My experience with a long stay visa application

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by natalier5771

Thanks Bev.

Because my husband will be working for the Australian Embassy he will only have a minimum amount of health insurance provided. They have recommended that we get health insurance. I particularly need health insurance in order to apply for my long stay visa. Does anyone know how much per month health insurance is for a family (2 adults and 1 child)? Is there a difference bwn normal health insurance and comprehensive International Health Insurance? Can I just go through a normal health insurance provider or are there specific companies that deal with International Health insurance? I received a quote from a health insurance broker who quoted 435 euros a month! That's outrageous! or is it...?


Natalie

I'm not sure of the precise terminology that is used, but with some forms of "international" health insurance, you are looking at only basic coverage for accidents and emergencies while you're out of the country. If something serious were to come up, you'd be covered until the point where you are stable enough to return to your own country where, presumably, your home national health would cover you. But that's normally part of a "travel" policy.

Actually, 435€ a month isn't bad for two adults and a child. Our mutuelle here in France (which is only a "top up" to the national plan) runs 80€ a month per adult plus 45€ a month for a child. The national health runs close to 15% of your salary if you take both employer and employee contributions into account - but that covers the whole family.
Cheers,
Bev

[natalier5771]

Originally Posted by natalier5771

Thanks Bev.

Because my husband will be working for the Australian Embassy he will only have a minimum amount of health insurance provided. They have recommended that we get health insurance. I particularly need health insurance in order to apply for my long stay visa. Does anyone know how much per month health insurance is for a family (2 adults and 1 child)? Is there a difference bwn normal health insurance and comprehensive International Health Insurance? Can I just go through a normal health insurance provider or are there specific companies that deal with International Health insurance? I received a quote from a health insurance broker who quoted 435 euros a month! That's outrageous! or is it...?


Natalie

Hi Bev

Thanks for all your advice.

I managed to get the same health insurance plan as Alana (Prestige with Axa) for 168 pounds a months with 2 months free. That includes full comprehensive insurance for my son and I while we are in France. I went through an awesome insurance broker April Medibroker, Steve Nelson. He was extremely helpful and offered me a variety of plans to choose from.

As for getting an apartment, we managed to reserve an apartment through Paris Rentals who specialise in accomodation for Expats. Again extremely helpful, website ins in English and Agents speak English too. Tres happy.

Natalie

[natalier5771]

Originally Posted by lumieredusoleil

Hi Bev and others

Yep, I have indeed received my visa and am relatively (emphasis) unscathed, hehe!

I submitted my initial visa application trying to be honest and open about the relationship between my fiancé and myself, included a long covering letter with an explanation of all items and documentation I had included and even included some extra items regarding financial security.

One of the visa requirements were return plane tickets; so even though I am applying for a 12 month visa to stay in France, they wanted to see that I had fully booked and paid for a return ticket to Australia. This was sooo ridiculous to me! However, I did what they wanted and booked flights back to Australia, so essentially wasted $700 of my money as we are getting married next year and I won't be going home for at least 15 months. Grrr...
Lesson: Book cheap flights back to your home country, even if you know you will never use them. The Consulate just wants to see that you have a back-up plan in case you become destitute in France, as I was advised on this forum

Secondly, another visa requirement was "a letter from your financial adviser or bank manager stating that you have sufficient funds to stay in France". I don't have a financial adviser so I went to my bank and asked what they could do. They stated that bank managers are too busy for things like that etc etc, so I turned to the local French embassy to ask advice. They advised that in addition to my own bank statements proving sufficient funds (essentially AU$4,000 at minimum) I include a financial guarantee from my parents. So I sent my official bank account statements, along with 2 financial guarantees from my mother and stepfather promising to send AU$1,500 a month to my bank account directly. Well, after the Consulate received my visa application with this guarantee, they phoned me stating that they could not accept this because, and this was the ensuing exchange with regard to that point:

Consulate: "What if you have a huge fight with your mother and she refuses to send this money?"
Me: "I have a very good relationship with my parents and that will not happen."
Consulate: "We cannot accept financial guarantees for any visa application."
Me: "Just out of interest, why do you have them on the visa website and why did the embassy suggest I do this?"
Consulate: "Um, I'm not sure."

Okay! So that seemed like a big waste of time. The Consulate then proceeded to advise me that since I had disclosed that my reason for moving to Paris was my fiancé's job, they now needed a copy of my fiancé's French passport, a letter from him detailing his job and his commencement date, a letter from his employer stating all sorts of details about his job and proof of his own financial situation!! So despite the fact that a long stay without work has nothing to do with spouses or partners, because I tried to be honest and open about why I was going to France on a long stay visa, they added all this crap that I needed to provide! I found this really stupid; if I was applying for a fiance visa, naturally I would understand, but they are very clear that this visa has nothing to do with fiances or partners. Seemed very hypocritical to me.

They also asked for quite a lot of proof of our relationship - photos, joint bank accounts, past leases or utility bills from shared houses etc. We provided a number of photos with dates and descriptions, directed them to our personal photo website and photocopied our joint credit cards, and that info obviously sufficed as they didn't request anything further.

Lesson: DO NOT tell the Consulate more than absolutely necessary. Had I have not mentioned that I was going to France for my fiance, I would have saved myself having to procure a whole lot of extra documentation.

Something else I would like to add is with regard to the requirement of an apartment/house already being set up and proof thereof, because we don't have oiur own accommodation sorted out yet (and won't have done so until we get to Paris and find an apartment) we had my fiance's brother who resides in Paris do up a letter stating that he would house us. The Consulate phoned me about this and said that it was fine, but that they needed a new letter stating that the situation was only temporary and that my fiance and I would be finding our own accommodation upon arrival in Paris. The Consulate also asked for a copy of the "papier notaire" which is provided when you purchase property in France. This was not any great hassle but I thought it to be valuable information for other people who want to move to Paris but don't have an apartment set up yet; find someone who can house you temporarily, get them to write a letter stating that they are happy to do so, and include a copy of their papier notaire and a utility bill in their name, as well as their passport.

Really, that was about it. In terms of health insurance, I purchased the "prestige" cover from AXA which the Consulate was fine with. They said that it was good that I purchased such a comprehensive plan, whatever that means!

Something to mention is that while the French Consulate in Australia notes a minimum of 1 month to process a visa, they took only a few days with mine. Perhaps that is because I am Australian born and bred and not an immigrant with more complex papers to go through, more detailed checks etc but I was pleasantly surprised with that.

Bev, I actually have two questions that maybe you can help me with again! I had to fill out a form called "Demande d'attestation d'OFII" and send it with my application. Neither my fiance nor I have any idea what it is about. The Consulate sent it back with my passport, so I am guessing I will need it at some point (perhaps at the local prefecture?).

What is the situation also with language requirements? I am semi-fluent in French - do you know if I will be required to sit exams or prove my language ability?

If there is any more advice I can provide or questions I can answer, please let me know!

alana

Hi Alana

Not that it is stated in the information provided for the long stay visa application, but did you have to get all your required documentation translated? ie., letter from your parents?

I noticed in the general frequently asked questions that they stated that you need to get all documentation translated by a certified translator.... But there is no information in the actual long stay visa application section.

Cheers

Natalie

[esear]

Originally Posted by lumieredusoleil

I just wanted to put the offer out there to help anyone (particularly those from Australia as that's where I'm from who is in the same position of needing to apply for a long stay visa and is not sure how to go about it. Some of the visa requirements are utterly pointless, however I am happy to share my experience, what I ended up having to do etc etc with anyone who needs some advice!

Cheers

alana

Hi Alana,
You wrote this message awhile ago, but I am hoping you can help me. In regards to the return ticket. Like mentioned in these threads, they say to buy a plane ticket even if you aren't going to use it. The airlines are selling tickets 11 months in advance. Did you buy your plane ticket and they granted you a longer visa than your purchased return? Thanks for any help/advice!

[natalier5771]

Hi Everyone

Well I had my "interview" for my Long stay visa yesterday which went horribly wrong. I booked accomodation in Sydney and my husband took the day off work to come up with my son and I for moral support (and possible translation).

We got there and the man looked at our applications and noted that my husbnad already had a carte de sojour - grounds for him to apply for a Family Regroupment visa when he arrives in Paris next week. We were sent away with our mass of documents.

So the Embassy in sydney gave us the wrong information 2 months ago when we explained our situation and enquirted as to what visa my son and I would need.

My husband now has to renew his carte-de-sojour (it has to have 12 months validity on it and it only has 10) then apply for a Family Reqgroupment visa at the local prefecture and so begins the who know how long process of approving a temporary resident card for myself and son, sending it back to Australia to the embassy here, who will then notify me by mail and I will then have to make an appointment (5 week delay with appointments) to go and submit the Long Stay Visa application form I tried to submit yesterday. In the mean time I need to start some sort of French lessons to get my French up to a basic standard to pass an French Language Knowledge assessment test. to get my temporary resident card.

I have decided to go over with my husband on a tourist visa (3 months) and return to Australia to collect my temporary resident card.

I am beyond emotionally exhausted and would welcome any feedback from anyone that has gone through the same trauma.

Natalie

Originally Posted by lumieredusoleil

Hi everybody

I just wanted to put out a general thank you to this online community (especially Bev!!) for providing so much valuable information in my quest for a long stay visa without work.

