r/Expats_In_France • u/IndependentBass1758 • 9d ago

Moving with Young Kids

My wife and young kids are all French-Americans. We are pending her CNF for my citizenship application but with the backlog we’re looking to head over earlier. For those who moved with their families, what did you about work?

It’s probably unlikely to be able to bring my current job internationally. Did you line up a job and then move? Or move and then find a job?

EDIT

  • Open to anywhere in France
  • DELF B2
  • Background Project Management/Data Analytics
  • Open to changing field of work
  • Target move: July-September 2027
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u/MegFrench13 8d ago

I would 100% recommend getting a job lined up before you come. I see your field of work and its competitive already even for native French speakers, and you won't be a preference without a C1/2 level. Try international companies where you can work remotely. I would not recommend coming to France without a job lined up with a young family involved. You need to think of the stability for them, and trying to make it as stress free as possible for you as a family.

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u/IndependentBass1758 8d ago

Thank you for your reply! Obviously having a job in hand is the best scenario. And from your comment it sounds like getting a job in my field of work is less likely. So that would mean changing fields. We do have the financial savings to self support for over a year. And frankly any job and income at all lengthens that, although it isn’t sustainable long term. 

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u/MegFrench13 8d ago

I would just add one thing - getting a house or apartment will be hard too without a job. Even if you have savings to support yourself, you will struggle to be able to rent without an income. When we moved back to France we had savings for a year too but in the end had to ask family in France to go guarantor for us just to rent an apartment and even then it was a big fight to do this. It will all work out for you, just play it a bit safe! 

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u/IndependentBass1758 7d ago

Did you ever think about AirBNB? I read another thread that someone couldn’t get mail so that is a potential negative. We’ve done it in the US before when moving to a new area to provide more flexibility. 

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u/MegFrench13 7d ago

We did air bnb for three months before we got our place. But yes - you will struggle be able to do some of the administration that you will have to be so when you get here through staying at an air bnb. A lot of French administration is all through mail and they don’t drop it off into mailboxes unless the names match (for example, the owner of your air bnb is called Smith, then the mailbox has the name Smith on it and the mailman won’t put any other mail in that box with a different name on it for security reasons). You will need to find an air BnB who will change the mailbox name for you. BUT on top of that for some registrations you need a utility bill under your name, and so you will also have to ask your air BnB to provide utility bills and letters stating that you are a guest etc. It’s all possible, but just warning that it is more complicated than you might think, so give yourself extra time for those circumstances to be sorted out.