Has the French Immigration Bill included the Visa Free Waive

Has Article 1°K passed in the New French Immigration Bill giving Visa Free waiver to British second-home owners in France?

I am not on Facebook so am not sure from the Steven Jolly site.Bee

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... Pf3lWNNRMr

AFAIK it was struck out but in any case was never to be 'visa free' as that would breach Schengen rules.

That all sounds very encouraging. Perhaps Spain will be next! That should make a lot of people enormously happy. I hope we get good news soon.

In any case all it would mean is that they could stay for one period of 180days per year instead of 90days in 180, hardly a 'leaping over the moon' win.

This is from Steven Jolly today. Bee


France Visa Free and its followers are of course delighted to see the outcome of the conciliation process on the French immigration and integration bill. After two years of campaigning it’s a great achievement to see that France is close to lawfully granting long stay visas automatically to those British citizens with a secondary residence in France.

This is a huge step in the right direction for the France Visa Free campaign, and a recognition that those with a home in France should be allowed to continue living in their homes in just same way that they did before Brexit without having to make France their primary residence . These British citizens are in a unique position of not only lawfully living in two countries but also paying taxes in two countries

The current visa process is time consuming and expensive, and really not equitable or reasonable, given that French people can spend 6 months per visit in the UK, even if they don't own property.This legislation recognises the problems and is a credible attempt to address the problems.

Ultimately we want to ensure that British homeowners who lived part-year in France benefit from the same kind of protection that all other British residents in France were given via the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement. This legislation goes someway towards achieving this.

France is helping us solve the 90-in-180 day problem but only for some British visitors; ultimately we would also like to see every British visitor to France treated in exactly the same way as French visitors to the UK today, and given a 6 month per visit, visa exemption or automatically issued visa.

We are enormously appreciative of the work of Senatrice Berthet, Senateur Rosseren, Deputes Holroyd, Fait & Bellamy and the many others who put forward and supported amendments to help address the 90 /180 and visa problems. Eventually, we want to see a truly reciprocal mobility arrangement between the UK and each EU country, but for the time being this change in French law is huge . It shows that the French are willing to address the adverse effects of Brexit . We hope that this might encourage the British government to follow suite.France Visa Free.

Finally there are many questions that folk naturally wish to ask.At the moment all we know is that a law has been passed, The details on how this will work will come from a Council of State. Indeed our next phase should be to lobby ideas on how this change could work. There is a process that needs to be established. In addition , a note of caution needs to be exercised, The law could be deemed unconstitutional as it favours one group of foreigners over another. For the time being let’s enjoy this moment, take a breath and have an enjoyable Christmas . Thank you to everyone who got behind thus campaign.

Steven Jolly
France Visa Free

Darro wrote:AFAIK it was struck out but in any case was never to be 'visa free' as that would breach Schengen rules.

The bit about all second home owners was struck out at the beginning of December. However, it was replaced by an amendment that only British second home owners would be counted and that was allowed in the bill.

From the comments I am reading it is expected that if you are paying the Spanish equivalent of IBI to your local Town Hall that is how the Visa will be granted. That would rule out people on campsites and barges. It would also rule out people who wished to rent accommodation for say 4 or 6 months over the winter as presumably it would be confined to those registered on the Deeds.


Bee

Bee wrote:From the comments I am reading it is expected that if you are paying the Spanish equivalent of IBI to your local Town Hall that is how the Visa will be granted. That would rule out people on campsites and barges. It would also rule out people who wished to rent accommodation for say 4 or 6 months over the winter as presumably it would be confined to those registered on the Deeds.


Bee

Well, yes. If the plan is to issue long term visas for second home owners, those renting wouldn't be counted. Still, has to go through the EU yet.
Did like the "unique" position of paying taxes in two countries. Try buying a second home in Wales and see the double council tax payments which some counties in England are thinking of bringing in.

The second home owners should be paying, or being assessed to pay, taxes in both Countries so perhaps
this is a way for the French to ensure non-residents tax is paid on their holiday homes.
No taxes paid = no Visa issued.

Surely the reason that they amended Second Home Owners to British Home Owners is that all others are probably EU citizens and therefore don’t need permission.