New Online Immigration Service for Brits in France
This past October, the French government released an online portal made specifically for British citizens already living in France allowing them to begin their application for their carte de sejour. According to the official website, “the online service is meant for British citizens as well as their family members residing on the French territory before the UK’s withdrawal date from the European Union in case of a no-deal Brexit.”
In France, the population of British has always been high. Even though the numbers vary from 170,000 to 400,000, it is no doubt that most of them will be benefiting and taking advantage of this new platform. It has been reported that it can take up to 8 months for individuals to receive their permanent residency approvals given the number of applications that are submitted on a daily basis. It is very possible that this new platform can speed up this process exponentially and allowing them to go through more applications every day.
Image Credit: Unsplash / Sandro Cenni
AUP’s Professor Hannah Westley, falls into one of the many British experiencing Brexit tension and concern, regarding resident statuses outside the U.K. Even though she does possess French citizenship, she supports the creation of this new portal and believes it is a “change for the better as long as it isn’t time-consuming” compared to applying for the carte de sejour the old school way. This will definitely be an advantage and make the process of application smoother for both British AUP professors and staff as well as for the student population.
Given that it is a digital process, it is vital for the applicants to scan their passports and any other documents that prove arrival dates in France and proof of work. Utility bills, proof of work status, employment contracts, payslips, tax returns, bank statements, and health insurance will all support the application.
