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Hi Jeff,
Can you clarify for me what field it is that you have experience in? I have been living in Lyon for the past 5-6 months. If you mean to teach English, I think Lyon is a good place to try. There appears to be a good demand for English teachers if you're a native speaker. I have had several offers but unfortunately ran into bureaucratic snafus (French bureaucracy is legendary).

I think it is easier if you are a citizen of the EU. I am American and therefore I'm subject to even more bureaucracy. I need to provide a dossier of documents to sign up for what is called "auto-entrepreneur status." It can be done, but I've put forth less effort lately and some of my plans for the future are changing. Let me know if there's anything I can tell you to help you further. You are right that France is an easy place to fall in love with. The language, the people, the culture, it's great. Lyon is a great alternative to Paris

Cheers!

My friend John and I have english teaching experience in Thailand, so that would be the field we are seeking out. What snafus have you specifically ran into with the french bureaucracy? Is it due to visa issues, trying to supply the proper documents, or just circus hoops that I wouldn't even know how to put into words? And if you don't mind me asking, how have you been in Lyon for the past 5 months. I thought we, as American citizens, only had 3 months in the Schengen zone. And again thank you so much for the response, it's truly appreciated.

No problem - I have a long stay student visa "titre de sejour" that is valid for the entire school year.

Since you have teaching experience and you're also a native English speaker, I think you will be able to find jobs here in Lyon. It will also help if you have the TEFL certificates. I don't have any prior experience teaching English and no TEFL and yet I was offered two jobs anyways.

The problem is that both jobs required me to sign up as an "auto-entrepreneur." Essentially it is a way for companies (or schools, or whatever) to give me a job while also avoiding giving me a contract. I would have been an entrepreneur, working for myself, and contracting myself to the business. In order to sign up for this, I needed to gather documents related to my health insurance, birth certificates needed to be requested from the US (and they also need to be stamped with an 'apostille' by your home state's governor's office, or something like that). Then the birth certificate has to be translated by a certified French translator (€40-50). It's a difficult process; albeit one that I could have completed if I had more motivation. Right now, I'm more or less coasting toward the end of my school year and not worrying about it anymore because my future plans have changed a bit.

Bon courage!

Another side note: as a holder of a titre de sejour, I have the right to work here in France. You do not have this right on a tourist visa and that would be a showstopper right off the bat. There might be ways of finding a job and getting paid "under the table" but there's plenty of problems with that too.

Greetings from the U.S.!

I have been reading this thread and I really appreciate the response to Jeff. I am relocating to Lyon, France in Sept. 2017. I have ten years of teaching experience, three degrees (including a PhD in ethics) and I am taking the TEFL next month. I am interested in knowing which visa I should apply to and what I should have prepared prior to coming to Lyon. I also want to know if there is a good service which might facilitate getting hired.

Again, any solid advice and possible contacts/steps to take is very much appreciated!

Au revoir!

Nash