Tedz95

Hi All,

Im looking to move to Clermont-Ferrand next year, to live with my girlfreind(she is french and lives there) i am in the process of learning french, so my french right now is not good

My biggest worry is finding a job/studying there, im 23, and i dont have any major qualifications apart from GCSE's. Could anyone advise me on options i may have? like can i study without major qualifications? Or is there any jobs that dont require knowing French? Ofcourse as time passes my french will improve and i can then venture out my job search to something i am interested in such as IT. which is my current job(apprenticeship) in the UK

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated

Teddy

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
No one knows what will happen after Brexit and what conditions potential UK expats will have to comply with. Worst case scenario would be like any other non-EU citizens, a Visa with a job already lined up.
If your gf lives in C-F, she can check on local job offers corresponding to your qualifications, which will at least give an idea of what's available on the employment front at the moment. The high unemployment rate in France MIGHT have gone down by next year, and you'll have a greater chance of finding work if your French is at least as good as a bilingual French applicant's English...
By GCSEs, do you mean what used to be called O-levels (taken at about 16?) or A-levels (at about 18?). You'd have to have the equivalent of the Bac (A-levels) to be accepted in a French Uni.
Sorry that it's too soon to be able to give more concrete advice, but, meanwhile, work hard on your French!

EuroTrash

Hi Teddy
Are you British? Do you have any other passport eg Irish?
As dmu has mentioned, Brexit will potentially change the picture for Brits wanting to move to France, in that after Brexit they will likely need to apply for a visa. As non-EU citizens it will also be harder for Brits to find employment in France, because any French employer who wishes to take on a non-EU employee has to show that they have tried and failed to recruit an EU worker.
One way for non EU citizens to move to France for a few years is to go as a student. There is a university in Clermont Ferrand. If you only have a British passport, maybe you could contact the university and see what your chances are of getting a place on a course. However you would need sufficient funds to prove that you can be self supporting without working for the duration of your studies.
If you have a passport from another EU country it will all be a lot easier.

christmasoompa

GCSE's are what replaced O Levels in the 1980's.

HTH.

dmu

Gosh, that shows my age and how out of touch I am!
So, I'm sorry to say that Teddy wouldn't be able to enrol in any of the C-F Universities and would have to find work. Which in turn won't be easy without the equivalent of the Bac. If no Visas are required by then, he might be lucky in the hospitablity sector, but it would need to be "legal" (= declared) in order to have compulsory healthcare insurance. His girlfriend is best placed to ask around locally for next year when the tourist season starts....
His gf must know this already, if not he must be made aware that they'll be considered separate individuals (no "Partner" status in France) by all French Administrations.
HTH