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A stereotype of everyday urban life that, alas, is fading away.With modern, depersonalized “neutrality” nevertheless a menacing encroaching replacement:In a country with an unmarried President who enables gays to marry but wouldn’t ever marry himself, major political parties headed by people born outside of France (Sweden and Vietnam) and where the age of consent is 15.My view is from a privileged perspective and not typical. I’ll describe my landing a job in France, the Entry and the Residency administration and Daily/Work environments.I. My Previous French Residency - It helps if you had studied in France and/or speak some French.I had studied for a year in France as a teenager and then went to an English university for my first degree. Years later, I obtained an MBA in the USA and, after a first experience in the US in a multinational, I kept looking for work in France (or even the UK). My French was, at that time, competent (about B1 on the CERF) but not fluent.II. My Hiring Path as a non-EU citizen. Get a French company to want you enough to arrange a “Visa de long séjour” (valid 4 months-1 year) prior to entering France.There are several categories of “immigrants” and pathways to “legal” French immigration. I only mention my specific case of decades ago.However, I wasn’t an “expatriate” in the sense of being a foreigner (to France) from a multinational who was posted to its French affiliate or subsidiary. It was more of an “immigrant” although the route was via the US firm, not directly to the European subsidiary. I was a direct hire by the French/European subsidiary of a multinational. So, I had to qualify for the equivalent of “skills based” visas afforded to executives (with no French familial or cultural connections) who had been offered jobs in France with no comparable or suitable French candidates.There weren’t many Anglophone executives in the sector who also had relevant skills at the time who were in, or able to move to, France and work in a multinational in French (with local colleagues) and English (with US managers and other top managers in European affiliates). This was before Schengen and so the pool of “local” candidates were only French (then under 60 million) and not EU-wide (that then didn’t have the Eastern European members). That is no longer the case today when there are 70 million native Anglophones (until Brexit) and virtually all Scandinavians and Beneluxians who spoke English well, all of whom would come first before a non-EU candidate.It took about 3–4 months for the authorization to come, lawyers (paid by the hiring firm) and facilitated by my previous French residence and lack of moving costs (no family, no mortgage, no significant household possessions). Administratively, the initial process was handled by the Office de Migrations Internationales and only several dozen such visas were issued that year.III. Overview of My Path to French “permanent” residency status - Keep uninterrupted employment for at least 3 consecutive years, each time renewing the annual “Carte de Séjour”, then apply for 10-year “Carte de Résident de Longue Durée.The process begins in your country of origin with a Visa de Long Sejour (VLS) with a long application form requiring job offer, CV, background verification (FBI record for Americans), foreign diplomas and birth/marriage/family/divorce documents (translated into French by a court-accredited translator or traducteur agréé auprès de la Cour de Cassation), photos to specific requirements. This can take months to compile.I entered France on this type of visa and had to obtain the first of three annual work/residency permits that was specific to that employer. I had to register at the local Préfecture de Police (Ile de la Cité in Paris in my case) at the Foreigners’ Office or Service des Etrangers.The process may be different today but my experience meant that there was the annual process of renewing my Carte de Sejour and then getting my first Carte de Resident. This may be nor more difficult than any other country’s process - so, I can’t compare.After three years (i.e. with 1 initial and 2 annual renewals of the Carte de Séjour), I applied for the Carte de Résident equivalent to an American “Green Card” or “Permanent Resident” card. That card was valid for 10 years, renewable - much as the US Green Card is today (It used to be indefinite).With the Carte de Resident, I was no longer bound to remain at the company and soon left it. The Carte de Resident allows you to take any profession or start a company without restriction in France i.e. you can take up a non-salaried job or even a part-time job.III. Navigating the Halls of the local Foreigners’ Office. Annual, then decennial, administration with the office of the Services des Etrangers, housed at the local Prefecture de PoliceThe real challenge is that you have to navigate the process in French and in person. The hours of operation, the location within the Prefecture (link: Préfectures) and the relevant forms and documents were not posted in one spot. Today it’s now available online at Accueil - demarches.interieur.gouv.frY1. First Residency Card. The first exposure to the in-country civil administration was facilitated by the company’s HR specialist. That’s when one has to register witha) the French Social Security Administration (securite-sociale.fr) with the SSN indicated on your residency card ,b) the French public health insurer (www.ameli.fr) that issues a Carte Vitale (like a Medicare card but with a chip and photo) andc) the local central government offices, housed within the Prefecture de Police of the geographic zone of residence.d) Pensions and Job Insurance. The company handles the registration with the relevant non-profit but state-mandated