They arrived in New York a few weeks, a few months or years ago, but all had questions galore. Nearly 500 French New Yorkers came on Saturday, September 7th, at the very first Bien Vivre lounge in New York, organized by French Morning, and supported by USA France Financials, under the patronage of Anne Claire Legendre, Consul General of France in New York. York.
Arriving just over a month ago to follow her American husband, Justine, a tax expert by profession, came to the conference "Managing your wealth and your Franco-American tax" to benefit from the expertise of Alexandre Quantin, from USA France Financials, Jean-Philippe Saurat from Massat Consulting and Maître Alexandre Leturgez-Coïaniz. "I also have had the good surprise to discover that there were bilingual schools present, because bilingual education will be an important subject for us ".
Others have been here longer, like Thomas and his wife. Arrived a year and a half ago in H1B visa, they came for the conference "Expatriate family, legal impacts", Me Hélène Carvallo. "It's really good to help us navigate the maquis of differences between French and American systems", said Thomas. They who confess to read diligently French Morning since the preparation of their departure found in the event "A complement "Live" very useful".
The spouses, those who "followed" an expat, could hear the testimonies of others who had gone through the same experience before them, during the session "Living expatriation as a couple", moderated by Julie Filiot Luyindula, with the psychologist Bérénice Boursier. A little later in the day, these spouses were also numerous to listen to Amel Derragui, founder of Tandem Nomad, speak professional reconversion and give his advice on "how to reinvent himself by launching his business".
The nine conferences proposed and the 20 or so experts attending swept away a wide range of French expatriates' concerns. In particular, it was a question of how to build a "credit history" during a conference on this thorny subject, a real headache for the French who are planning to settle permanently on American soil. Stakeholders, including Credit Stacks' Tal Nissenson, urged participants not to wait to get a credit card and gave keys to build a positive history, which is essential for buying a home or buying a car, for example.
The expression "culture shock" has also returned a lot during the day, at work or at school, but also on supermarket shelves, with the conference of Estelle Tracy and Magali Chassard entitled "Food Survival Guide", storming by French people anxious to eat well at reasonable prices.
And as in any conversation between New Yorkers, we also talked a lot about housing. In a city where people spend an average of 60% of their income on housing, buying quickly becomes a priority. At the "Buy New York" conference, Renaud de Tilly, the founder of Tilly Real Estate, and Hervé Linder, lawyer, stressed that the local market had become a "buyer market" for many months.
Donald Trump even made a few appearances, notably at the conference of Sophie Raven, devoted to extensions and renewal of visas. "For two years, most procedures are longer than before, and the rules are applied more strictly ", said the lawyer.
"The lesson of a show like this is that being an expatriate is not just a series of problems, it's also opportunities, noted Alexandre Quantin, of USA France Financials, wealth management specialist for the French in the United States. For example, in terms of wealth, being an American resident opens access to products and opportunities that do not exist in France. It is essential to be informed to prepare your financial future.
Exhibitors present:
