Advice - in FR with a bungled-visa type

[parisdesign]

Greetings,
This looks like a helpful community. Thanks in advance for reading below!

I'm from LA and applied for a longstay student visa, 6mos.
At the consulate they asked me what kind of work I would seek, and I said after getting carte de sejour, something probably secretarial.
I left with a D student visa, thinking all was alright, that I had the 6 mo. longstay visa.

Only it says,"dispense temporaire carte de sejour".
I thought this was fine, translating to, "give temporary carte de sejour".

But the Paris prefecture guard explained to me that this means I am exempted from carte de sejour, and am not allowed to have carte de sejour, and that to change the visa I have to return to LA.

So, a couple problems: I cannot work, and I cannot start my applications for security social.
In addition, I planned to renew my visa at the end of the summer, as a student and also as I have been invited for an artist residency.

The question: should I call the consulate in LA and ask the person who signed my Visa to help me? I have his name and phone number. And, should I enlist the help of people who know some of this person's colleagues at the consulate to help?

I am not of unlimited means financially and this error puts me in a difficult position. Not to mention the money I already spent just to get here.

Thanks,
Parisdesign

[Bevdeforges]

Ooh boy, does THIS sound familiar! Welcome to the visa olympics in France. I went through a variation of this about 15 years ago.

It sounds vaguely like the LA consulate screwed up. But that is one thing you must never, ever say to them. The 6 month visa meant (I think) that they figured it wasn't worthwhile having you apply for a carte de séjour since it wouldn't get issued until after your 6 months was up. And actually, you aren't allowed to work on a student visa anyhow except doing a "stage" related to your studies (and usually massively underpaid, if you're paid at all).

To get a visa with working privileges, you need to get the job first, then return to LA to apply for a working visa for that job (after they receive confirmation from your would-be employer).

The problem you are up against (as was I, 15 years ago) is that the consulate staff reports to a completely different ministry than does the préfecture staff - and different ministries never ever communicate with each other. You can talk to your friend in the consulate all you want, but he has no influence over the préfecture staff.

You might try talking to whoever has offered you the artist residency to see if they have any pull over at the préfecture to get you a carte de séjour based on their support of your continued presence in France. (They may have to go through some hoops to get your residency approved at the appropriate ministry.) Or talk to the school you are currently at - if you were eligible to renew your student visa, they should be able to tell you how to do it.

In France there is usually a way around these sorts of difficulties, but finding it could be all your life is worth.
Cheers,
Bev

[parisdesign]

Thanks Bev, I appreciate your response! Being a student, one WITH carte de sejour, you are actually allowed to work 20 hours a week. Just fyi...
Well thanks, even though this is difficult I really appreciate the comraderie. Curious how you fixed this situation for yourself those 15 years ago?
Merci, amicablement,
parisdesign

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by parisdesign

Thanks Bev, I appreciate your response! Being a student, one WITH carte de sejour, you are actually allowed to work 20 hours a week. Just fyi...
Well thanks, even though this is difficult I really appreciate the comraderie. Curious how you fixed this situation for yourself those 15 years ago?
Merci, amicablement,
parisdesign

OK, I knew working privileges were limited on a student visa - but had heard somewhere it was weekends and school holidays only. Twenty hours actually isn't too bad.

My situation was "interesting" as I was illegal right during the big strikes and all in 1995, so the issue of immigration was hot - and that may have caused further problems for me simply because the local government folks were probably getting conflicting signals from their superiors.

In my case I was married to a French citizen (in the local mairie, no less). That wasn't the end of my problems - just the beginning, in fact. My carte de séjour was refused, but they never told me why. Went all the way to a tribunal of some sort (which no longer exists) some 20 months after our wedding. Seems to have had something to do with a long-running feud between the local prefecture and the judiciary. All I know is that after all the Sturm and Drang they "suddenly" issued my card, then noticed I hadn't had a medical exam, sent me for that, and I got the card (dated well before the medical exam ever took place). Ah, France!
Cheers,
Bev

[Matou]

You can receive free legal advice from an Avocat at the Palais de justice (métro cité) Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 12 AM, no apointment needed (just come up early) Tel. 01.44.32.50.50 (ask for "consultation avec un avocat"). Same applies at any "mairie d'arrondissement" (one of the 20 town halls) once a week, submitted to prior apointment.