Hi everyone,

It sure feels good to have the VISA in hand and thank you so much for those who helped, this site is very useful eventhough some posts just make me want to kill myself... However this whole thing is not done. Though we finally have the right to spend our lives together, which is the mail goal, I still need to be able to work and having to sit on my ### for 3 months is not something I particularly look forward to but oh well...I'm wondering what people do while waiting for their EAD but I'm guessing they sit on their ###, drink mountain and watch football, ahahaha!

For those who went through AOS, I'd like to know how you got your birth certificate translated and what is the cheapest way to do it. I also looked through the AOS process and I want to know what did you do for vaccination records. Did you have the I-693A enclosed in the "do not open" VISA envelop or did you have to see a civil surgeon to get that form?
Thanks a lot
Fred

We had his birth certificate translated through a translation service here in Boston.
For the vaccination records, we actually just submitted the vaccination worksheet.

As far as not working for 3 months, try to enjoy it. You'll never have an opportunity to not work for 3 months again, so take advantage of it. Do nothing, or do everything you want to do but never seem to have the time. Trust me, those three months will fly by, and all of a sudden you'll say, "OMG, I can't believe I have to go to work tomorrow!!"

Hello French Group.

I have a question for anyone from France. My Sos niece lives in Le Havre and wants to come live in the United States. My husband has been telling her how great it is to live in the United States and that the racism is less than France. I don't think she is used to working the way we do here and she does not drive either. I have told her that without having the proper VISAS she won't be able to work etc. and she should visit before attempting to stay. As a French national, how much time is usally given on a visitor's visa?
Thanks,

I translated it myself. So far they don't seem to mind, other people did the same and had no problems with it at all.

I didn't come with a K1 so in my case all the medical was done together and all of it was in a sealed envelop.

As far as the 3 months, don't hesitate to volunteer around you. Volunteering is legal and it's a great way to meet new people and create a network that will be helpful when comes the time to work.

Enjoy being together again.

Chispas: A French person can go to the US and visit for 90 days through the Visa Waiver Program (no visa required). If she wishes to obtain a visa it will be a visa that allows 6 months visit and that you can use during a 10 year period.
I definitely agree that visiting the US is a first good step for her. Obtaining a working visa isn't easy, but there is the J-1 option to consider.
She should also try other cities in Europe before the US though. Moving through Europe is a lot easier than going to the US.

Hi everybody!

Our petition for K1 has just been approved and I'm starting to prepare for the next step which is the Embassy interview.
I have a few questions regarding the Paris US Embassy.
I have spent 9 months in England in a university and I was wondering if they would require a police record. I've heard that they require one if you have spent more than 6 months abroad but I've heard the same if you've spent more than a year there.
I would like to know which medical exams I'll have to do, which vaccinations and which ones I can do where I live before going to the appointment and to the medical in Paris.

I also have a few questions about the move to the USA. It seems that a round trip is cheaper but I'd like to know if you're allowed more lugguage if you say you're moving to the USA.
Has any of you shipped stuff by boat?

Congratulations caro06!!
Sorry, I can't answer to any of your questions since we are not at that step of the journey yet, but I am sure some people here will be able to help you.


I found this page: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/inde...e&cty=Paris
Can anybody tell if it is up-to-date or if any of the information has changed?

I know of this page
Thanks

I just wanted to hear from someone who's been in that situation

Yes a round trip is definitely cheaper, and no need to worry, the immigration won't bother you with that (in case you wonder).
No you are not allowed any more luggages than other people. Just the normal amount allowed to international travelers. I didn't ship anything by boat (wasn't planning to stay and get married), but it could be a good option depending on what you plan to bring.
You might want to compare economic postal shipment and professional moving companies, it will always be cheaper than having extra fees to pay for your luggages at the airport.

I read that if we want the marriage to be recognized in France, then we have to do the "publication des bans". Does anyone have information about that? What do we exactly need to do? How long before the wedding does it have to be done? Is it the only thing we need to do?

