chartley

Both the U.K. and France are members of the E.U. Any E.U. citizen can move to another E.U. country and live and work there, without requiring a visa or work permit.

There are a few ifs and buts, mostly relating to citizens of countries which have joined the E.U. recently, but free movement of labour is the principle.

For my first journey to the U.S. in 1982, i had to obtain a visa, including a statement from my employer that my job would be held for me. At immigration at Los Angeles, we saw an elderly woman being given a hard time because she did not have much money on her. She was being met by her son, who live in L.A.

Christina

<<Any person that legally resides in US, Canada, UK etc. really doesn't have much incentive to come to France on a tourist visa so they can overstay and take a job from a French citizen. It just doesn't make sense.>>

Makes as much sense as Canadians, Germans, Danes, etc. coming to the US to take jobs away from Americans, and I've known all of them who have done that. We see periodic posts on Fodors of Americans who want to move to France or other places in Europe, and some of them do want to take jobs away from others. What does making sense have to do with it, some people just want to move there to live for various reasons.

I've known British people who want to move to France, also, really, I don't understand why any of these ideas are so hard to believe. Or those who have, actually. Geez, the 7th arrondisement in Paris is full of them. I've met Americans who are expats living in Paris in that arrondisement also, just at the bus stop. And they were working in Paris.

kerouac

And I have known <b>lots</b> of Americans living in Paris as undocumented alien workers. If Americans want to move to France illegally, why wouldn't someone with a green card want to do the same?