U.S. Citizen trying to live in France for 5 years.?

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Rillifane

Zafir makes some very good points. What is it that you are trying to do?

There are essentailly two visas, a short stay and a long stay and you want some sort of long stay visa. I can well understand why the consulate officer couldn't give you a clear answer because your question isn't clear.

If you're not going to work or study or marry a French citizen then what is it that you want?

If you have enough money to support yourself then there really wouldn't be much trouble with getting a long stay visa so I take it that this is not the case.

If you DO have enough money to support yourself without working then make this clear to the consulate.

zafir

One important thing you haven't mentioned is how you will support yourself while living in France. Unfortunately, even if you manage to get a long-term visa (which you haven't mentioned applying for), you will not be allowed to work in France. You could try applying for jobs from the States, but the French employer will need to prove that you have skills that are not available within the EU. From what you've posted it seems you don't have any skills at all. You will also need to be fluent in French, something else you don't mention. Therefore no chance of getting a job, which brings us back to the money situation!

You could apply for a long-term visa, but will have to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself, can pay for medical insurance because you won't be entitle to free medical treatment, have somewhere to live in France and the means to pay for accommodation, food, transport etc.

You also haven't explained why you wish to stay in France for that length of time and what you intend to do there if you do manage to get a visa. It seems that you just think it would be nice to live in France (don't we all) without thinking it through properly. And the fact that you've not stated anything clearly is probably why you've not been able to get reasonable information from the French Consulates.

By the way, have you bothered checking for visa information on the French Embassy website?

EDIT: Your explanations are still rambling, so I hope your French is more concise than your English!

This page from the French Consulate in Washington lists all the Visa Application Forms. You will need to download and complete the Long Term Visa form, and possibly the financial statement. Make an appointment with the Consulate - details on how are at the top of this page - and take all the required information with you: http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/spip.php?article498

There is no such thing as a girlfriend/boyfriend visa! There is however a visa if you intend to marry, but it appears you haven't yet got this far.

As far as study in France is concerned, you might need a referral from a University in the US first, but do check with Universities in France. Some might allow foreign students to enrol in under-grad courses, but be aware that the cost of study will be very, very expensive. Others may only allow foreign students for post-graduate studies. It's up to you to make enquiries, not the Consulate. And once your study is finished you need to return to your home country.

ChocoBN

I totally agree with Zafir and Rillifane. I don't understand what it is that you want either. Here are all the visas available and their requirements: http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/spip.php?rubrique98

Eclipsepearl

Just to throw in another idea.

Do you have a parent or grandparent who was born in an EU country? If so, you *may* be able to get an EU passport and all your woes will be over. You can live in France visa-free, permanently and without anything more. To do this, you have to contact the relevant country and provide the paperwork they require. This is not a guarantee and there are different requirements for each.

http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/index_en.htm

Good luck!

Graham I

You basically have two choices:

1. A long stay student visa - to qualify for this you will need to have an acceptance from the relevant university, which of course may require you to take additional exams (including French language).

2. A long stay non-work visa - basically to qualify for this you just need to convince them that you really are able to support yourself, but this might be difficult, and they may demand additional "proof" which you can't supply - basically it's up to them to decide. It will be much easier if you can obtain a guarantee from a sponsor that they will cover all your expenses. However you will be limited in the activities you undertake whilst in France, and frankly unless you are rich I would doubt that someone your age would be able to convince them about your ability to support yourself.

I'm assuming that you are looking at this because you are not yet 100% sure about getting married and living there, and I think that trying it out first is very sensible. Regardless of what visa you get, you will need to go back to the US in order to exchange it for a different visa or to renew it (for example to get married, or to start work, or to change University), so I think your best option is to just go with the limitations of the student visa and find an institution in France who will accept you as a student.

katya

Depending on how serious your relationship with your boyfriend is, your easiest solution is getting married. This will give you the right to be in France and the right to work.

Don't get me wrong-I'm not advocating getting married just to be there, but it is something to consider.

A similiar situation happened to me. My (now) husband and I had been dating a little over a year. It was very serious from the start and we were faced with the issue of me having to return to the US. We had been discussing marriage for quite some time. We decided to do a very simple civil ceremony in France; we've been married for 8 months now. We are now planning a religious ceremony in the US in next August as my family and friends weren't able to come.

Note that if you plan to marry in France there are certain requirements that must be carried out (living in France 40 days beforehand or something like that..) The US Embassy in France website has a document about this. The bf/gf visa doesn't exist. I wonder almost if the person was confusing it was PACs (a civil union basically). I'm not really familiar with the PACS. However, I do know you need to show proof of one year of living together (can be abroad). I believe with the PACS after 1 year you are able to work freely in France. But again, please look into this as I'm not entirely sure.

Good luck!

beardeddragon4321

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