Hi Cecile,

Definetely do it! If you don't do it, the consulate people tell you that it will take longer and you will have to get audited. However, Nyte was told the same thing and he got the "livret de famille" within 2 months.
Here is the link from the consulate in San Francisco. Depending on where you will be living, rules might change but i doubt it.
We all know how France like paperwork.

If you have any question, your local consulate should be able to help you. Oh and do not use USPS.
They plainly suck.

Apparently my local consultate will be Chicago. I found a list of what we'll need (here):
- letter from each of us saying we want the publication des bans
- copy of my birth certificate (less than 3 months old)
- copy of my French ID
- proof of address in the US (electricity bill, ...) <- that is the one bothering me right now. we're supposed to live with some friends, in their house. I'll have to ask my fiance about that.

So this is not something I have to do while in France, but once I arrive in the USA? I thought I could do that while waiting here!

You might want to get directly in touch witht them since you won't have been living for long in the US when you get married. On the website they say it's done about 10 days before the marriage, but you might need to be registered at the Consulate for that...

I would contact them if I were you. E-mail is a good option.

And in the worst case, even if you don't do it; the worse thing that can happen is that they would audit you to make sure the marriage is real.

You could probably do that while you are here. Just like Cecy said, get in touch with the consulate and ask them.

Thanks for your advice. I sent them an email two minutes ago, we'll see what they tell me.

I got an answer from the consulate in Chicago several weeks ago but forgot to post it here. Since it might be useful, here are my email and their answer:

"Bonjour,

Je suis française et réside actuellement en France. Mon fiancé est Américain, nous avons fait la demande auprès du gouvernement américain pour un visa K1, pour que je puisse revenir aux USA, m'y marier, et ensuite y résider. Nous ne pouvons pas fixer de date puisque cela dépend de quand le visa nous sera attribué, mais le mariage se ferait vraisemblablement dans le mois suivant mon arrivée sur le territoire (vers la fin de l'année).

J'ai lu les informations sur votre site pour effectuer la publication des bans afin que la mariage soit reconnu en France, mais j'ai quelques petites questions :
- d'après ce que j'ai compris, nous avons deux possibilités : soit j'attends d'arriver aux USA, puis je vous envoie la demande de publication, sachant qu'il faut que ça soit au moins deux semaines avant le mariage, ou alors, pendant que je suis en France, au moins 8 semaines avant le mariage, nous réunissons les documents nécessaires et nous vous les envoyons ? Est-ce correct ? (j'aimerais être sure que ça puisse être fait depuis la France, je suppose que tant que mon futur époux a une adresse aux USA, il ne devrait pas y avoir de problème)
- la lettre signée demandant la publication des bans doit-elle être en français, même celle du citoyen américain ?
- l'acte de naissance de mon fiancé peut-il être une photocopie ou un original ?
- justificatif de domicile : ce serait donc le domicile actuel de mon fiancé (dans le cas où je serais encore en France)


Et après le mariage, nous n'aurons qu'à faire les papiers pour la transcription ; est-ce bien ça ?"


"Bonjour,
pour le choix de l'endroit d'où envoyer la demande de publication, c'est à votre convenance.
Sinon, il n'y a que le conjoint français qui demande la publication, en joignant les documents concernant son conjoint américain.
l'acte de naissance de votre fiancé doit être un original.
Le justificatif de domicile dépend de l'endroit où vous habitez. Si vous habitez en France, il faut un justificatif de domicile français, peu importe que vous soyez momentanément aux Etats-Unis (ou pour le futur), quand vous faites la demande.
Après la demande de publication des bans, il vous restera effectivement à demander la transcription de l'acte de mariage."

This is really painful!!!
We want to get married ASAP
So we intend to send all the documents 20 days before the wedding but from France as my fiancé is coming here a couple weeks before we head to the US (but he lives in the US!!) and we want to get married the following week...
On the consulate website they ask address attestations for the place where the couple will live once married so it doesn't make sense!

