Moving to Paris
Mar 6th, 2005, 05:01 PM
#1
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Moving to Paris
I'm a RN living in the US. I would love to work in France, especially Paris for awhile, but my French is very limited. Is it possible to find employment in France without being fluent in French?
Mar 6th, 2005, 06:03 PM
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Hi Blondie!
I was living in Paris fulltime until last year and am only there part time now. I think the best place to start your investigations might be the American Hospital in Neuilly if you have limited French.
I am not in the medical field and am a dual national so don't have the work paper issues, so can't really advise you how easy or hard it will be to work, but here is a link to the hospital:
http://www.american-hospital.org/ins...tion_histoire/
I was living in Paris fulltime until last year and am only there part time now. I think the best place to start your investigations might be the American Hospital in Neuilly if you have limited French.
I am not in the medical field and am a dual national so don't have the work paper issues, so can't really advise you how easy or hard it will be to work, but here is a link to the hospital:
http://www.american-hospital.org/ins...tion_histoire/
Mar 7th, 2005, 12:18 AM
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A crucial question: Can you work legally in France? Students can receive authorization to work for short, defined periods. Others must have their right to work arranged by their French employers. This is unlikely to happen unless the job applicant has a skill that cabn't be offered by a citizen of the European Union, since the approval process if costly and complicated.
Mar 7th, 2005, 01:48 AM
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Unless you are a dual citizen it is rather difficult to get work papers for living here. Perhaps the hospital will help you through the process, but you won't be able to do it on your own, short of marryng a frechperson or being adopted by a doting older couple.
Mar 7th, 2005, 06:58 AM
#8
If Switzerland is hiring I'd certainly look into that. OK so you end up in Geneva instead of Paris! If you find a job that wants you, they provide your work papers. This is a MUCH easier route than trying to get your own without a job (near impossible without dual-citizenship or marrying in, as mentioned above).
Mar 7th, 2005, 06:59 AM
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As others have noted, without EU citizenship you do not have the right to work in France legally without a work permit.
You can't get a work permit unless you can convince the French government you have skills that French citizens who need work don't have.
Even if you are an RN, the requirements for a French nursing license may be much different, so that even if you could find a way around the system (unlikely), you might not be able to work (in your profession) without additional training (in French).
Your lack of the language is going to be the next major barrier after the almost surely insurrmountable one of the work permit.
In short, the likelihood of you getting a legal job in your profession in France are virtually nil.
You might be able to find low-paying work teaching/tutoring English - but not very likely unless you know French. You might look for contract work on a US Army base - there might even be something there related to medical practice. But short of singing on the street for euros, or finding an American company that for some reason would sponsor you, I don't think this will be an easy dream to make come true.
You can't get a work permit unless you can convince the French government you have skills that French citizens who need work don't have.
Even if you are an RN, the requirements for a French nursing license may be much different, so that even if you could find a way around the system (unlikely), you might not be able to work (in your profession) without additional training (in French).
Your lack of the language is going to be the next major barrier after the almost surely insurrmountable one of the work permit.
In short, the likelihood of you getting a legal job in your profession in France are virtually nil.
You might be able to find low-paying work teaching/tutoring English - but not very likely unless you know French. You might look for contract work on a US Army base - there might even be something there related to medical practice. But short of singing on the street for euros, or finding an American company that for some reason would sponsor you, I don't think this will be an easy dream to make come true.
Mar 7th, 2005, 08:55 AM
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I'm a bit confused. On another thread you say you want to move to and work in London. Are you just trying to compare the two cities? Or is there something more? (your son's situation would be iffy in both places depending on if he can get a student visa)
Mar 7th, 2005, 11:29 AM
#12
I think this dream would be much more likely to be realized in an English-speaking country, to start. I have a good friend who is an RN and did a year in New Zealand, legally and at a good salary.
Mar 7th, 2005, 11:31 AM
#13
I am curious & this is a question for blondiepopo.
How do you envision working without speaking the language? I am trying to visualize under what circumstances you think this might be possible?
How do you envision working without speaking the language? I am trying to visualize under what circumstances you think this might be possible?
Mar 7th, 2005, 11:58 AM
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I work in public health consulting and also consult to the Dept of Defense, so can tell you a few things I know, although working papers and nursing qualifications aren't something I know a lot about.
The American hospital won't hire you if you don't speak, read and write fluent French. Forget any public French hospital. They prefer bilingual French/English with good English, but fluent French is mandatory.
There aren't hardly any military bases left in Europe and even fewer that have a military hospital. There are no bases in France. In W. Europe, the only ones I can think of are Germany, of course, and Italy and Spain. There is one of some size left in England, I think -- Lakenheath Air Force base near Cambridge, and they have some medical facility. You can check them out and contact them if you want. They have a web site
www.lakenheath.af.mil
I know someone who was in military hospital admin. in Germany, and he said most of the nurses are in the military in Europe, although they may hire civilians. He said it was more likely they'd hire civilians for other jobs, such as clerical, although they always hired locals who were bilingual. He said those clerical jobs on military bases were considered stable, good jobs and some of those people had worked there many years and there was little turnover.
