New rules for some categories demanding "le titre de sejour"

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by Californiagirl

Hi Bevdeforges,

I guess I'm just confused. If we no longer get a CDS for the first year what will we get to show as "proof" that we have the right to be/work/etc here? I know that I still have to go through the OFII interview/medical visit/etc but do you know if I have to wait until that is finished before I can work? Unfortunatly, if that is the case then I will have to turn down the job that I was just offered. Sigh. Any insight/additional info from anyone out there who has gone through the new process would be helpful!!

-CG

What I understand of the new procedures seems to indicate that they will put some sort of a stamp or update to your visa in your passport and that serves as your "carte de séjour" for the first year. If you have been offered a job, just explain to the employer what your situation is and when you have your appointment at the OFII. Ultimately, they need verification of your status in France to get you onto the payroll and to put in for your social security card, but they should be able to "hang loose" until you have your appointment. (It may be necessary to hold off your start date until after your OFII appointment - but maybe not. It pays to ask.)
Cheers,
Bev

[GALLUS]

We appreciate you insights
thx
Gallus

[rollerbahn]

I am happy to recount that my visit to the OFII was successful and rather painless -

For those of you entering France after the administrative change, or asking for a CDS now, you can be happy you do not have to go to the prefecture, at least for the next 11months. The people at the OFII are very nice, very helpful, and willing to explain and answer any questions anyone may have.

You are even allowed to work, before the appointment - so I don't honestly know what the visit is there to do. I think it must have something to do with social security. Oh, and depending on why you are in France, you must attend some kind of civic training.

in any event, I wanted to report back, as I am one of the test subjects for this new admin process.

[globetrotter42]

Well here I am one month after filing all the requested documents for my CdS vie privee and blah blah blah and I still haven't received so much as a recipisse. I filed my stuff with the mairie, as per the instructions from the local prefecture. I'm off to the US next week for a few weeks so was getting a bit concerned about not having the recipisse at least, so I stopped in at the mairie; they said they'd get right on it and inquire for me from the prefecture. But hey, it's a small village here. Turns out they sent off an email and are just waiting. So I've emailed and called the prefecture and will stop in tomorrow and see if I can figure out what's taking so long. Security Social is also asking for the recipisse to give me my carte vitale under my spouse's file so I hope to apply a little gentle pressure at the prefecture (in Loire/42, fyi). Wish me luck.

[whitelilac]

Hi!
According to the LA site, everyone on the long sejour visa is required to pay the fee, which is different for workers and students (55euros) for the rest, its 300euros:
Residence permits (OFII) - Consulat Général de France à Los Angeles

so they are no longer required to obtain the cds but must register with this site, see a doc take go for interview.

i dont know why they keep changing things around.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by globetrotter42

Well here I am one month after filing all the requested documents for my CdS vie privee and blah blah blah and I still haven't received so much as a recipisse. I filed my stuff with the mairie, as per the instructions from the local prefecture. I'm off to the US next week for a few weeks so was getting a bit concerned about not having the recipisse at least, so I stopped in at the mairie; they said they'd get right on it and inquire for me from the prefecture. But hey, it's a small village here. Turns out they sent off an email and are just waiting. So I've emailed and called the prefecture and will stop in tomorrow and see if I can figure out what's taking so long. Security Social is also asking for the recipisse to give me my carte vitale under my spouse's file so I hope to apply a little gentle pressure at the prefecture (in Loire/42, fyi). Wish me luck.

It may be too late for this, but any time you deposit documents at any government agency, you should insist on a récipissée of some sort. The mairie should at the very least give you a slip of paper (mairie letterhead?) with a note saying that they accepted your dossier/application/whatever for transmission to the préfecture on such and such a date.

If they have had no reply yet from their e-mail to the préfecture, you might ask them for just such a récipissée. It could come in handy.
Cheers,
Bev

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by whitelilac

i dont know why they keep changing things around.

Because they're the government and they can.

One company I used to work for had a curious item on their list of "skills" you were rated on each year: "tolerance of ambiguity"

It was a handy skill to have working for that company, but I find it comes in even handier now that I live in France.
Cheers,
Bev

[globetrotter42]

I'm happy to report that not all fonctionnaires are created equal. My email to the prefecture actually got a response from a very very sympa fonctionnaire there who called me about my problem the morning after I emailed and again today after I followed up.

However because I'm an expat expat (can't think of another word for an expat who's married to an expat and lives in a 3rd country), the situation has an extra dimension. It's gotten to the point where I'm pretty much ready to throw in the towel yet again even though I think it's not reasonable to live the way I have been (no right to work, no carte vitale, not even the right to live here when my name is on the mortgage for the house!).

I wanna end this post on a positive note though so I'll say that it's really a great relief to feel like I've actually got a fonctionnaire working for me in my corner and trying to help out best she can.

[Bevdeforges]

I admit I had to go back through the files to check on just what your situation is, Globetrotter. You ARE in a rather unique situation. But treasure that "human contact" in the préfecture. You never know when it can help to have a friendly fonctionnaire on your side.
Cheers,
Bev

[rgpillai]

Hi

I had recently renewed the titre de sejour for myself and my wife. We had to pay 70 Euro OMI stamps each, which was different from last year, if I remember well - only one of us paid last year. So, the rules are indeed changing...

Rgpillai