• Expertise in Immigration :

    Q : An employee needs to come to France but his family would not be arriving at the same time as him- what should be done?

    R : 

    Several steps have to be taken, first of all, the employee’s work status needs to be defined (salaried in France, seconded, project work in France under the name of his foreign company..). Then, submit a file for the dependants. The file of the accompanying family should be sent to the French consulate in the country of origin at the same time as the employee, to avail the visa.
    The family should specify that they will be traveling later than the employee.
    The family will have 10 months to come to France.

    Q : What are the formalities to be followed for sending an employee, from outside of the European Economic Community, to France?

    R : 

    First, his employee status needs to be determined. Depending on the status, his file needs to be submitted to the DDTE (Direction Départementale du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la formation professionnelle)- which is the French labour Authority, except for those who have the Special Skills and Talents card.
    Then the file of the employee should be registered at the OFII (L’Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration) – local immigration office. The employee can then get his visa stamped at the relevant consulate.
    On his arrival to France, the employee should undergo a medical test and do the needful to obtain a Residence permit.

  • Expertise in Consultancy :

    Q : What is the difference between an “expatriated” and a “seconded” status?

    R : 

    The terms for a seconded and expatriated employee have very different definitions depending on the context they are mentioned: work contract, immigration, social coverage, or taxation. In the case of social security in France, a seconded employee will always fall under the French social security rules.

  • Expertise in Relocation :

    Q : When can an expatriate start renting an apartment in France?

    R : 

    There are two possibilities, if the Lease is in the name of the expatriate, then he can rent the apartment only after having completed his Immigration formalities. If the Lease is in the name of the company in France, the expatriate can rent the apartment as soon as he arrives.

    Q : We are looking for some support for our Expatriate who needs accommodation in France. What services do you provide?

    R : 

    We extend services for the company of the expatriate. We first have an interview with the employee and his family in order to better understand their needs; then we organize a day of visits that help the family find their foothold in the city. Then we help them in searching houses and we also assist in negotiations during Lease signing and settling in. Any company (of more than 10 to 20 employees) subject to the « 1% logement » policy can benefit from to the MOBILIPASS allowance. For further details, please contact our Relocation service.

  • Expertise: Incorporation of a company/ Payroll :

    Q : I am a foreigner and I would like to start my own company in France. Is it possible? What are the conditions?

    R : 

    The regulations for creating a company in France have been simplified for foreigners. European nationals do not face any legal difficulties. Third country nationals require a specific authorization. One has to register at the Local Authorities when a foreigner knows that he won’t be residing in France, and an application for a Long Term Work permit for business purposes if he eventually wants to be become a resident. Under certain conditions the “Special Skills and Talents” card is applicable for the foreign representative in France. However the application will mainly be scrutinized from the point of view of the economic viability of the project.

  • Expatriation to China :

    Q : We have an expatriate in China, whose spouse wants to work there. Is it possible?

    R : 

    The spouse of the expatriated employee has a “dependant” visa and therefore it is not possible to work in China. However if the future employer of the spouse submits an application for Work Permit to the relevant authorities and thus converts the status from “dependant” to “foreign work permit”, then the spouse would have the permission to work officially under the said employer in china.

    Q : Our Company would like to send a person for work in China, is the F visa sufficient?

    R : 

    No, the F visa only allows the employee to conduct meetings and attend conferences. You would require to obtain a Z visa which is a work visa, if the employee wishes to work professionally in China.

  • Expatriation to India :

    Q : I have to send a French employee to work in India, what is the procedure to be followed?

    R : 

    First of all, one has to choose the relevant visa type depending on the nature of project in India. Given that, the procedure would vary. In general, the company in France must collect all necessary documents for the visa application and then submit them to the Consulate. On arrival in India, the employee should prepare to register himself with the Local Authorities, to do the needful relocation, and to comply with different obligations like taxes.

    Q : We have an employee who lives and works abroad and continues to receive his salary in France. Where would he be taxed?

    R : 

    Considering the payroll system of his country of origin, France, the income from the salary received through work abroad would be considered as a foreign source. It is in fact the location of professional work that determines the source of income and not the location where the salary is paid.

For further information, please contact us at 91 80 41 23 74 70 or write to us at: contactindia@helma-international.com