How to obtain and apply for a residence permit or permanent residence in France if you want to immigrate

Ways to obtain a residence permit and permanent residence in France

Business immigration to France

The procedure for obtaining a residence permit: First, you need to open a French company, a representative office, or a branch of a Belarusian company in France. For this, a request is made to the prefecture in the client's name to obtain permission to conduct business activities in France without a residence permit, so that they can immediately officially become the head of their company. This will allow you not to look for a French or EU citizen to act as the company's manager, and will also reduce additional expenses for paying for their services. Then you need to appoint yourself the manager of this company, for which you need to obtain the necessary permit in advance, this permit is called the merchant card.

The merchant card allows you to manage the business yourself. You need to apply for the merchant card at the French consulate that is closest to your place of residence. It may take 5-7 months to consider your application. When you become the manager of your company in France, you will automatically be granted a residence permit in this country. After 3 years of profitable operation of the company, you can apply for resident status, which will be granted for 10 years. You can apply for citizenship after 5 years of legal stay in France.

At the French Consulate, the period for considering a file for a request for a residence permit is from 1 to 6 months.

Working in France

Labor immigration is limited: an employer who wants to issue a work permit for a foreign citizen is obliged to prove that no one among French citizens or foreigners already residing in France can take this vacancy. To obtain a visa, the employer needs to conclude an agreement with the future employee, after which to submit documents for issuing a visa to the immigrant. A decision will be made in a month and a half.

There are two types of residence permits: for 1 year and for 10 years, both can be renewed.

Blue Card France

This program is designed to simplify the employment of qualified workers from outside the EU. The main requirements for obtaining a Blue Card in France are higher education and/or work experience, as well as an employment contract for a period of at least 12 months with an annual salary specified in it, at least 1.5 times the average salary in the country (currently about 52 thousand euros).

The waiting period for citizenship is at least 5 years. Description of the requirements and procedure for obtaining the card on the website http://www.immigration-professionnelle.gouv.fr/acteurs-économiques/fiche/carte-bleue-européenne

Studying and higher education in France

International students are admitted to higher education institutions without restrictions. The main requirement is knowledge of French at the B1 level or higher, or English (although there are fewer programs in English). But most often, admission requirements depend on the specific university. If you have a bachelor's degree, studying will take about 2 years; future students entering directly from school will need to study a little longer. When your studies are completed, you may be able to prove yourself and be offered a job in France. According to the new migration laws, graduates of French universities have the right to apply for French citizenship after 2 years of work.

Immigration through marriage

You can also move to France by following these methods:

• enter into marriage (mariage) with a French party;
• enter into a civil union, which in France is registered at the town hall, almost like a normal marriage, but imposes fewer obligations on the spouses (concubinage);
• enter into a cohabitation pact, which imposes almost no obligations on the partners, but states their cohabitation (PACS).

French citizenship can be obtained two years after marriage. After a year of living together, an application is submitted to the court. Provided that your life together (both actual and material) has been continuous. The minimum period of joint residence increases to three years if it was interrupted. You may be denied citizenship within a year after submitting the application if any condition is violated.

Real estate in France

The purchase of real estate by a non-resident will be considered gradual immigration to France. However, the fact of purchasing real estate is not a basis for living in your apartment or house for as long as you like. Without a residence permit, you can only live in your own home for 6 months.

A foreigner who is the owner (tenant) of French real estate can apply for a residence permit, after obtaining which he will be able to stay in France all year. The residence permit is renewed 4 times, and from the fifth time you can apply for a 10-year card and, if you wish, for citizenship.

I would like to note that having a residence permit, you will not have the right to work in France.

Status of a political refugee

What should you do if you decide to become a political immigrant?

1. Contact the prefecture or (in a small settlement) the town hall. You will have to briefly explain the reasons for your decision and provide an address to which the prefecture will send you documents.
2. After the first visit, 3-5 days will pass, and you will receive a large questionnaire and your first residence card in the mail. This card does not give you the right to work or study.
3. In a few weeks or months, if everything is fine, you will be called to Paris to the office of the International Migration Service (Office de Migration Internationale) for an interview. If after the interview your arguments are found to be convincing that you are indeed at risk in your country for political, racial, or other non-economic reasons, then a positive decision will be made regarding you, and you will be issued a residence permit card. Note that although historically France has accepted many refugees, obtaining this status for citizens of the CIS is almost impossible, as compelling reasons related to the risk to life are needed.

Permanent Residence in France

You can apply for permanent residence by organizing your business in France. You will need to invest at least 150,000 euros in the French economy. According to French law, you can be the main founder of the enterprise, but the director must обязательно be a French citizen. After purchasing the business, you need to write an application for a temporary residence permit and for a merchant card. This card allows you to manage your business yourself (become a director). At first, the temporary residence permit will be issued for 1 year, with the possibility of automatic renewal.

After a year, you can apply for permanent residence in France. If during your stay in France no laws have been violated and the new business is profitable, and if the applicant has spent a significant part of their time residing in France or the EU, then you can safely expect that they will receive permanent residence. Permanent residence will be issued for 10 years, and if necessary, it can always be extended. After receiving permanent residence, you can stay abroad as much as you like (permanent residence in France will be preserved). After 10 years of receiving permanent residence, you will have the legal right to apply for French citizenship.

If an investment in the French economy of larger amounts (1,000,000 euros or more) has been made, all waiting periods will be reduced, and you can apply for permanent residence in France after just six months.

Since 2009, France has introduced a test on knowledge of the French language and French basic values for candidates for family immigration (marriage to a French citizen, family reunion). Those who fail the test will be offered 40-hour courses, where immigration candidates will be told about life in France. This will prepare them for future integration into French society.

French Citizenship

A foreign citizen can apply for the status of citizen after five years of residence in the country. There are exceptions to this requirement.

For those who have graduated from a university in France, married a French citizen (provided continuous cohabitation), the residence period will be reduced from 5 to 2 years. The period may also be reduced for those born and residing in French-speaking countries or those who have served in the French army.

The necessary list of documents for a particular visa can be found on the website of the French Embassy in Minsk http://www.ambafrance-by.org/-Visas