[aupairinbrest]

HI:

In a few weeks, I am going to France to be an au pair for a family in Brest. My contract is for one year. I have my visa, passport, etc.

I just received notice from the agency that placed me advising me that the OFII now requires a birth certificate with translation and an apostille from the French consulate here in the US.

The agency was told by some families a few months ago about this "new'" requirement. They checked various websites every month and were unable to find such a requirement although some "non official" websites (such as some universities') say that those documents are now requested.

The agency basically agreed with my Mom's (a lawyer) assessment that this was all basically illegal under the Hague Convention Apostille convention...but then the agency basically said unless you want to sue the French government we just have to do what they want, although they had heard the OFII are much more flexible with USA citizens than with other nationalities. But I am nervous about going through the OFII exam process only to be told the document I have is insufficient etc. etc.

Add to the mix that when we called the French Consulate in Washington DC (where I had to go for my visa) no one seemed to know anything about this requirement, and one gentleman informed us that it would actually be against the law for them to stamp a document issued by the US government.

I am in the process of getting another (!) translation of my birth certificate with a certification of translation, plus a notarization of the translation by the company, which I am then going to send off to the PA State Dept for the State's apostille.

I really do not want to make the trip to the consulate again (it's about a 3.5 hour drive to get there) just to find out that they will not do (give? grant? affix?) an apostille on my PA birth certificate.

Does anyone have any insight or experience regarding the OFII requirement for a birth certificate with an apostille from the French consulate?

 

[Bevdeforges]

Someone at the agency has their signals crossed. Here is a document put out by the US Consulate in Paris explaining the apostile thing: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/5/acs/paris-usapostille.pdf

The OFII may very well be requiring a "certified" (i.e. apostilled) birth certificate these days - but you get that through the state agency that does apostilles in the state where the original document was issued. The French consulate cannot apostile anything, certainly not a US issued document. (And just see what sort of response you get if you ask the US consulate to apostile anything!)

There is also something called a "traduction assermenté" which kind of combines the translation of the document and the authentication of the document in one. But these translations are only (to my knowledge) available in France. I think someone at the agency was told to get a "traduction assermenté" and got confused.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[aupairinbrest]

Many thanks for your quick reply.

Do you know where (or from what agency) would I get a "traduction assermenté" once I am in France? Is it something done by a government agency?

 

[Xrac]

This may be what they are requesting. I just stumbled on this availabty myself.
Certifications, Apostilles, and the Authentication of Documents

 

[Bevdeforges]

Many thanks for your quick reply.

Do you know where (or from what agency) would I get a "traduction assermenté" once I am in France? Is it something done by a government agency?

Nope, a traduction assermenté is done by a private practice translator who is certified to do verification of the documents he or she translates. This is the official website for them: Annuaire des traducteurs asserments de France - Accueil

Or when you get to France, look up "traductuer assermenté" in your town or departement in the Pages Jaunes.

Prices range from about 30 to 65 or 70€ per page - even if it's a stock standard document that they probably have set up forever in their word processing system.
Cheers,
Bev