My experience with a long stay visa application

[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

[Bevdeforges]

Good to hear you got through the tangled web of French bureaucracy relatively unscathed! And thank you for offering to help others.

Having a French fiancé/spouse is a huge advantage these days. It looks like they've actually kind of simplified the process (a little bit - and remember we're talking relative terms here). And in four years, you'll be able to apply for French nationality should you want it. (Used to be only two years...)

OK, what was the most pointless of the requirements you had to meet to get your visa? I know when I applied for French nationality (only 10 years after first moving here and getting married), I had an insane discussion with the fonctionnaires about what I should have done regarding the requirement to submit a letter from the bank confirming our joint bank account, of which we have none. (I keep my accounts in a different bank from those of my husband, even.)

I figure it's a test. If you can blow by the insanity of dealing with the government, then you pass and can have your visa/nationality/ whatever else you need.
Cheers,
Bev

[lumieredusoleil]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

OK, what was the most pointless of the requirements you had to meet to get your visa? I know when I applied for French nationality (only 10 years after first moving here and getting married), I had an insane discussion with the fonctionnaires about what I should have done regarding the requirement to submit a letter from the bank confirming our joint bank account, of which we have none. (I keep my accounts in a different bank from those of my husband, even.)

I figure it's a test. If you can blow by the insanity of dealing with the government, then you pass and can have your visa/nationality/ whatever else you need.
Cheers,
Bev

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

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by lumieredusoleil

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,
Whew - you made it! One small footnote to your experience - as we've indicated here before, there are new rules in place as of 1 June 2009 and these new rules have not yet been explained (either to the consulates or to the poor schlubs out there applying for visas). So as in all things visa-related, your mileage may vary.

OK, that Demande d'attestation thingee is part of the new rules. Apparently, instead of applying for a carte de séjour when you get to France, you take this form (to the OFII, I think) to "register" your arrival in and residence in France for the first year. (You can always try going first to either the mairie or the préfecture to ask where you have to go for this registration. They normally love being able to tell people where to go - especially when it means it's not their job to help you! )

Everything I've read says that you are supposed to be "assessed" as to your language abilities at the consulate. If you conducted all your business with the consulate folks in French, they may have just ticked the box on the forms somewhere that say "yeah, she speaks French - no problem."

All that business about your fiancé is basically down to the fact that France doesn't really have categories of visas as such. When it comes time to get a carte de séjour (it sounds like only after your first year there will you need one), they review everything in your file (or claim to) to determine the parameters of the card they will grant you - whether you can work, if you're limited to a specific job or area, or anything else they want to throw at you. The fact that you've vetted your fiancé and his French nationality can only help down the line - even if they ultimately ask for more of the same when the time comes.

Actually, one small point on the round-trip ticket issue. Though it entails a bit more money up front, folks might want to consider booking a full-freight round-trip ticket - and then cashing in the return flight after they arrive in France. (It's a more expensive option, though than either a one-way ticket or just booking the round trip and wasting the return leg.) Some airlines really don't like you to use a bargain round trip in lieu of a one-way fare and may actually come back at you for the remainder of the one-way fare. (Haven't heard of this happening lately, but last time the airlines were in trouble they started doing things like this.)
Cheers,
Bev

[esear]

Thank you for your posts! I have been reading and they have helped me a lot! Especially putting nerves at ease.

I have been living in France on a Tourist Visa. The arrival of my departure is almost here. I am looking to come back as soon as possible, but this time to work. I have a French fiance, I would love to get a Long Stay Visa for Marriage.

How long should I ask to stay? How long is a long stay visa good for? Do you buy all tickets like you are going to go, before you apply for the visa? I dont want to buy a plane ticket for a shorter amount of time than I can actually stay? Do I specify how long I want to be here?

Thanks for any help.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by esear

Thank you for your posts! I have been reading and they have helped me a lot! Especially putting nerves at ease.

I have been living in France on a Tourist Visa. The arrival of my departure is almost here. I am looking to come back as soon as possible, but this time to work. I have a French fiance, I would love to get a Long Stay Visa for Marriage.

How long should I ask to stay? How long is a long stay visa good for? Do you buy all tickets like you are going to go, before you apply for the visa? I dont want to buy a plane ticket for a shorter amount of time than I can actually stay? Do I specify how long I want to be here?

Thanks for any help.

When you're back in the US, you should contact the French consulate that covers the area where you live. They can give you their most recent information about applying for a long stay visa for marriage (what information and documents you need from your fiance, and any "special" conditions for applying).

AFAIK, you're free to look for work once you get to France if you've entered on a long stay visa for marriage. Otherwise, to get a work visa you usually have to have the job lined up ahead of time and your employer acting as your visa sponsor.
Cheers,
Bev

[coloma gold]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

When you're back in the US, you should contact the French consulate that covers the area where you live. They can give you their most recent information about applying for a long stay visa for marriage (what information and documents you need from your fiance, and any "special" conditions for applying).

AFAIK, you're free to look for work once you get to France if you've entered on a long stay visa for marriage. Otherwise, to get a work visa you usually have to have the job lined up ahead of time and your employer acting as your visa sponsor.
Cheers,
Bev

Bev,
Keep up the good work.. the changes in the visa requirements are of special importance.. In prior 'threads' someone mentioned that there was no stated amount that someone must prove they need for income.. I reviewed the consulates website yesterday and it stated $1800 per mo per person..FYI

[natalier5771]

Hi Alana

Thanks for the offer for advice!

I am in the process of completing my long stay visa application and there are a couple of things that I'm not sure about (surprise surprise). My husband is heading over in September for work and already has a Resident Card (his ex-wife is French). The form requires me to provide proof of residency in Paris but when we lodge my application we won't know where we will be living in Paris. My husband will be working for the Australian Embassy... do you think it would be enough to put the Embassy's address as a contact address and a note to say that my husband is going over earlier to find permanent accomodation?

Also, in terms of providing proof of health insurance for the year... is it enough to have comprehensive travel insurance that includes health insurance or do I need to specifically get international health insurance? If so, could you recommend a company?

Talk about complicated...and it's only the beginning!

Cheers
Natalie

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by natalier5771

Hi Alana

Thanks for the offer for advice!

I am in the process of completing my long stay visa application and there are a couple of things that I'm not sure about (surprise surprise). My husband is heading over in September for work and already has a Resident Card (his ex-wife is French). The form requires me to provide proof of residency in Paris but when we lodge my application we won't know where we will be living in Paris. My husband will be working for the Australian Embassy... do you think it would be enough to put the Embassy's address as a contact address and a note to say that my husband is going over earlier to find permanent accomodation?

Also, in terms of providing proof of health insurance for the year... is it enough to have comprehensive travel insurance that includes health insurance or do I need to specifically get international health insurance? If so, could you recommend a company?

Talk about complicated...and it's only the beginning!

Cheers
Natalie

I would expect that you might fall into some special category, given that your husband is working for the embassy - but you never know. If your husband has any sort of temporary housing arrangement set up (even a hotel), you can most likely use that as your "address" pending something more permanent. I don't think they're looking for a contact address, so much as some evidence that you have a place to stay when you get here.

And on the health insurance - don't you get some form of health insurance coverage through your husband's employment? If that's the comprehensive travel insurance you're talking about, then that should suffice for what they need.

Yes, it seems complicated at first. I suspect it's a test to make sure you can cope with the general insanity that is the french administraion.
Cheers,
Bev

[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