Hello again!
This year I'm eligible for the 10 year resident card, but my husband and I keep going back and forth as to whether or not it's worth it.
On the one hand, next year I should be eligible for citizenship, and therefore am planning on applying.
On the other, I suppose there's always a risk that something could change and next year they'll say you need 10 years of marriage before applying for citizenship.
It just seems silly to pay the extra money for the 10 year resident card, but on the other hand, there's a certain amount of paranoia that if I don't, I'm going to end up paying for individual year long resident cards for the next three years, and then I will be kicking myself for not applying for the 10 year resident card and saving a bit of money.
Has anyone gotten their 10 year resident card recently? How did you decide?
Also, for those who applied for citizenship, how long did it take? Since I live in a small town, I feel like things move faster here than in say, Paris, where they have tons of foreigners (read a couple horror stories on the Americans in France facebook group where a woman talked about how she had to wait 7 months just to drop off her citizenship paperwork, and then discovered she forgot one paper, so she had to make another appointment to drop off the missing paper, and had to wait an additional 3 months). Whereas here, I don't need to make an appointment for the préfecture, although I am wondering if I am going to have to drop off my citizenship paperwork in Bordeaux possibly. It's where I had to go for my first OFII appointment.
I have to admit I'm leaning towards applying for the 10 year resident card to be on the safe side, but I thought I'd see if others could tell me if it's worth it or not before I spend what is a non-negligible amount to me.
This year I'm eligible for the 10 year resident card, but my husband and I keep going back and forth as to whether or not it's worth it.
On the one hand, next year I should be eligible for citizenship, and therefore am planning on applying.
On the other, I suppose there's always a risk that something could change and next year they'll say you need 10 years of marriage before applying for citizenship.
It just seems silly to pay the extra money for the 10 year resident card, but on the other hand, there's a certain amount of paranoia that if I don't, I'm going to end up paying for individual year long resident cards for the next three years, and then I will be kicking myself for not applying for the 10 year resident card and saving a bit of money.
Has anyone gotten their 10 year resident card recently? How did you decide?
Also, for those who applied for citizenship, how long did it take? Since I live in a small town, I feel like things move faster here than in say, Paris, where they have tons of foreigners (read a couple horror stories on the Americans in France facebook group where a woman talked about how she had to wait 7 months just to drop off her citizenship paperwork, and then discovered she forgot one paper, so she had to make another appointment to drop off the missing paper, and had to wait an additional 3 months). Whereas here, I don't need to make an appointment for the préfecture, although I am wondering if I am going to have to drop off my citizenship paperwork in Bordeaux possibly. It's where I had to go for my first OFII appointment.
I have to admit I'm leaning towards applying for the 10 year resident card to be on the safe side, but I thought I'd see if others could tell me if it's worth it or not before I spend what is a non-negligible amount to me.