While the French senate has removed access to state healthcare for migrants and also introduced laws to expel French immigrants who have committed crimes, it has approved a bill that facilitates some Brits’ stay in the country.
More specifically, British second-home owners in France will have their long-stay visa right automatically extended for more than three months without any formalities, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The idea of facilitating Brits’ stay in the country will be added to France’s immigration bill and is expected to be included in the text to be sent to MPs for debate in December, as the Connexion France reports.
Another two amendments for non-resident second-home owners have been rejected by the senators. The new amendment could include the requirement for British second-home owners in France to show present proof of home ownership at the border, saving time and expenses for homeowners and easing the workload for French visa office staff.
Currently, Brits are able to stay in France for three months, regardless of owning houses there, and the main option available to them is to apply for a temporary long-stay visa, which is issued for a certain period, typically being valid for four to six months, and applications for such a visa need to be made from the beginning each time – different from most other visas to France, which assume that the holder is moving to France and plans to apply for a residence permit in the meanwhile.
According to data by Insee, there are around 86,000 properties owned by Brits in France, and they have been affected by Brexit, the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. Before Brexit, Brits were able to come and go for up to half of the year in between their second homes in France and elsewhere.
In a survey by the Connextion it has been revealed that the majority of 1,300 homeowners in France spend around €3,000 per month in France and also pointed out that they would love to visit their French communes more often.
Since the UK left the EU, Brits have been stripped of some of the privileges they had while still in the zone, including the right of free movement in the Schengen area. More specifically, Brits are now allowed to stay in the zone for three months (90 days) every six months (180 days).
On the other hand, EU citizens in the UK are allowed to come for up to six months at a time, as is the case for all visitors from nationalities with a short-term visa waiver.
In general, the new French immigration bill has caused a stir, as it aims at really limiting immigration. The immigration bill has around 27 provisions, while the debate will focus on two – introducing a one-year visa for skilled foreign workers in sectors with labour shortages and easing the deportation procedures.