"Un justificatif de domicile des futurs époux (copies de factures, quittances ou certificat de résidence délivré par la mairie ou certificat d’inscription délivré par les consulats)"

Here is another information from their website about when we should send them the documents for the "publication des bans":

20 jours avant la date du mariage pour les futurs époux résidant tous deux dans la circonscription du consulat général de France à Chicago,
ou
8 semaines avant la date prévue du mariage lorsqu’un (ou les) futur(s) époux ne réside(nt) pas dans cette circonscription)

So I guess if you want to send the documents from France, then it should be 8 weeks before the wedding. And that sucks.

i don't see much the trouble, where does it matter if it takes longer to be accepted by the french ? (if you do not do la publication des bans)
even if it takes 6 months, it will not change much for your situation.

Note : My flag is Canadian (lived there the last 8 years) but i am French too

When I moved back to the US from France, I shipped 4 small boxes to my mom's address here in the US. I've received 3 of the boxes, and am still waiting for the last one. La Poste will tell you it takes 2 - 3 weeks when sending it by ColisEconomique, but it's more like 5 - 8 weeks. Since my husband is French, and his family still lives in the Paris area, I just left a whole bunch of crap with his parents.

You don't get any extra luggage allowance when flying, but you are allowed extra weight on your luggage if you are traveling in business or 1st class, or if you are an elite frequent flier member. When I moved back, I booked a one way business class ticket using my frequent flier miles, so I was allowed about 10kg extra weight (I think usually it is 23 kg for 2 pieces of luggage in coach, so I was allowed something like 35 kg). I also had one extra suitcase, and I paid 150 euros penalty on it (but frankly, not bad considering the 4 small boxes which must have weighed all together something like 12 kg, and I paid about 170 euros to ship them).

I got married in France, so I don't know about the publication des banns from the consulate, but the justificatif de domicile when I got married was just for each person getting married; it doesn't have the be the same address. So I don't think it is a justificatif de domicile for where you will live once married, just for where each of you is living right now.

Hi everyone,
I haven't read that thread for a looooong time and I read some things for which I could provide some input. When I flew to the US those bastards made me pay 40 euros cause I was like 3 kg above what they accepted so be careful and yes, a round trip ticket is cheaper eventhough this is totally retarded...AS for the publication des bans before getting married in the US I didn't do it but how the hell should I have known...Anyway, I have almost everything ready to send to the consulate in Chicago (I live in Wisconsin so Chicago would be the closest). I am going to do it but I don't see why everyone is getting all excited about it. I mean what is it going to change anyway? I'm just wondering. To get the apostille (and get info about getting your marriage valid in France), you can go there: http://www.consulfrance-chicago.org/articl...?id_article=318 I contacted the secretary of state in WI by email, sent my marriage certificate and a form (and a $10 bill) and I got mine in less than a week so it's easy to get.
I'll be a little french and complain before finishing my email: I have been waiting 60 days now since AOS and I don't even have my biometrics appointment for my work permit. i've called USCIS of course,, they said it's taking more like 4 months for the work permit now and the lady I talked too sent a message cause it wasn't normal that I didn't get my biometrics yet. This all immigration process is so freaking long and depressing, it's just unbelievable. Yes I do live with the woman that I love and that's clearly the best but come on now, it is getting ridiculous...The best would be if I had to be audited by the french consulate, I think that would top everything
All right, I'm done being french, I'll return to be all Mickey Mouse happy and watch baseball on TV eating my Big Mac, Ahahahaha
Good luck to everyone waiting for whatever.
Fred

PS: For the publications des bans you can go there, it explains everything:

Hi

I've got a question about the "Publications des Bans"
My fiancé and I intend to ask for it as soon as we arrive in the USA (he comes in France to spend a couple weeks and then we leave together to the USA). However they ask for an proof of residence and until we get married, everything is at my fiance's name (lease, bills...). Is it ok if my fiancé writes a letter attesting I'm living with him?

