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A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

visa.lafrenchtech.com

711–720 of 751 posts

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#711
post #466
post #30

Does anyone know if there similar opportunities for other European countries?

Is there a big list of countries for this type of thing? do any South American countries do this?

Chile and Ecuador would be the countries with the best platform for that kind of thing. Check startupchile.org and Ecuador's city of knowledge website http://www.yachay.gob.ec

Uruguay for some reason is home to one of the more active development communities. But as far as visas I think you need one of those retirement visas or something.

Panama might be the easiest to get into, register companies etc. althought that technically is Central America. All in all, even in places like Venezuela with its crazy economy but that happens to be extremely favorable for service export, you will find good opportunities for startups due to extreme low cost of living, good university networks and general lack of competition and innovation. Internet speed leave a lot to be desired but it is workable. Electricity prices in some of this countries is way cheaper so that lends itself well to datacenters. Of course, those savings will need to cover stuff like private security, which is kind of a necessity.

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#712

Any avenues for self-employed/single-person-company folks? I know Netherlands has DAFT but I'm interested if this opens any similar options in France. I have dreams of living and coding by the Mediterranean Sea. :)

Check out Aubagne, it is too freaking nice there. But yeah, as far as work goes, make sure you are doing remote stuff or willing to sell something to traditional companies.

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#713
post #338

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Other than GDP (which frankly benefits 5% of US population), everything is better in France. Better roads, better public transportation, high speed rails, healthcare, education. Even small and remote villages in France have high quality roads, rail connections etc. and doesn't look run down and entrenched in poverty.

GDP only benefits 5% of the population? Oh really. That doesn't sound right at all given the fact that the US median disposable income is far higher than France. Not to mention the median wage growth is four to five times faster in the US than in France. So much for your theory. Demographically France is about 80% white. The US median white household has an income of $73,000 as of 2016 ($108,000 with a college educat…

All I will say is that you should close Wikipedia, go learn French in Southern France for 3 months and then comeback and reread what you wrote.

Just because other countries have different systems, does not mean it is not working out for them, or that we need to start doing silly number comparisons that say nothing about the culture of each country.

France is doing pretty good in the engineering department, naval, nuclear and aeronautics are top notch. I would guess that the university system is not that bad eh?

The US has a great learning system for higher education, and the expensive part is covered with the high salaries you get afterwards. Plus the best part of being in America, always be in the front row for new movies, videogames, etc (well, Japan sometimes gets the games first, but oh well)

So don't be a hater, just go out and explore stuff. Diversity is what makes us great.

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#714
post #596

Earlier quoted context omitted.

French employees aren't paid on their standard holidays? It also seems strange that if you're working over the 35/hr week baseline and being compensated for it by extra leave, that you would not be paid during that leave. After all, you're working extra for that time off, so you've essentially just already worked those weeks in advance.

In accounting terms, your pay is calculated as hourly rate * time working. It's averaged over the year and paid monthly. All the holidays are time not working over the year. So, yes, it is definitely lowering your pay.

How is it? My salary gives a per annum rate. I have a flextime system where if I work >38 hours in a week I get a 1:1 credit of those hours to take off later, and I don't lose any pay whatsoever for it.

In the same vein, this deal means that because the person works [35+x] hours per week, they get 2 weeks extra later on (where I assume x*48 = 70 or so) to take off without losing any pay. I don't see how you claim that they lose pay considering the work the same number of total hours for the same amount of pay, they just take 2 weeks' of work time, chop it up, and sprinkle it over the other 46.

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#715
post #530
post #512

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or quite the opposite? These engineers may find once migrated (especially after a few years, ie slightly older) that the option of having children not to be burden in such a system, might find the safety net of not worrying about health and insurance increase their ability to focus on being productive instance of simple grinders, especially if well educated and motivated.

So, they will pay huge taxes to finance the public education system they didn't benefit, while at the same time repaying their student debt because they had to pay for university in their own country? I don't quite follow the logic...

Taxes is for more than just education!

Anyway, you will benefit as your friends, colleagues, neighbors and especially your own children will not be burdened with the debt, and more likely to be well educated.

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#716
post #4

Does anyone know how big of an impediment is not knowing French? EDIT: I should have articulated my question better by saying "in the short term." I agree its foolish to not learn the local language if you plan on staying. But if the office language is French that is going to be almost a non-starter for someone who doesn't already speak it. It can be intimidating enough changing jobs in your native language. I know S…

Human brains are wired to soak up languages. Anybody immersed in another language making a minimum effort, will be fluent enough in six months. People who say they have experienced the contrary typically go to great length to speak and read their native tongue. It doesn't matter how much you tried at home with a book etc... Once you're immersed and have made the decision to understand and speak the local language, it…

After dealing with mandarin and sichuanese, sorry, I cannot agree with you. Some languages are just plain hard.

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#718

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who says you haven't seen harm? You're erecting a straw-man. Also, you have to factor in that when the coffers are empty, France may be more willing to sell weapons abroad... So maybe it's not France that sees that harm. http://www.france24.com/en/20150503-arms-sales-becoming-fran...

Ok, is there some French Defamation League, downvote-brigade choosing to censor realities it dislikes, rather than respond? I note I have down-voted responses to replies that do not have further responses. Hence, from my point of view, it seems when the argument got difficult, down-voting was resorted to.. note: this comment was also down-voted within 5 minutes, again without comment. Those who never comment, never r…

[deleted]

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#719
post #13

Great move. This is how US started a golden age. Encouraging outlooking and talented migrants with ZERO public money spent on getting them to that level. Free talent. And btw, outlooking and talented migrants are exactly the kind that will want to blend in and cause no problems.

The first step of a golden age is reduction of red tape.

You say that like cutting regulations has no ill effects on the working classes.

Re: A Visa for founders, engineers and investors willing to join France

#720
post #395

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>but it comes with access to top-notch free healthcare Does it cover stuff like cosmetic dermatology, full dental plan (implants) ? I don't live in France, I lived in different EU countries and every time I needed something the "free health care" meant I had to pay participation fee and wait 6 months walking around appointments and ended up going private clinic. I basically got 0 value out it, considering I'm young a…

I don't live in France but I do feel qualified to comment on the general comparison, being a US software guy in Europe. First, things like health care and free university are a huge deal if you plan to stay past your 30's. Consider being able to take a couple years to try a business without freaking out about health insurance. Consider being able to go get a PhD in some interesting subject without having to get a ful…

> Consider being able to take a couple years to try a business without freaking out about health insurance.

Trying a business in a much more challenging business environment? There's not exactly a plethora of French tech startups, after all, despite the state health care.

> Consider being able to go get a PhD in some interesting subject without having to get a full scholarship.

Will universities accept some random fellow in his 30s who wants to earn a Ph.D.?

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