We have a problem. My husband's carte de sejour expires at the end of February -- it's a scientifique one. My CDS (also for scientist) doesn't expire until the end of June, when my contract ends... my husband didn't get a renewal of his contract, so we were planning on changing his to 'conjoint de scientifique' and extending it so that he could also be legal until the end of June. Well, the prefecture did not think this was a great idea -- they refused to do anything, and said he just has to leave at the end of February. Helpful as always.
Actually, he is planning on leaving in mid-March to start a job in the US, but then coming back for a few days to help me move in June or July.... my question is, if he's here illegally for the first half of March, will this prevent him from reentering later this year? I don't know how carefully they track these things, but it seems like the passport control at CDG is a joke. An above board option would be to send him to the UK for a day and come back on the Schengen tourist visa, but I'd rather save the eurostar fare and annoyances if possible.
Anyone have experience with this? Also, I can't wait to get out of this f*#@ing country.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe your husband can leave the EU for one day at the end of Feb when his CDS expires, and then return for up to three months on a tourist visa.
I know that you can't come to the EU for more than 90 out of every 180 days on a tourist visa, but his current visa is not a tourist visa. So my understanding is that as soon as his CDS expires, he can go right to the tourist visa rules. But of course in order to get his passport stamped with that visa, he needs to leave and re-enter the EU.
Again, I may be way off-base, as I've never done this myself, but have heard about it from others. Hoping someone with more experience chimes in
Saving a Eurostar fare as opposed to being illegal - well, I guess it takes all kinds to make a world. I wonder how the US would treat someone in this situation?
There's a reasonable chance he may be able to get away with just overstaying - BUT (and it's a big BUT) if he gets caught on his re-entry in June, it will be far more trouble than a quick day or weekend run to London.
Cheers,
Bev
Thanks Yoggy, everyone... yeah, I guess I will just look at the 185 euro London ticket as travel insurance for our plans in June.
EverHopeful, we do want to do things legally! We were just really surprised and angry at the reaction of the prefecture -- they were basically just telling us that we're screwed. I'm planning to leave in June, but I could just as easily have been planning to stay here another year, and not having my family there, just because the lady at the prefecture is lazy would have been inconvenient. I doubt the US treats their immigrants any better... I generally think that moving to another country is way too difficult, regardless of the country in question.
Erin, sorry you had a bad experience in France. If you don't mind me asking, did you go to France for the job or just for the adventure...initially I mean. I'm curious if maybe, it didn't turn out the way you expected or what happened.
Kind of both... I came for a job, but it was a job I chose over other jobs in the US for the adventure of moving to France. And I'm glad I came, but I'm ready to leave. There are a lot of really great things about France that I will miss when I go home (food, transportation, culture, etc)... but I am just really tired of the bureaucracy and slowness of everything, the terrible weather (Paris!), and I've had a difficult time making friends and dealing with people here, who are just not as open and friendly as in the US, especially since my French isn't great. My job's been ok, but they've screwed me out of some money and opportunities, although I will seriously miss the amount of vacation time they give me.
And Bev, yeah, that prefecture is the worst!! I understand your explanation, makes a lot of sense...
FWIW, the prefecture you're dealing with has a history of being pretty much uncooperative. Problem seems to be that they are located in one of the "nouvelle villes" that was established specifically to get the immigrant riff-raff out of the center of Paris (where, I guess, they were considered eyesores).
I had all my immigration problems 20 years ago with this same prefecture - and they are not any fun at all to work with.
Cheers,
Bev
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