I moved to the United States in 2025 as a French postdoc. The notes below is advice that I collected along the way. I wrote this note in English as it may benefit also internationals moving to the U.S. for any job.
As a French citizen working in the United States, you may end up with two types of health coverage: French and American.
By contributing more than €50 per month, you can remain affiliated with the French social security system while living abroad. This allows you to receive reimbursement for medical care when you return to France and to schedule routine medical appointments there if you wish (blood tests, glasses, dental care, etc.).
To do this, you need to register with the Caisse des Français de l’Étranger (CFE) through the following page: https://www.cfe.fr/offre-jeunexpat.
When registering, you will typically be offered two options: coverage for France only, or coverage for both France and the United States. In most cases it makes sense to choose coverage for France only, since your U.S. employer will usually provide better health insurance locally.
In the United States, health insurance is typically provided through your employer and deducted from your gross salary.
Most employers offer several types of coverage, usually including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. Within each category, you will need to select a specific plan. These plans determine which doctors you can see, since insurers work with networks of approved providers.
In practice, the difference between plans usually comes down to two main elements:
Copays are the fixed amounts you pay when receiving care, while the deductible is the amount you must pay out of pocket before insurance starts covering a larger share of expenses. These parameters largely determine the final cost of the plan.
A good strategy is to schedule a meeting with the health benefits advisor at your university or employer. They can help you choose a plan that has good coverage in your area (meaning many doctors in the network) and low deductibles for hospital or emergency room visits, which can otherwise become extremely expensive. For dental and vision coverage, the standard plans are usually sufficient, as they typically cover routine care such as cavities and an annual eye exam.
It can also be useful to ask the advisor for a rough estimate of the price difference between minimal and comprehensive coverage. If the difference is small, choosing the more comprehensive option is often worthwhile. Finally, it is always helpful to ask other international postdocs or colleagues what plans they selected.
If you work outside France, your contributions to the French retirement system will normally stop during that period.
You can check your current retirement status on the official website: https://www.lassuranceretraite.fr/portail-info/home.html.
Some people decide to continue contributing to the French retirement system while living abroad. This can be done through the Caisse des Français de l’Étranger (CFE), whose website is available here: https://www.cfe.fr/.
In my case, this option did not make financial sense. With a gross annual salary of $65k, I would have needed to contribute €701 per month, which corresponds to about 13% of my annual gross salary. I preferred to keep that money for my own expenses or invest it instead.
It is worth noting that you can later buy back missing contribution years if you decide to fill the gap in your retirement record.
It is generally recommended to register with the French consulate in the region where you live. Doing so can simplify certain administrative procedures, such as renewing official documents or voting from abroad. More information is available on the official government page: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R43248.
Taxes in the United States must typically be filed before April, and the way you file depends on your tax residency status.
There are two main tax categories for people living in the U.S.:
The procedures and forms differ depending on which category you fall into.
During my first two years in the United States, I am classified as a non-resident alien. As a newly arrived French postdoc on a J-1 visa, I benefit from a tax treaty between France and the United States (form 8233) that exempts me from paying federal income taxes for two years. After this period, I will become a resident for tax purposes.
If you decide to file your taxes yourself, you will need to submit both federal and state tax forms.
Federal taxes for non-residents are filed using the 1040-NR form. The form contains many boxes, although in practice many of them will remain empty. The accompanying instructions are long but helpful if you are unsure how to complete a section. If you do not have additional sources of income such as interest or stock sales, this may be the only federal document you need.
In addition to federal taxes, you must also file state taxes. In Pennsylvania, this is done using the PA-40 form, which is usually simpler to complete.
Your university should provide a W-2 form containing the information needed to fill in both forms.
If you prefer not to handle the paperwork yourself, several services specialize in tax filings for international residents. Two that are often recommended are Sprintax, which is designed for non-resident aliens, and TurboTax, which is typically used once you become a resident for tax purposes.
To complete your tax return, you will generally need several documents:
For employees at Carnegie Mellon University: