My experience with a long stay visa application

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by 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

You're stuck in an odd sort of limbo. Actually, as I understand it, to work for the embassy (at a certain level anyhow) you don't need a carte de séjour. (Same applies to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris.) Of course if he isn't at that level, then things are going to get complicated.

I haven't run across that "12 months left on your carte de séjour requirement" in my (admittedly quick) scan of the websites dealing with regroupement familial (e.g. Regroupement familial en France des ressortissants étrangers - Service-public.fr) and it does seem to be taking Service Public an awful long time to update their site for this, which usually means they're still working out the detailed procedures.

If you've already got the flight booked, I'd just have your husband start the process for the regroupement familial as soon as he gets to France. He might need the embassy to confirm their job offer or otherwise back the application, but since you're Australian, there isn't nearly the concern over your ability to "integrate" into the French population that there is with "other" foreigners. Just keep repeating that this is what the consulate told you to do - and act innocent. Technically the consulate has to evaluate your language ability before you go - but maybe they can do that in the course of getting you a tourist visa (assuming you still need one - I'm never sure who needs which visa to come to France these days).

Your ability to work may be compromised until you get things sorted out - but if you can manage to avoid pitching hissy fits in the middle of the prefecture (my big mistake) you can probably get things worked out, especially if you can get someone from the embassy to help the process along. Even getting another embassy employee to simply go with you to the prefecture might do the trick.
Cheers,
Bev

[natalier5771]

Thanks so much Bev.

I just realised i got it wrong. My husband has a Resident Card that he needs to renew, not carte de sojour. I'm hoping that the process of the regroupement familial visa thing won't be complicated if he already has a resident card and a french daughter.

The ironic thing is he was married for 5 years and could get a French passport but the whole reason why he got the locally engaged contract at the Embassy was because he didn't have dual citizenship. Crazy lol. A passport would make things so much easier, but we wouldn't actually be moving to France if that was the case.

Thanks again for all your advice.

My husband said we should all meet up one day and swap visa application war stories!

Natalie

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

You're stuck in an odd sort of limbo. Actually, as I understand it, to work for the embassy (at a certain level anyhow) you don't need a carte de séjour. (Same applies to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris.) Of course if he isn't at that level, then things are going to get complicated.

I haven't run across that "12 months left on your carte de séjour requirement" in my (admittedly quick) scan of the websites dealing with regroupement familial (e.g. Regroupement familial en France des ressortissants étrangers - Service-public.fr) and it does seem to be taking Service Public an awful long time to update their site for this, which usually means they're still working out the detailed procedures.

If you've already got the flight booked, I'd just have your husband start the process for the regroupement familial as soon as he gets to France. He might need the embassy to confirm their job offer or otherwise back the application, but since you're Australian, there isn't nearly the concern over your ability to "integrate" into the French population that there is with "other" foreigners. Just keep repeating that this is what the consulate told you to do - and act innocent. Technically the consulate has to evaluate your language ability before you go - but maybe they can do that in the course of getting you a tourist visa (assuming you still need one - I'm never sure who needs which visa to come to France these days).

Your ability to work may be compromised until you get things sorted out - but if you can manage to avoid pitching hissy fits in the middle of the prefecture (my big mistake) you can probably get things worked out, especially if you can get someone from the embassy to help the process along. Even getting another embassy employee to simply go with you to the prefecture might do the trick.
Cheers,
Bev

[Bevdeforges]

You're in luck - a carte residente is pretty much automatically renewable, so he should be able to apply for the regroupement familliale as soon as he hits the ground. It can take a little while to arrange, but it should all work out.

We'll have to arrange a meet up in Paris some time.
Cheers,
Bev