i can still haz rezidence?

March 3, 2010 12:04 PM

Visafilter: can I stay in France if I quit the job for which I have a work visa?

I dislike my job. I'm toying with thoughts of walking out. It's a contract that ends in early May, though my visa is valid (for whatever reason) until July. My visa type is listed in the remarks section as "travailleur temp."[temporary worker], if that matters.

I am aware that I can't hold any legal job here other than the one I have the visa for, quitting or no.

For a few irrelevant reasons, I need to stay in this country until early May regardless, even if it means staying in the job.

So what's the deal?

My hunch leans towards "no consequences" because it would take an inordinate amount of effort on the state's part to do anything about it, because of France's generally very worker-friendly labor laws, and because of the fact that I have three random non-working months tacked onto my visa anyway, but I would like to know from someone who actually knows a thing or two whether there would be any ramifications.

I'm looking for facts here, not advice per se. Thanks!

anonymous because I don't know if I'm actually going to do this, and because it concerns quitting.

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (3 answers total)

My wife is currently applying for permanent residency in Canada, so I've become quite familiar with Canadian immigration and visa laws. On the assumption that France holds visas and immigration equally seriously as does Canada, you may not run into problems before you leave France, but you should absolutely keep your job if you plan to ever, ever in your life return there.

Your employer would be, at least under Canadian law, obliged or at the very least strongly encouraged to report that you have terminated your employment. Your leaving the country and surrendering the visa will be noted in terms of when you left vs. when you should have left.

It's easy to stay somewhere "under the radar" with an illegitimate visa while you're in-country, but if it becomes known that you've done it, your chances of ever getting back in the country are nil. Immigration authorities have long memories, and take this stuff extremely seriously.
posted by Shepherd at 1:49 PM on March 3, 2010

Yeah, just quit. If your visa is cool, so are you.

Yes, I have lived in France and know French immigration.
posted by Wolof at 10:58 PM on March 3, 2010

If you want to know from someone who actually knows a thing or two, call your nearest US consulate. It's free. (Entirely non-snarky, by the way; they've helped me out quite a few times.)
posted by fraula at 1:24 AM on March 4, 2010