I don't think you can easily practice nursing in France (or anywhere, probably), without appropriate credentials and licenses. Of course, these can be gotten if you have appropriate education and training and some countries make it easier if there is a nursing shortage (like the US does). In France, you may have to do a supervisied internship, more or less (surprised training) for 1-3 years to be credentialed, I'm not sure. Anyway, forget France as you don't know French.
THe UK is much more feasible. I'm sure nurses in the UK do make homes, even single mothers, so it is possible (this is another thread of yours, I believe). However, medical personnel wages and salaries are generally much lower in W. Europe than in the US, across the board -- doctors, nurses, etc. That's one reason why we have such high health care costs in the US. I know nurses where I live in a large city earn around $70-80K per year base pay if they are experienced, around half that to start. In the UK, I think the beginning scale is about half that, but the highest level not too bad in comparison (at least, when GBP is translated to USD under current rates). There is a nursing salary scale, and beginners earn 17-18K GBP a year, with the highest level of nurse earning around 30-35K GBP. That is without special bonuses such as for living in London (which is around 3K GBP), overtime or weekend hours, etc. So even if you were really experienced and specialized, I guess that would be around 40K GBP top base pay, although you could get more for extra hours.
There are certainly international agencies and recruiters to handle this for UK and English speakers. I don't know how much they want Americans, but here are some resources I found for nursing jobs in the UK for foreigners and they will help you with understanding the requirements, process, work permits, etc.:
www.intercare-europe.com
www.healthprofessionals.com
www.travelphp.com
I think the official UK nursing salary scale is on healthprofessionals.com somewhere.
The American hospital won't hire you if you don't speak, read and write fluent French. Forget any public French hospital. They prefer bilingual French/English with good English, but fluent French is mandatory.
There aren't hardly any military bases left in Europe and even fewer that have a military hospital. There are no bases in France. In W. Europe, the only ones I can think of are Germany, of course, and Italy and Spain. There is one of some size left in England, I think -- Lakenheath Air Force base near Cambridge, and they have some medical facility. You can check them out and contact them if you want. They have a web site
www.lakenheath.af.mil
I know someone who was in military hospital admin. in Germany, and he said most of the nurses are in the military in Europe, although they may hire civilians. He said it was more likely they'd hire civilians for other jobs, such as clerical, although they always hired locals who were bilingual. He said those clerical jobs on military bases were considered stable, good jobs and some of those people had worked there many years and there was little turnover.
I don't think you can easily practice nursing in France (or anywhere, probably), without appropriate credentials and licenses. Of course, these can be gotten if you have appropriate education and training and some countries make it easier if there is a nursing shortage (like the US does). In France, you may have to do a supervisied internship, more or less (surprised training) for 1-3 years to be credentialed, I'm not sure. Anyway, forget France as you don't know French.
THe UK is much more feasible. I'm sure nurses in the UK do make homes, even single mothers, so it is possible (this is another thread of yours, I believe). However, medical personnel wages and salaries are generally much lower in W. Europe than in the US, across the board -- doctors, nurses, etc. That's one reason why we have such high health care costs in the US. I know nurses where I live in a large city earn around $70-80K per year base pay if they are experienced, around half that to start. In the UK, I think the beginning scale is about half that, but the highest level not too bad in comparison (at least, when GBP is translated to USD under current rates). There is a nursing salary scale, and beginners earn 17-18K GBP a year, with the highest level of nurse earning around 30-35K GBP. That is without special bonuses such as for living in London (which is around 3K GBP), overtime or weekend hours, etc. So even if you were really experienced and specialized, I guess that would be around 40K GBP top base pay, although you could get more for extra hours.
There are certainly international agencies and recruiters to handle this for UK and English speakers. I don't know how much they want Americans, but here are some resources I found for nursing jobs in the UK for foreigners and they will help you with understanding the requirements, process, work permits, etc.:
www.intercare-europe.com
www.healthprofessionals.com
www.travelphp.com
I think the official UK nursing salary scale is on healthprofessionals.com somewhere.
Mar 7th, 2005, 04:01 PM
#15
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I would prefer living in France, but considered London because there wouldn't be the language barrier. This was something I wanted to do between moves from Indianapolis to Las Vegas. Sort of a traveling nurse type assignment (6mos to a year), nothing permanent. I have a master's in nursing but am not a nurse practitioner. It was just an idea - I loved Paris and London when I've been there but I always try and really check something out before I decide to do it. Yes, I am very handicapped not being bilingual.
Mar 8th, 2005, 03:34 PM
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Hi blondie,
Just in case, here are 2 kind of quirky ideas that might get you to Europe........since you are moving to Las Vegas, check out Cirque de Soleil. They hire PT's and I heard that sometimes that they are looking for nurses on the tours in the US and Europe. Also, the other thought might be cruise lines. They hire medical staff. It sounds like you might have a son, so these might not be feasible, but thought I would just throw them out there
Just in case, here are 2 kind of quirky ideas that might get you to Europe........since you are moving to Las Vegas, check out Cirque de Soleil. They hire PT's and I heard that sometimes that they are looking for nurses on the tours in the US and Europe. Also, the other thought might be cruise lines. They hire medical staff. It sounds like you might have a son, so these might not be feasible, but thought I would just throw them out there
