[texasdeez]

My wife is French and I am American. Is it possible for me to arrive in France on a 3 month Schengan visa and begin residency paperwork after I arrive? Cheers...

 

[Bevdeforges]

I wouldn't try it. They've recently changed the procedures for spousal visas (as of June 1st) specifically requiring you to apply for the spousal long-stay (i.e. residency) visa in your home country.

Fifteen years ago, the French consulate in Stuttgart told me to "just go" to France and "regularize" myself after I got there. It was wrong then, and I spent nearly 2 years after my marriage to a French citizen as a "sans papiers." It's not fun.

Get the visa before you arrive.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[texasdeez]

Thanks for that!

 

[Pecosa]

Now I just read this...so confused!!
Does my husband need a long stay visa or not (non EU citizen)? If so, now that we are here can he get it here? We can't deal with him flying back to the US financially or otherwise.
Or, can we do a visa application in the UK as I am UK citizen (though not a recent resident)??
HELP, HELP, HELP!!!

 

[texasdeez]

Now I just read this...so confused!!
Does my husband need a long stay visa or not (non EU citizen)? If so, now that we are here can he get it here? We can't deal with him flying back to the US financially or otherwise.
Or, can we do a visa application in the UK as I am UK citizen (though not a recent resident)??
HELP, HELP, HELP!!!

As far as I know, he has to apply for the spousal long-term visa in his country of residence. If he applies in the UK, he will have to prove residency in the UK. That is my
understanding of the process. Sorry it's not more convenient news. Good luck!

TD

 

[Bevdeforges]

Now I just read this...so confused!!
Does my husband need a long stay visa or not (non EU citizen)? If so, now that we are here can he get it here? We can't deal with him flying back to the US financially or otherwise.
Or, can we do a visa application in the UK as I am UK citizen (though not a recent resident)??
HELP, HELP, HELP!!!

OK, breathe normally for a while... :clap2:

Go back and see the responses to your posts today. You're in an advantageous position, as he is the spouse of an EU national and not of a French national. It makes a huge difference.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[Pecosa]

OK, breathe normally for a while... :clap2:

Go back and see the responses to your posts today. You're in an advantageous position, as he is the spouse of an EU national and not of a French national. It makes a huge difference.
Cheers,
Bev

I just read them all....I promise to take long, deep breaths tonight (and maybe even tomorrow) and A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU!!
~Beth

 

[varadagirl]

I'm in France...what now??

I wouldn't try it. They've recently changed the procedures for spousal visas (as of June 1st) specifically requiring you to apply for the spousal long-stay (i.e. residency) visa in your home country.

Fifteen years ago, the French consulate in Stuttgart told me to "just go" to France and "regularize" myself after I got there. It was wrong then, and I spent nearly 2 years after my marriage to a French citizen as a "sans papiers." It's not fun.

Get the visa before you arrive.
Cheers,
Bev

Hi everyone! So sorry to bother you, but you seem to know your stuff, and I'm freaking out a bit. I stupidly came to France with my husband of four years thinking (like you from what I read) that I'd be able to do all the appropriate paperwork after my arrival. I'm just learning that it's harder than it once was... I'm on a 90-day tourist visa (two weeks in) and am wondering if a.) i can get an extension on my tourist visa while we wait for the marriage certificate to be registered, b.) if I should just buy a ticket to the US and apply for a Carte Longue Sejour asap.

Any help would be very helpful!

 

[Bevdeforges]

Hi everyone! So sorry to bother you, but you seem to know your stuff, and I'm freaking out a bit. I stupidly came to France with my husband of four years thinking (like you from what I read) that I'd be able to do all the appropriate paperwork after my arrival. I'm just learning that it's harder than it once was... I'm on a 90-day tourist visa (two weeks in) and am wondering if a.) i can get an extension on my tourist visa while we wait for the marriage certificate to be registered, b.) if I should just buy a ticket to the US and apply for a Carte Longue Sejour asap.

Any help would be very helpful!

See my reply to your other post on the other thread. Chances are you're going to have to go back to the US for a while....
Cheers,
Bev

 

[varadagirl]

thank you!

See my reply to your other post on the other thread. Chances are you're going to have to go back to the US for a while....
Cheers,
Bev

Thanks for your help Bev! I was afraid I'd have to go back... Would it be faster to get a work or student visa? My husband and I spent the first years of our relationship appart, and don't want to be in different places anymore, so I'm just trying to find the fastest solution.

 

[Bevdeforges]

Thanks for your help Bev! I was afraid I'd have to go back... Would it be faster to get a work or student visa? My husband and I spent the first years of our relationship appart, and don't want to be in different places anymore, so I'm just trying to find the fastest solution.

If you're married to a Frenchman, the quickest way to go is to get the appropriate long-stay visa. It's getting the "certified" marriage certificate in the US that takes the time.

But a work visa requires you first find a job in France, and then the employer has to process their side of the application. The student visa requires you be enrolled somewhere (and be able to pay the tuition).

What you can do is find out how to get that certified marriage certificate and apply for it online or by postal mail. Wait out most of your 90 day "Schengen" visa (i.e. the tourist stamp in your passport) here in France. You can't apply for your long stay visa until you have that anyhow - and it's possible you might be able to get a livret de famille here in France (you should at least ask at the local mairie if it's possible - worst they can say is "no").