pension fund(s) and “workers’ compensation” systems (AGIRC-ARRCO for salaried executives). Your type of job category determines which quango insurers are suitable.e) Complémentaires. As do 87% of French residents, you also get to choose for complementary private health insurance. They pay for allied medical costs (optical, dental), coverage of provider fees above the national tarif of reimbursement (in private hospitals and clinics) and hospitality costs (e.g. private room, thermal balth rehab…) You can choose a company-sponsored, a non-profit vocational group plan or a for profit private insurance plan.Y2-Y3 Annual Residency Card Renewal. A year later, the local Prefecture should send you a notice to renew a few months before expiry of your annual residency card.So, my first renewal, I was naive enough to do this alone, I finally got to the Service des Etrangers on the 3rd floor and I had to get in line with other foreigners, mostly of North African origin. The agent was efficient but not particularly accommodating; I was given a form and a list of documents to bring or provide to the department; then I would receive a convocation a call to appear for an interview with an immigration agent who would grant the renewal. There is a brief conversation to determine your level of French language and general knowledge. The new Carte de Séjour was sent by mail but one may have or can return to retrieve it in person.All applicants are treated with impersonal fairness but since many don’t master French well, it can be very trying for all concerned. In addition, French bureaucracy has no room for error or leeway: you need the exact document requested in the format stipulated. If there is any deviation, you are told to return with all the required elements. This is no different from the US’ handling at Immigration and Naturalization centers but you may be taken aback at the unsmiling directness in France (but, is this not the case in your home country as well?)After that, I paid a process facilitator for subsequent renewals. It was usually a paralegal at an attorney’s office who had a relationship with members of the Bureau des Etrangers “foreigner/alien office” at the local Prefecture. They would help to compile all the documents and then set up an appointment with an officer. They verify that all is in order before you go and you don’t have to line up in the general waiting room.If you master French or go with an interpreter, having familiarized yourself with the process, there is no necessity in hiring an attorney as the process is explicit and fairly applied. An attorney does not guarantee that your case is treated any better but you are at least not bewildered or unprepared, nor do you have to spend days in the process missing work.Y4 Finally, 10 year Residency Card. At the end of 3 years, I applied (with the paid help of an attorney) for my Carte de Resident. That meant 10 years of validity before renewal or naturalization. You may also continue to request an annual Carte de Séjour.IV. Daily LifeDaily Life. Despite the homogenization of lifestyles through media, there still remains in parts of France a distinctly neighborhood lifestyle in the urban areas. Cities are compact and have dense, reliable public transport and cars are an expensive necessity for those elsewhere. So, most city dwellers commute via public transit and shop locally. The average day is filled with contacts with nearby merchants (bakery, butchers, pastry shops, cafes, cheesemongers, produce sellers, cured meats delicatessens, confectioners, news kiosks, bus drivers…) However, that atmosphere is fading with the advent of chain mini-markets from Auchan, Carrefour, Intermarche as well as regional chains, pushing traditional merchants out of business. Suburban dwellers now have large megastores (like Walmart) where they shop only once a week for non-produce items, although, this being France, the fresh foods section is astonishingly varied and extensive, sometimes taking up half the floor space! When you have one aisle of various daily products that stretch beyond what the eye can see, you know you must be in France.Ultra Privacy. Although the older French generation may appear unsmiling, the French are usually quite open in attitude but put privacy on a pedestal - far more than the English do. So, the accident of proximity to a neighbor does not lead to an expectation or assumption of a personal relationship. They aren’t indifferent, just aware that one has to live with neighbors and prefer to keep their home life private and they don’t intrude on yours. Nonetheless, you should learn that frequent, personal greetings are essential in France. Not saying, “Bonjour, M…”, and “Au revoir, M..” would be seen as rude or off-putting.Professional life - has no place in the home. Quite a lot has changed since my youth; many more young French now study English and can often write and read it (although not speak or understand English speech as easily), so there is always, in a pinch, someone who should at least be able to communicate in writing. E-mail is often done in short, informal English, avoiding the long, formal French writing style (akin to 19th Century literary English in style), and English words are included in speech, although not always meaning exactly as the source word; a “self” is a “self service restaurant”, a “savoir faire” is mostly “know-how”, logiciel is often simply “software”. With work colleagues, treat them as your neighbors, with civility and openness but don’t expect anyone to invite you into their homes, families and inner circles. The French work to live, and they can work very hard and diligently, but they do live to work unless they are entrepreneurs. The have 5 paid weeks of holiday per year, well used to be with family and restore