What have you all done regarding this matter?
My consulate in the Chicago consulate. I'm going to live in Wisconsin.

I can't answer because we both signed the lease with my wife but I'm sure a letter by your fiance will be absolutely fine. Are you seriously going to live in Wisconsin???? Where to? Lucky you, you missed the most horrible winter of all time....
Fred

Wisconsin Dells, an hour from Madison
Surely you know of that place with all the Water Parks and attractions

I know about the horrible winter. My fiancé told me it snowed again a few days ago. I was there from Noc to Dec and got a fair amount of snow!
We went to Minnesota and Noth Dakota as well to visit his family and it was even worse!

Where are you in Wisconsin?

I received my Livret de Famille yesterday.
No audit, nothing. I guess they did believe that we were a bona fide couple. And it is a blue livret with "Ministere des affaires etrangeres" written on it.
I was so happy when I saw the Fed-Ex envelop on my doorstep yesterday. My husband was happy too. I teased him, saying we can have up to 10 kids given the number of pages on the livret.

We didn't provide anything else than what they asked for. We were married for 6 months already when I applied for it. I sent both original birth certificates (remember that the French one is only valid 3 months, so if you bring some with you do it quickly).

Now I have to wait for the Charlotte Office to make some progress in the processing (ils ont recule d'un mois)

Yeah, congrats on your livret de famille!! How long did it take them??

I read about the Charlotte office processing timelines in your thread. It is unbelievable!!! Did you even have an interview yet or you are just in limbo?

I can't remember exactly when we sent it. It was around February-March I think. So it didn't really take long. And I was half expecting to get an audit since we didn't do the publication des bancs, but nope

Yeah, the Charlotte Office makes me want to
We have not had an interview scheduled yet, that's the problem. And since they went back on the processing times, we are still technically within "normal" processing times, so there isn't much to be done from what I understand.
I plan to call next week. I'll give you an update (if there is anything).
3 months ago my case was still at the National Service Center.

I'd just like to have a date. Right now if we have nothing by the end of June I'll have to renew my EAD, because with the 90 days time to get approved it has to be done then to avoid getting a hole in my employment authorization. It sucks with the current fees!
Plus we're likely to move in June so that's not going to help. I'd just like the interview appointment letter, even if the appointment is in 6 month!

Yikes, this situation sucks! I have been following your chronicles in the july filers thread. We shall call them the Chronicles of Cecy.

I can't believe USCIS can decide to just go back in time. I mean, we do pay for a service.
Only three months ago, they transfered your case to Charlotte? Sweet jesus, this is just not right! I mean the National service center can't do anything after the approval of AP and EAD.

At least, you are working. How is worky work going?

I wish you good luck with the phone call! How about trying for an infopass though? After reading about people's experience with the misinformation line, i dread to even pick up the phone.

I wish I had been transfered to my local office. I wish.
Last time I called it was still at the national service center.

I get to talk to a real immigration officer when I call the line because they never put my I-485 online. I'm not the only one in that case. There is an other couple with pretty much the same timeline waiting to be transfered to the same office. We're keeping each other up to date.
There are people in far worse situations though, so I complain a bit, but hey, at least I'm with my husband and not far away miserable without him.

Jobs are doing great. I have several. I like the main one I do, and I've been given much more interesting opportunities job wise here than I was in France; so I'm definitely happy on that side.

I'll see what I do depending on what they say at the next phone call...

Hello everyone
I have a question about the interview at the embassy. On this page http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/inde...e&cty=Paris it still says that we need I-864, not I-134. The page has been updated recently, that's why I want to make sure we do the right things (even though we still have several months before the interview)
I know that for the K1 visa it should be I-134 and for AOS later, the I-864. Some people told me that they brought the I-134 and they were ok with it.
I know I already asked that question, but I just want to make sure... should my fiance file both just in case or only I-134 (or only I-864!)?

