How do I go about moving to Paris?

How to go about moving to Paris (or any European country)?

• All my life I've been really in love with the French culture and the summer before my senior year I've gotten the opportunity to visit Paris and I've seen a lot of young ...show more

• Answer:

  Your French professor may indeed have had a student who went for a year and never came back, but the rules of immigration to Europe have been changed in recent years and it is now much more difficult to remain there permanently, just as Europeans can no longer emigrate to America just because they want to. You are one of hundreds of young people who dream of settling in France, but cannot do so either because they do not have the wherewithal or do not meet the requirements necessary. There are some American students who do manage to go and do the whole of their university studies in France or in Europe but they apply at the end of their High School studies, or they complete a degree course in their country then apply to do a Masters abroad afterwards. Some students who have rich parents or have managed to get sponsored attend the American University in Paris, which is very costly. Once you have studied for several years in France it becomes easier to obtain a residence visa. Otherwise the gates of Europe are now firmly shut to foreign immigrants unless they have absolutely amazing skills or qualifications which cannot be found in Europe and they are sponsored by an organisation already established there that can justify employing them rather than a European. If your American university has direct links with an equivalent university either in France or in another European country , there are some programmes for one year exchanges and you should investigate this possibility from your end. As far as France is concerned you may find that it will not be in Paris . Have a look at the official French government website for American students who want to study in France , and see if there is a course that you might follow. It gives clear explanations about procedures in English and may help you to find a way to do a year there, but there is no guarantee that a one year course would stretch to anything more. http://www.usa.campusfrance.org/en/1.html