their energy; after all, with so much automation and new technologies reducing the need for huge labor forces, it seems a natural consequence to spend less time doing mindless tasks. There may be a more hierarchical management style compared to “flat” organizations so subordinates may not have the leeway to negotiate final details or be at variance to superiors. It can lead to a bottleneck of decision-making at the top and slow organizational action.Political life and Civil Service. Unlike most countries, access to the top echelons of politics and the civil service has traditionally been only for the most academically competitive minds. This means a “Mandarin” attitude of some leaders with their intelligence, breath and depth of knowledge unparalleled by counterparts in some/most other countries. It’s one reason why France’s infrastructure is so modern, reliable and public spaces largely well-maintained as a national norm; something that other countries only manage to achieve in “showcase” cities or “privileged neighborhoods”.Food and meals. Meals are above all social occasions for the French (unless they are on a clock); they eat paced, in moderate quantities at specific times of day. The vision of an American wolfing down food, not making table talk and then sipping a soda all day as if it were as important as an IV drip to a patient is a stereotype. If you are ever granted an invitation to a Sunday afternoon meal with a family, expect to be around well into the evening with conversation, interspersed with rounds of food and drink. When the children head to bed, they usually give a cheek touch (“air kiss”) and sometimes a hug to the adults, regardless of gender.Sports - not all men, all the time. Frenchmen may or may not be sports enthusiasts but the concept of a couch potato who is obsessed with the exploits of his home team is rare among the educated and executives. In any case, speaking of spectator sports is only one of a multitude of topics that educated French may discuss: food, politics, local events, distant vacations to exotic lands (possible when there are 5 weeks of vacation annually), novels, philosophy…La séduction, le charme. There is no rigid or confined assumption of what is “normal” for a French male, other than to be prone to be charming to females and female to act coquette (playfully flirty). Just look at the advertising style - highly esthetic, often involving an attractive female (and, increasingly, male) even if the object for sale has little to do with human intimacy or relationships.I’m sure the first thing you notice in this Audi car ad is the generous leg room in the back seat (below).You may even see American men in French ads aimed at women - something they wouldn’t get to do much in the US.V. Investigate All Residency Options - Mine was specific to my circumstance.I became a French “permanent” resident purely on my own, on the basis of my individual merits. However, there are other pathways that take into account:Familial connection in France (through marriage, civil union or ascendancy or descendancy)Professional category (artists, actors, high level sportsmen, scientists, senior executives…)Extraordinary talents from a list (Nobel Prize level awardees)Inward investment or starting and maintaing a business of minimal requirementsHistorical linguistic or political relationship (notably Algeria, a former département of France)Educational degree in FranceExtraordinary service or benefit to France (needs Ministerial approval such as given to the African who scaled a building to save a toddler, or the African working in a kosher grocery who hid clients from a shooter.PensionerRefugee granted asylumAdviceIf there is one strong piece of advice that I may offer, it is to fully immerse yourself as much as possible, not remain in a linguistic or cultural bubble. Invest in a few weeks of immersion French before working or studying in France. Keep an open, observant mind before jumping to any conclusions or engaging in passionate debates on politics, religion etc.You can find a place in France, a land of immigration for centuries before the existence of countries supposedly “diverse”, as witnessed by the fact that this country of some 65 million has more surnames than any nation on earth including much more populous India. China or the USA. Unlike in the USA, one cannot easily legally change a surname, so French surnames retain ancestral trace among males; even married women retain their birth name for legal documents.My experience is decades old and the regulations and process have probably changed, so check for current conditions and processes. It may also vary by region.Now there is the Internet that not only affords a lot of online information but also may lead to online appointments and means of obtaining supporting documents that had previously necessitated days of to-ing and fro-ing on foot.At that time, other EU citizens also had to go through the process so the advent of Schengen has removed the involvement of much of the Service des Etrangers with them. That would probably change when Britons become non-EU citizens.Some regions have disproportionately more applicants than others. Paris is notably one of the biggest and busiest Prefectures - but it also has the most agents. In regions with a very high percentage of immigrant population (e.g. Marseille), there will also be a higher number of applicants. An insider or a plugged-in attorney could tell you if a process would be faster in another region or not, but you are generally stuck to the Prefecture where you live.Despite its housing at the Prefecture de Police, this is not a local police matter. The Prefet is the central government’s executive assigned to a region and so the Prefecture houses other functions than that of police.