I am a US citizen. I entered France in 2016 on a Blue Card visa and received a Titre de Sejour. In 2021 I resigned from my French contract and took a contract with the same company in the US. I currently have two possible job opportunities (still same company), one located in France and another in Germany. If I return to work in France or Germany before 12 month anniversary of resigning my French contract, is there a path to getting long term residency? I was given some advice that when/if I renew my Titre de Sejour (expires in 2023) I might be automatically handed a Carte de Resident (10 year residency). If I take a job in Germany while my Titre de Sejour is still valid would Germany possibly consider my time in France and grant me long term residency?
1 Answer
France: The carte de résident you would be looking at is the French version of the EU long-term resident status. service-public.fr is not very explicit on the gap that would be allowed but the directive has this to say (article 4):
Periods of absence from the territory of the Member State concerned shall not interrupt the period referred to in paragraph 1 and shall be taken into account for its calculation where they are shorter than six consecutive months and do not exceed in total 10 months within the period referred to in paragraph 1.
The one year anniversary does not appear to have any special significance and it looks like you may have already exceeded the maximum duration of absence that is definitely allowed.
Germany: Time spent in France doesn't start the clock or count for anything in Germany.
