Our experience and some tips
Obtaining the required Long Stay Visa in Australia is only
part of the journey in becoming a legal resident in France.
Once we arrived in the country we had to lodge documents with
the French Immigration Office (OFII) to advise that we had entered the country.
From there OFII requested that we come to their nearest regional office (in our
case Bordeaux), where we would be required to undertake a medical examination, have
a chest X-Ray and a basic interview to demonstrate that we had a place to live
and sufficient funds to look after ourselves and not be a burden on the French
system.
Tip 1 Do this as soon as possible after your arrival in order to expedite the
process.
We had read a number of online blogs before-hand and they all
painted a fairly unfriendly and grim picture of what to expect, ranging from
the need to strip stark naked to the expectation of spending an entire day for
the process.
We were advised by mail of the date and time of our
appointment, but also warned that everyone receives the same appointment time
so it is a case of getting onto the line earlier rather than later. We arrived
at the office on a hot Monday afternoon around 1.20pm for a 1.30pm appointment
(this is when they open their doors after lunch). There were a few people
waiting outside but not as many as we expected. As a result, we were able to
get into the office reasonably quickly. Here they separated those people
seeking their “first” Titre de Sejour from those seeking extensions or other
services and so we were ushered to a separate waiting room where surprise
surprise, we were the first clients.
Tip 2 Arrive a little early for your appointment and try to get to the front
end of any queue.
We were each ushered into different rooms (I went to a
general medical office to answer a few questions and to be weighed and
undertake an eye test). At the same time Kerrie was sent to the X-Ray room for
her basic chest X-Ray to ensure that she did not have tuberculosis. At the end
we simply each switched rooms and then back to the waiting room.
From here we each were called to a basic medical interview by
a doctor who asked about our general health and any existing conditions or
medications. All parties so far spoke at least a little English and we had no
great trouble communicating. When we had finished this process we were then
required to see one of the administrative staff who simply wanted to see proof
of our residential address and after that she added a new “sticker” into our
passport – this was the official Titre de Sejour, which we need to produce if
we leave the country and then return or if requested by authorities within the
country as proof of our right to reside in France.
Tip 3 Try to speak as much French as possible, but at least a little. Always be
friendly.
The document allows us to reside legally in France for 12
months and around the 10 month mark we then need to attend our local Town Hall
(Mairie) to have it extended and then receive a new Carte de Sejour (ID card).
This is required to be rolled over each year, and currently 99.3% are rolled
over without any problem. So much so that the French are now considering making
the Carte Sejour for a longer duration to save work.
We were amazed that everything went smoothly and without
problems. Indeed we found ourselves completed and “stamped” within a little
over an hour. So much for some of those stories online.
A bientôt
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