I-134 for the Embassy and I-864 is for the AOS
I went through the Embassy interview with the I-134 without a problem

BTW I arrived in the US on my K-1 today!

Congratulations Caro!!!! you must be so happy

And on the checklist that the embassy sends in packet 3, did they specifically ask for the I-134 or I-864? If it is really the I-134, then could someone who went through the interview change the Paris embassy information?

They ask for I-134, that's the one I've provided.
Stop worrying about this, it will be just fine

OK thank you very much!

Hi All,
Is the I-134 for only K1 or is it also for K3 Visas?????
Thank you,
Paris Heart

Bonjour!

Today, i received my family book, i didn't do the "publication des bans", they didn't request for an interview.
We send all the papers and we received our family book after 10 days.

Good luck

Anglilla ran into this months ago. I didn't think I would... but I did.

This week-end I was in my husband hometown and my mother in law decided to take us to a seafood place.
I was stunned when I saw on the erasing board that instead of French fries they had written down Freedom Fries. Same on the board above the counter.
I was shocked and really really pissed off and offended.
We're in 2008, the reasons of the Freedom fries was because France was protesting the Irak war saying that there were no weapons of mass destructions. Well guess what? It was proven that there are none!

I didn't make a scene because my mother in law likes to eat there and she had no idea what the freedom fries meant. But I am never eating there again.

Lucky you! I submitted all my paperworks back in march and am still waiting. I called the consulate on Friday and they told me it could take up to 5 months. Yikes. My consulate is not in any rush as it seems.
Congrats to you!

I am sorry, Cecy. It sucks big time. Weird that they still have freedom fries. I thought we were over and done with those.

Can't they just call them "fries"? that would solve the problem.

I just realized that Bryan probably didn't change the address on the new intent of letter he sent me last week. From what the guides said, it should be addressed to the US embassy in Paris, but he probably left the address of USCIS.
Should I ask him to send a new one or will this one be good enough for the embassy?

I haven't gone through that process, but my though would be that it's ok because the date is more important and that all and all it's for immigration anyway. But those who went through the embassy might tell you different.

I have a question.

I am the USC. John works and lives and France. But is a Dutch Citizen... Does this cause any issues? Or is it more residence? He has been in France 3 years. Thanks guys. All your stories help so much!!! We will be filing the soon

Also seems depending where the fiance is from, the approvals seem faster. Maybe it is all circumstance.

Thanks!

If he is living in France I believe he will go through the Paris Embassy. They wouldn't require people to go back to their home country for it. Imagine if you are from Thailand and you live in Brazil ....

Oh and i forget to mention: We got our interview notice in the mail on June 6th.
Interview in July.
Very exciting

I received my "livret de famille", was all excited till i realized that they mispelled my dad's first name, they wrote "Jean, Claude" instead of "Jean-Claude".
I am not sure if it matters or not but will call the Consulate on Monday.

How long did it take them to send it to you?

4 months but i didn't do "la publication des bans".

Hello,

I'm curious, i would like to know what they replied you when you called.
I have the same problem with my new name, i chose to hyphen my maiden name and my husband name, but they just add the 2 names without the hyphen, when we called USCIS, they said us, that it is not a big problem, that they receive a lot of calls concerning that and they added that i can write my new name with the hyphen.

I'm a little disturb about the fact that USCIS removed the hyphen.

Thank you

USCIS and the Consulat of France are two different things.
For USCIS I wouldn't worry about it too much. They tend to get rid of hiphens and usually skip also the middle name. As long as the social security has it right it's not a problem.
Plus you haven't had an interview yet and it will be a while anyway. When comes the interview, talk with the immigration officer and see if they can put the hyphen on your green card.

With the French Consulate it's a bit different because the livret de famille is also were you write down the name of the children and if the last name is not done write it could mess things up with the children's (not sure though).