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I have a France European Carte Blue residence permit. It is valid til October 2024. I have found a job in the UK and will be moving there. I am not being able to find what exactly will be the status of the residence permit after I leave. If I have to surrender it, when do I have to surrender? Alternately, can I keep it and use it in case I move back?

My wife is on a dependent passport talent famille visa which makes the issue even more urgent. Initial enquiries to the prefecture resulted in them telling she already has a valid residence and work permit so she cannot change to an independent visa. This doesn't seem to make sense unless mine stays valid even after I leave.

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  • Is it your first residence permit or a renewal?
    – Relaxed
    Jan 29, 2021 at 11:55
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    What kind of independent visa you have in mind? Something to bridge the time before moving to the UK? Something for her to stay and work in France while you reside elsewhere?
    – Relaxed
    Jan 29, 2021 at 12:06
  • @Relaxed Its a renewed one. The independent visa is for after I leave for the the UK.
    – FunkyPhyzz
    Jan 29, 2021 at 16:41
  • What was the outcome? Can you still use your blue card after leaving the French job to travel to France or other EU country from UK?
    – sandy
    Mar 6 at 23:04
  • I haven't had any issues.
    – FunkyPhyzz
    Apr 29 at 22:30

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Legally, your residence permit remains valid until the préfecture takes action (e.g. sends you a letter letting you know they have rescinded it). You won't be accruing illegal presence from the day you leave your job, that much is clear.

On the other hand, without a qualifying job, you are not entitled to stay until 2024. The assumption is that you will eventually need another job and the préfecture will assess your status at this point (when you report the change or your employer asks the DIRECCTE for permission) and they can easily refuse to issue a new work authorisation. If that doesn't happen, they would catch you when you come to renew the residence permit (not necessarily a concern in your case but that's how most rules around residence permits are enforced in practice).

Since you left your job, the préfecture can also invalidate your permit at any time if your situation comes to their attention in any way. When and if the préfecture notifies you that your permit isn't valid and issues an OQTF (an injunction to leave French territory), you will typically have 30 days to leave the country.

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  • So when I leave for the UK the prefecture can invalidate my work permit. But until then its valid and I can go back and forth betweek UK and France with it (while having a UK residence permit) and my wife can work on a dependent visa? Even if this were true, we'd rather she get her own passport talent card but the prefecture is moving so slow on this.
    – FunkyPhyzz
    Jan 29, 2021 at 16:47
  • @FunkyPhyzz are you and your wife Annex I nationals (that is, do you need a visa to enter the Schengen area for short visits)? If not, you can go back and forth as much as you want without a visa or residence permit, provided that you spend less than half of your time in the Schengen area (that is a loose way of saying "provided that you comply with the Schengen 90/180 rule).
    – phoog
    Jan 29, 2021 at 18:40
  • @phoog I believe FunkyPhizz specified elsewhere that he is an Indian citizen.
    – Relaxed
    Jan 29, 2021 at 18:43
  • I am an Indian citizen as @Relaxed mentioned.
    – FunkyPhyzz
    Jan 29, 2021 at 19:41
  • You could certainly go back and forth. It's only after three years that being out of France becomes a valid reason to rescind the permit so the mere fact that you live in London doesn't in itself invalidate it immediately. It seems the only risk would be that a border guard notices your frequent travel, inquires about your job and then somehow gets your permit rescinded. That doesn't seem likely to me.
    – Relaxed
    Jan 29, 2021 at 21:35

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