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MAKING THE MOVE TO FRANCE
Destination content © Terry Link, used from Living Abroad in France, 1st Edition.
Maps © Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.
Overview
"Applying for a long-stay visa will be your introduction to French bureaucracy. Fortunately, the regulations are clear and the application process has been streamlined in recent years. If your situation fits comfortably within the rules, chances are everything will go quickly and smoothly. Difficulties generally only arise when applicants seek exemptions or exceptions."
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VISAS AND IMMIGRATION
Long-Stay Visas • Student Visas

  Vacationing Americans need no formal visa to enter France. It is assumed—and legally required—that your stay will last no more than three months. But if you plan to remain in France longer, you are required to obtain a long-stay visa. Once in France, you'll take this visa to your local prefecture to obtain a carte de séjour (residency permit). The permit is good for one year and must then be renewed.
  After arriving in France, you may register with the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Paris. There is no requirement for this, but forms are provided, and information about your whereabouts will not be released unless you give permission. Passport details will be noted, making it easier for you to apply for a replacement if your passport is lost or stolen.
  Some visas require you to appear at the local prefecture within a specified period of time, as noted above. These include students staying more than six months, who are required to get a student residency card, and those who entered France with an employment contract. People with a long-stay visa must renew it annually at their prefecture.

Long-Stay Visas
  Applying for a long-stay visa will be your introduction to French bureaucracy. Fortunately, the regulations are clear and the application process has been streamlined in recent years. If your situation fits comfortably within the rules, chances are everything will go quickly and smoothly. Difficulties generally only arise when applicants seek exemptions or exceptions.
  At the time of your initial application, you must be in the United States, and you are not permitted to go to France until the visa is granted. The process, which can take up to two months, may be done by mail, a convenience for those living far from a French consulate. The application form itself may be downloaded from the consulate website. Children's applications should be filed with their parents'.
  The first requirement for a long-stay visa is a passport valid for at least three months beyond the expiration date of the visa. (U.S. passports may be renewed in France via mail to the American Embassy.) Your application packet must include your passport and three photocopies of it, four copies of the application form, and four passport photos. Your passport will be returned to you with your visa in it.
  In the application packet, you must also submit proof of financial independence during your stay amounting to at least $1,800 per month. This can include pensions, verified independent income, rent from a house, etc. An alternative to proof of financial independence would be a notarized declaration from someone in France, such as a family member, that he or she will provide for your support and can prove sufficient income to accomplish that.
  The application also requires an address where you will stay in France. If you plan to stay with family or friends, submit a letter from them verifying this arrangement, along with a certified copy of their identification. Otherwise, include a copy of the deed or lease, or the promise of one, on your residence in France.
  You'll need to include three additional documents. If you are married and both you and your spouse are applying for long-stay visas, you must submit a copy of your marriage license. Proof of health insurance is also required. Finally, France won't grant you a long-stay visa if you are a criminal; obtain a certification from your local police department that you're not a convicted felon and there are no warrants out for your arrest.
Lastly, include a stamped return envelope for your documents, plus a money order or certified check for about $100 (the exact amount varies with the exchange rate; French authorities will tell you the current fee). Again, once you have started the application process for the long-stay visa, do not plan to go to France until it has been issued. It will not be sent to you in France.
  If you have been hired to work in France, there are additional steps to take. First, submit a draft of your work contract to the appropriate French consulate. At the same time, your employer in France—even if it is simply a branch of a U.S. firm—will need to apply to the local employment office for recruitment of a foreign worker. The application is processed and sent to the Office des Migrations Internationales(OMI), which then instructs the consulate in the United States to order you to have a physical examination. Then the visa is granted. For senior corporate managers, approval by the employment office is only a formality; for other employees, justification is necessary, and approval may depend on the particular skills of the individual and the rate of unemployment in France.
  After arriving in France, take your visa and medical exam results to the prefecture of the department in which you live to obtain your carte de séjour.

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Student Visas and Special Cases
  There are other long-stay visas that apply in particular cases. These include the student visa, the au pair visa, and one for researchers.
  Students staying between three and six months should get a temporary long-stay visa. This is valid for multiple entries into France and does not require the holder to obtain a residency permit. Students staying over six months, however, get a visa that allows them to enter France one time and is valid for three months. During that three-month period, the student must register at the prefecture to obtain a student residency card.
The first type of student visa is much less complicated than a long-stay visa, and it is possible to have it issued in one day if you apply in person. To apply, submit the original plus one copy of the following documents:
 • A passport valid for at least for three months beyond the last day of stay in France.
 •The application form, filled out completely and signed.
 •The pré-inscription (letter of admission) to the school or university you'll be attending in France; note that this institution must be accredited by the Ministry of Education.
 • Proof of sufficient funds while you reside in France, such as a notarized letter from your parents stating that they will provide you with at least $600 per month in France, a letter from your bank stating that you have a sufficient balance to withdraw at least $600 per month, or a letter from the institution you will be attending granting you a fellowship or a student loan. (This $600 amount could be reduced if you can present a letter from a host verifying that your lodging will be free of charge.)
 • Two recent passport-size photographs.
If a student plans to stay less than six months, proof of health insurance is also required with the application. Students under 28 years old who stay longer than six months will be required to join the French student health-care system. Students older than 28 must provide their own insurance.
  Students under 18 years old will also need notarized authorization from both parents indicating who will be guardian of the minor and a statement from the host family in France accepting responsibility. Processing this application will take at least six weeks.
  Graduate students granted teaching assistantships at a French university follow a similar procedure, but will need the original and one copy of their letter of appointment and their acceptance by the Cultural Department of the French Embassy. Professors and researchers should submit all the necessary documents from the institute where they will work, along with three copies.
  Applicants for an au pair visa must be between 17 and 30 years old. They should submit two long-stay visa application forms, two photographs, the original and one copy of their au pair contract (obtained from the family in France for which the au pair will be working), and a letter of admission from a language school.

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