Once you have your certified marriage certificate or your livret de famille, (or when your tourist visa is starting to run out - whichever comes first) head back to the US and start the visa application in process. It shouldn't take all that long once you have all the paperwork in hand. The only other part that takes time is the "interview" where they determine how much French you speak. But that can be scheduled within a couple of weeks, I would think.

Get used to things taking time like this in France. But no point flying back until you're ready to go to the consulate and start things in motion!
Cheers,
Bev

 

[varadagirl]

If you're married to a Frenchman, the quickest way to go is to get the appropriate long-stay visa. It's getting the "certified" marriage certificate in the US that takes the time.

But a work visa requires you first find a job in France, and then the employer has to process their side of the application. The student visa requires you be enrolled somewhere (and be able to pay the tuition).

What you can do is find out how to get that certified marriage certificate and apply for it online or by postal mail. Wait out most of your 90 day "Schengen" visa (i.e. the tourist stamp in your passport) here in France. You can't apply for your long stay visa until you have that anyhow - and it's possible you might be able to get a livret de famille here in France (you should at least ask at the local mairie if it's possible - worst they can say is "no").

Once you have your certified marriage certificate or your livret de famille, (or when your tourist visa is starting to run out - whichever comes first) head back to the US and start the visa application in process. It shouldn't take all that long once you have all the paperwork in hand. The only other part that takes time is the "interview" where they determine how much French you speak. But that can be scheduled within a couple of weeks, I would think.

Get used to things taking time like this in France. But no point flying back until you're ready to go to the consulate and start things in motion!
Cheers,
Bev

Hi Bev! Is the "certified" marriage certificate you're referring to the one with the apostille? If so, we ordered it and it should be arriving in the next two weeks. Then we have to have it translated and transcribed. We were told the transcription in Nantes takes between 3 and 6 months--do you know if that's about right?

As far as the language test goes, is that done by appointment in the US?

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Bevdeforges]

Hi Bev! Is the "certified" marriage certificate you're referring to the one with the apostille? If so, we ordered it and it should be arriving in the next two weeks. Then we have to have it translated and transcribed. We were told the transcription in Nantes takes between 3 and 6 months--do you know if that's about right?

As far as the language test goes, is that done by appointment in the US?

Thanks again for your help!

Don't know how that transcription process works. (I got married here in France, so we got a livret de famille before we left the mairie.) Nantes is where they process the paperwork for all of us "foreigners" (if an when you take French nationality, you will henceforth get your French birth certificates from Nantes). I'd be surprised if it takes as long as 6 months - though I suppose they give you that figure "just in case."

The language test is still new and we still haven't heard of anyone here on the board who has actually had to take it. If you speak passable French and get through your interview at the consulate mostly in French, they seem to give you a "Pass" on the test with no further ado. But that could change over the next few months.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[Pecosa]

Is your husband French? Do you have a marriage certificate?
You should have enough time to apply for the carte de sejour if your husband is an EU citizen and working in France.
I guess I am a bit unclear.
I hope you don't have to fly back to the US!
Good luck,
Beth
PS THANK YOU, Bev for all your help...things are much, much better now

 

[varadagirl]

Is your husband French? Do you have a marriage certificate?
You should have enough time to apply for the carte de sejour if your husband is an EU citizen and working in France.
I guess I am a bit unclear.
I hope you don't have to fly back to the US!
Good luck,
Beth
PS THANK YOU, Bev for all your help...things are much, much better now

Hi Pecosa! Thanks for writing My husband is indeed French, I'm American, and we just got to France two weeks ago. We ordered a copy of our US marriage certificate (we got married four years ago) with an apostille that we should be getting any day now.

We just read a post of yours from February--were you able to get the Carte de Séjour Conjoint Européen at the Prefecture? If so, what documents did you have with you?? If you could please share how you and your husband have gone about things, I'd be truly grateful because we're FUHREAKING OUT!

Thank you kindly!!
jenny.

 

[Bevdeforges]

Is your husband French? Do you have a marriage certificate?
You should have enough time to apply for the carte de sejour if your husband is an EU citizen and working in France.

The problem here is that there are two very different processes for those married to French people and those married to other EU nationals. The ones married to other EU nationals have a far easier time of it.

If you're married to a French person, you actually need the long-stay visa if you want to remain in France.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[Pecosa]

Hi Pecosa! Thanks for writing My husband is indeed French, I'm American, and we just got to France two weeks ago. We ordered a copy of our US marriage certificate (we got married four years ago) with an apostille that we should be getting any day now.

We just read a post of yours from February--were you able to get the Carte de Séjour Conjoint Européen at the Prefecture? If so, what documents did you have with you?? If you could please share how you and your husband have gone about things, I'd be truly grateful because we're FUHREAKING OUT!

Thank you kindly!!
jenny.

Hi Jenny,
No, we haven't gotten it, but he is currently legal without it due to a wee trip he took...now we have the full three months again, but we may be moving to the UK in just under that time so we may avoid the whole headache all together (though I will shed a few tears about leaving France).
I do think I read though that it is, bizarrely, harder if you are married to a French person than it would be for my husband married to me (a UK citizen), but I can't remember why.
Never bother asking WHY when it comes to all things bureaucratic in France--that's where you having a French husband will be VERY HANDY (as in he will be well-practiced at how bizarre it all is/can be).
Read back over what Bev and Pete(r?) wrote to me when I was trying to figure it all out and that should help.
You will, most likely, do more than one trip to the mairie and the prefecture
GOOD LUCK,
Beth