One common trait among people who study French is a desire to live and possibly work in France. Many dream of this, but not many succeed in actually doing it. I have personally tried and failed more than once. Just what is it that makes it so difficult to live in France?
First of all, like other countries, France is concerned about too much immigration. Many people come to France from poorer countries to find work - either legally or illegally. With high unemployment in France, the government is not eager to give jobs to immigrants - they want the available jobs to go to citizens. In addition, France is worried about the impact of immigrants on social services - there is only so much money to go around, and the government wants citizens to receive it. Finally, France is infamous for its extensive red tape, which can make everything from buying a car to renting an apartment an administrative nightmare.
Read the article http://french.about.com/library/bl-liveworkinfrance.htm
