[ratatouilleib]

Hi everyone,

I've been researching where would be the best place for me and my boyfriend to get married? U.S. or France? We are going to live in Paris first, then probably end up moving back to the States at some point.

So, I am an American living in Los Angeles. He is French living in Paris. We met over a year ago.

The most important thing right now is for me to obtain a residence permit. Does that allow me to work legally in Paris?
Secondly, we want to make sure he will have a green card or at least it's easier for him to apply one in the States whenever we are ready to move back.

Having said that, should I:
option a) apply for a long term visitor visa, go to Paris, get married to him, then apply for the residency card. Then figure out how to help me obtain a green card to prepare for future?

or

option b) have him apply for K1 fiancé visa, we get married in LA, then we get this marriage recognized in France.

option c) he comes without a k1 visa, we get married during his 3 months stay, then move back to France?

Thank you!

 

[Bevdeforges]

OK, you're skipping one crucial step in your various scenarios - that of getting a spouse visa.

A visa is a document that allows you to enter the country. You then get a residence permit in order to be able to stay. You can ONLY get a visa outside the country. You can only get a residence permit after you have entered on a visa.

Now, that said, in France a residence permit is called a "titre de séjour" (or a "carte" de séjour when it's an actual card). In the US, a Green Card is actually a residence permit.

If you get married in the US, you will have to get the marriage "transcribed" into his French birth record - something that can take a few weeks to a few months. If he's on a short-term visa, he'll have to return to France within the term of his visa. You stay in the US, wait for the livret de famille, and then you apply for a spouse visa so you can join him in France.

If you decide to get married in France, you'll need to go over there a good month or so in advance (probably on a tourist visa) to get the various documents and translations necessary for a foreigner to marry in France. After the wedding, you'll receive your livret de famille and then you'll have to return to the US with your livret de famille to apply for your spouse visa and then return to France.

Once you're in France on your spouse visa, there is a process you have to go through (with the OFII, one of many French agencies) after which you'll have your titre de séjour (residence permit), which will allow you to work in France.

You can't get him a Green Card until and unless you are ready to move back to the US - and it's basically a similar process. Initially you apply for a visa for him to enter the US with you. The process for getting the visa takes anywhere from 6 months to a year and you have to have the financial resources to support him or find a financial co-sponsor for his visa application. After he arrives in the US, visa in hand, he'll receive his Green Card.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[ratatouilleib]

Bet, thank you so much for promoted response! Much appreciated!

I understand spouse visa is very crucial. That's only if I marry him in France without any visa, then I shall return home to obtain a spouse visa.

However, based on my research from different sources, it seems like if I get a Long Term Visitor visa (good for 12 months), I could marry him in Paris during these 12 months without having to return home to obtain a spouse visa?

 

[ratatouilleib]

*Bev, sorry about the typo

 

[Bevdeforges]

Bet, thank you so much for promoted response! Much appreciated!

I understand spouse visa is very crucial. That's only if I marry him in France without any visa, then I shall return home to obtain a spouse visa.

However, based on my research from different sources, it seems like if I get a Long Term Visitor visa (good for 12 months), I could marry him in Paris during these 12 months without having to return home to obtain a spouse visa?

Yes, but... it used to be the case that you could get a 12 month "visitor" visa (with no work privileges) to move to France in order to marry your French fiancé(e). You had to then get married within the first six months you were in France and then, when it came time to renew your titre de séjour, you could apply to "change statuts" to that of the spouse of a French person. (This also involves going to the OFII and getting all the contract of integration stuff done in fairly short order.)

Some US consulates will no longer grant a visitor visa as a de facto "fiancé visa" - if you want a preliminary long-stay visa, you'll have to have some reason that justifies a one year stay in France (other than getting married) and the financial means to support yourself for that first year (plus private health coverage). Unless you have a job lined up ahead of time with an employer to sponsor your visa application, you won't be able to work until you change status at the end of the first year in France.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[NathaliaS]

Hi everyone,

I've been researching where would be the best place for me and my boyfriend to get married? U.S. or France? We are going to live in Paris first, then probably end up moving back to the States at some point.

So, I am an American living in Los Angeles. He is French living in Paris. We met over a year ago.

The most important thing right now is for me to obtain a residence permit. Does that allow me to work legally in Paris?
Secondly, we want to make sure he will have a green card or at least it's easier for him to apply one in the States whenever we are ready to move back.

Having said that, should I:
option a) apply for a long term visitor visa, go to Paris, get married to him, then apply for the residency card. Then figure out how to help me obtain a green card to prepare for future?

or

option b) have him apply for K1 fiancé visa, we get married in LA, then we get this marriage recognized in France.

option c) he comes without a k1 visa, we get married during his 3 months stay, then move back to France?

Thank you!

Hello!

I've been going through the process of getting married here in France under a tourist visa.
I'm Brazilian and my fiancé is French, we went through the whole process of getting the documents and translations and we will marry in a few days.

If you need any help, feel free to contact me. I know how complicated it can sound to organize the documents and the timeline.

It took me a month and two weeks, more or less, to get everything done and be ready to tie the knot.

Good luck!