will help you know what your options are.
Given your ages, two courses to check out.
1. Study abroad. I know you say you don't want to go to university, but moving to a country as a student is one of the best ways to get to a new country. After completing a course, many countries also offer visas to stay and work.
2. Working Holiday Visa - The opportunity to work and tour a country, usually for a year. Can't stay beyond, but a good opportunity to spend a year in a country. Afraid there isn't one between France and USA, but check out working holiday visas. Check out this page on Wikipedia (). Could be out of date, but a good place to start to look.
Greg
You might not be "interested" in college, but you will be once you realize that your life is going NOWHERE without education. Once you pass 40, it will all be downhill for you, and once you pass 50 your options in life will have been exhausted. What makes you think that France will allow unskilled immigrants - I seriously doubt it!
Haha, buddy. I don't care about past 40, or past 50. That's not life anymore. I plan to live what I can, while I'm still able to do it. I don't care about work, I don't care about money, I don't care about any of that. I don't care if I'm homeless! I have no need for any of the luxuries that people have. I just honestly don't care. All I care about is if I end up dying happy. Which a lot of people say they do, but they don't. Besides, I didn't ask what is gonna happen when I'm 40. But thank you for having my future read!
Anyways, okay. So If I were to apply for a student visa, that'd be my best chance as to stay? I'm assuming that only lasts as long as I'm a student? There has to be a way to get citizenship so I'm able to stay longer than that?
Yes, a student visa is for studying. You need to be accepted at a university and then apply for it. Your grades have to be good enough and you have to speak enough French. I take it you've been taking French at school for some years now since you plan to live there.
To get citizenship you need to have lived in the country legally for some years and have a job so that you are not a burden to the taxpayer.
There is also something like a millionaire's visa, but I don't know much about that. Since you say you don't care about money, this may be an option. In that case maybe your lawyers can look into the matter?
If you're not a millionaire but the I- don't-care-attitude is just youthful enthusiasm, then I'm afraid you have to fall back on the student visa.
Hi - can't help with advice about living or moving to France but just wanted to say - good luck and go for it !! You may find some obstacles and bureaucracy on the way but that's what it's all about, challenge yourself !! Sounds to me that you will do your best to find solutions to any problems that are thrown in your way - there's nothing wrong with youthful enthusiasm !!
If, after research you find the France thing doesn't look feasible don't give up - there's a big world out there !!
At least you will have tried and not turn 50 and think "I wonder what would have happened if ...." !!
Enjoy the adventure !!
Carolyn.
Just an additional thought ..... any particular reason why France and Europe ? (nothing wrong with that) but ..... Europe is very expensive and bureaucratic in comparison to other corners of the globe (South East Asia and Latin America for example) ..... just thinking, if you hit barriers for European travel a group of friends can have a great time in other parts of the world !!
C.
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