France/America couples

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

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?

[caro06 0]

I know of this page

Thanks

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

[Cécy 44]

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?

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.

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

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?

[Lili 3]

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.

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

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!

[Cécy 44]

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...

Pour plus d’informations contactez le Service de l’Accueil consulaire - Etat Civil au (312) 327-5224 ou par mél à contact@consulfrance-chicago.org - Télécopie : (312) 327-5201.

Attention : bien indiquer dans la rubrique OBJET de votre e-mail le nom du Service destinataire OBJET : Etat civil

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.

[Lili 3]

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

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

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

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

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."

[caro06 0]

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)"

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

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.

[melusine 5]

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

[dh204 0]

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?

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 ####### 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).

[dh204 0]

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)"

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.