I just wanted to put the offer out there to help anyone (particularly those from Australia as that's where I'm from who is in the same position of needing to apply for a long stay visa and is not sure how to go about it. Some of the visa requirements are utterly pointless, however I am happy to share my experience, what I ended up having to do etc etc with anyone who needs some advice!

My situation was that my fiancé is French/Australian (dual citizenship from birth) and we are moving to France for his work commitments.

Cheers

alana

[natalier5771]

Further to my previous rant, does anyone know a ball park timeframe of how long it will take my husband to get his carte de sejour renewed (expires next August), how he goes about doing this and the time frame a family regroupment visa will take for my son and I once his carte is renewed? I have visted the OII website and of course there is no information regarding what documents are needed and how long the processing times are.

Cheers

Natalie

Originally Posted by natalier5771

Hi Everyone

Well I had my "interview" for my Long stay visa yesterday which went horribly wrong. I booked accomodation in Sydney and my husband took the day off work to come up with my son and I for moral support (and possible translation).

We got there and the man looked at our applications and noted that my husbnad already had a carte de sojour - grounds for him to apply for a Family Regroupment visa when he arrives in Paris next week. We were sent away with our mass of documents.

So the Embassy in sydney gave us the wrong information 2 months ago when we explained our situation and enquirted as to what visa my son and I would need.

My husband now has to renew his carte-de-sojour (it has to have 12 months validity on it and it only has 10) then apply for a Family Reqgroupment visa at the local prefecture and so begins the who know how long process of approving a temporary resident card for myself and son, sending it back to Australia to the embassy here, who will then notify me by mail and I will then have to make an appointment (5 week delay with appointments) to go and submit the Long Stay Visa application form I tried to submit yesterday. In the mean time I need to start some sort of French lessons to get my French up to a basic standard to pass an French Language Knowledge assessment test. to get my temporary resident card.

I have decided to go over with my husband on a tourist visa (3 months) and return to Australia to collect my temporary resident card.

I am beyond emotionally exhausted and would welcome any feedback from anyone that has gone through the same trauma.

Natalie

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by natalier5771

Further to my previous rant, does anyone know a ball park timeframe of how long it will take my husband to get his carte de sejour renewed (expires next August), how he goes about doing this and the time frame a family regroupment visa will take for my son and I once his carte is renewed? I have visted the OII website and of course there is no information regarding what documents are needed and how long the processing times are.

Cheers

Natalie

A carte de séjour can only be renewed in the two months prior to its expiration. During that time, your husband has to present himself (in person) to the prefecture in the departement where he is living with documents that prove his current status is the same as when the carte de séjour was issued (i.e. residence, employment, etc.).
Cheers,
Bev

[natalier5771]

thanks for the endless supply of information Bev

It just sounds like it's getting worse.... if my husband is to have at least 12 months validity on his carte de sejour in order to apply for a regroupement de familie visa for my son and I, how then will this be possible if he can only renew his carte 2 months prior to expiring..?

I am starting to panic a little...

Natalie

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

A carte de séjour can only be renewed in the two months prior to its expiration. During that time, your husband has to present himself (in person) to the prefecture in the departement where he is living with documents that prove his current status is the same as when the carte de séjour was issued (i.e. residence, employment, etc.).
Cheers,
Bev

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by natalier5771

thanks for the endless supply of information Bev

It just sounds like it's getting worse.... if my husband is to have at least 12 months validity on his carte de sejour in order to apply for a regroupement de familie visa for my son and I, how then will this be possible if he can only renew his carte 2 months prior to expiring..?

I am starting to panic a little...

Natalie

If the carte de séjour expires next August, then in essence he has 12 months left on it. (The French notion of time is a little bit fluid - take advantage of it.)

Is he already living in France? What confuses me is that if he's already living in France and he got in as an employee of the Australian embassy, why didn't the embassy get the rest of the family dependent visas like they should have done in the first place?

Actually, it's not unheard of for the consulate to steer you wrong. (They sure did me! And I have the scars to prove it.) You need to get your husband's employer involved in this to get it sorted out.
Cheers,
Bev

[natalier5771]

Thanks Bev

My husband's job is not a posting. He directly applied for a job at the Aus Embassy in Paris. He already has a carte de sejour from his previous marriage to a French woman. Unfortunately as it isn't a posting we have to finance and arrange everything. My husband flies out on the 10 Sep and my son and I follow on the 29 Oct.

Cheers
Natalie

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

If the carte de séjour expires next August, then in essence he has 12 months left on it. (The French notion of time is a little bit fluid - take advantage of it.)

Is he already living in France? What confuses me is that if he's already living in France and he got in as an employee of the Australian embassy, why didn't the embassy get the rest of the family dependent visas like they should have done in the first place?

Actually, it's not unheard of for the consulate to steer you wrong. (They sure did me! And I have the scars to prove it.) You need to get your husband's employer involved in this to get it sorted out.
Cheers,
Bev