 Poster: A snowHead
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Hiya
This has maybe already been asked but I can't find a thread on it...
I'm wanting to spend January onwards in the French alps, probably Chamonix, but I only have a British passport so will need to get a long stay visa. I was hoping to be able to find work when I get out there but am struggling to work out whether a long stay visa covers me for working. I'm unsure whether I'd need a visa and a carte de sejour, although I'm struggling to even find where to apply for a carte de sejour!
It seems like doing it this way with finding work on the go might just not be an option anymore, but because I'm only free from January it seems unlikely I'll be able to find a contract as companies want people from the start of the season. So I'm a bit stumped.
Any advice on visas/work permits/getting a job once you're in France would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Lucy
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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A tourist visa will not cover you for working. To get a visa as an employee the employer would need to get you a work permit first and then you would need to get the visa before you left the UK so what you are preposing will not work at all I am afraid.
You best option is probably to go in January and not work and stay for 89 days or until your money runs out.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If you miss the hiring window, which is kinda now, then even people hired and fired early season wont get replaced until the Feb holidays, as weeks 2&3 of Jan are pretty quiet.
So if you're not coming till Jan, then just ski until Feb whereupon there'll be lots of cash in hand jobs on changeover days.
When you're on the ground you might find an employer who will offer you a job & help with the visa, but you'd need to return to the UK when you have your appointment, and then you can re-enter France using the visa (and work legally) rather than your 90 free days.
Worst case is that you don't find anything and you just head back after 90 days as snowrider suggets.
If you think that from say Jan 1st, 90 days will take you until the end of March, and the majority of skiing shuts down at the end of April, you're only missing 3-4 weeks.
If the time between you attending your visa appointment, and it being all signed and sorted so you can re-enter is anything over 10 days, then really it's a lot of effort for not a great deal of gain (other than being able to work legally for a few days, and the work will eat into your skiing time).
If you CAN afford not to work, just do 90 days and have a blast. If you need to work, you wont manage 90 days skiing anyhow.
Don't know about Cham, but there's a whole ton of jobs available in PdS at the moment.
Good luck
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks for the advice everyone, it's much appreciated! It sound like the visa/work permit situation is going to be as tricky as I thought it would be. But these all sound like good ideas, I think I'm slowly forming a plan haha
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@sprocket909, didn't brexit make everything better & easier? I mean, that's what they said would happen 
I think, from what I'm reading, you'd need to find a post where employer can't find a EU staff, they like you, apply for a permit to employ you, you apply then for a work visa to do said job.
I know anglophone bars here in Chamonix are struggling to find staff, in fact, any staff at all, so I don't think it's a lost cause, but it will be tricky.
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@under a new name, I wonder what the reality of the situation will be for French ski resort bars who need staff, for what may turn out to be a very busy season indeed, with everyone trying to make-up for 1 or 2 lost seasons due to COVID?
Do you think if a friendly and hard-working person from the UK, who has bar experience — but no EU passport or work visa — turns up and discretely chats to the bar manager, that they could be employed cash-in-hand, no-questions-asked?
Or is that just not the done thing in France, and too much of a risk for the employer?
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 16-10-21 22:57; edited 1 time in total
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@Poogle, these days? I would think no chance at all.
Working on the black does still exist, obvs, but I don't see any sensible company taking the risk. Too expensive if caught.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@Poogle, these days? I would think no chance at all.
Working on the black does still exist, obvs, but I don't see any sensible company taking the risk. Too expensive if caught. |
Many thanks, interesting to know. 
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@sprocket909, from what i've read on facebook pages, it seems as though people are managing to get work and visas, but there's a lot more people saying they're struggling then there are saying they're getting work!
If I were you, and you have to work, then get applying for roles now don't wait until you get out there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| I know anglophone bars here in Chamonix are struggling to find staff, in fact, any staff at all, so I don't think it's a lost cause, but it will be tricky. |
everyone in the hospitality business all over France is struggling to find staff, same for transport for truck drivers, skilled manual workers for the construction industry, IT. Over a million vacancies in France at present. 50 to 100k vacancies for truck drivers. No one wants to go back to shitty jobs post covid it seems.
The trucking firms are caught between a rock and a hard place. Raise wages puts up their costs so with FOM it gives a window to Eastern European firms to undercut them, they go bust. Don't raise wages and go bust because you can't find drivers. There are calls for FOM to be suspended for the transport industry.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@davidof, I'm sure they are. I just haven't spoken to any bar owners outside of the valley, and I've rather given up on reading news, too much depressing clickbait.
Trucking is clearly a thorny problem by definition.
Does raise a question over just how much of the milieu we had created was necessary ... have things been reset?
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| Quote: |
Do you think if a friendly and hard-working person from the UK, who has bar experience — but no EU passport or work visa — turns up and discretely chats to the bar manager, that they could be employed cash-in-hand, no-questions-asked?
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Never say never, but the people I know who run bars here wouldn’t let people work on the black… it’s too risky.
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You know it makes sense.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@Poogle, these days? I would think no chance at all.
Working on the black does still exist, obvs, but I don't see any sensible company taking the risk. Too expensive if caught. |
Let's say an anglo or any non French local is running a bar/resto. Only takes one disgruntled local/ old drunk to "do their civic duty" and tip off the gendarmerie etc.......
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Poogle,
Back in the day (season 96/97, Rond Point, Meribel) approximately 20-25% of our staff didn't have contracts, but we had a very good relationship with the local Gestapo.
Wouldn't fancy risking today! Especially in the first post-Brexit season. However, if business was suffering the situation could become more 'fluid' as this season progresses.
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