France/America couples

[Aloha 0]

Salut! et bienvenue!

Ne stresse pas! tout va bien se passer! et c est difficile de se planter a l interview!

En tout cas cest genial si ton fiance te rejoint pour 6 mois en France! cest vrai que l attente loin du cheri est la partie la plus difficile, donc si tu pouvais eviter ca ce serait top!

Merci!!!!! Je suis trop contente qu'il arrive!! au moins etant ici il arrivera a me calme et j'arreterai de me ronger les ongles Il arrive lundi prochain et on part directement visiter les alpes en vacances de ski pour le debut de sa vie "francaise"... En même temps ca fait 5.5 que je l'attends! Il était temps

Oui bien sur! moi je vais parler a 100% francais avc mes enfants, ce sera une vrai chance pour eux!.....et puis comme ca ils pourront plus tard faire leurs etudes universitaires en France, ca eviterait de payer des ponts aux etats unis!

Non, mais cest vrai, ca cest un truc qui me choque et me traumatise! il est hors de question que mes enfants s'endette a vie pour payer 4 annee de fac!

c'est clair! et d'ailleurs mon fiancé est criblé de dettes à cause de ses etudes d'ingenieur aux USA qui ne lui permettent meme pas d'avoir le niveau ingénieur en France!!! (le bachelor (en 4 ans) n'est pas reconnu comme un diplome d'ingenieur (bac+5), il faut le master (6 ans), alors qu'il fait des jobs bcp plus interessants que moi qui ait le Master et le diplome d'inge francais) Toutes ses dettes justement m'ont toujours donné envie de faire un contrat de mariage. Car bien sur je souhaite que cette love story ait son happy ending for ever after mais comme dirait sophie les statistiques ne sont pas rassurantes et si je l'aide pour ses dettes je voudrais le faire parceque je le veux et non pas parceque je suis obligee apres un divorce....suis-je trop pessimiste?

Je pensais un peu la meme chose, qu'on pourrait les envoyer en France pour les etudes superieures, mais je me demande un peu si ca vaut le coup... Ca doit dependre des diplomes, mais j'aurais peur que leur diplome francais ne vaut plus rien une fois qu'ils reviennent aux USA (je me souviens avoir lu un post de Lili qui disait qu'elle a fait ses etudes de compta aux USA et que personne ne veut d'elle en France parce que pas la meme facon de faire la compta d'un pays a l'autre) Alors est-ce que ca vaut vraiment le coup ? Pas si sur...

C'est sur que niveau compta ca ne doit pas du tout etre la même chose... En revanche je connais des ingenieurs et des personnes issues d'ecoles de commerce francaises qui n'ont eu absolument aucun soucis a trouve un emploi aux US (Bon, a part les petits (gros) problemes de Visa!)

Moi par exemple j'ai fait une partie de mes etudes aux US (ce qui m'a permis de rencontre mon petit americain) et le niveau en maths et physique des americains etait tellement inferieur a celui en france! par contre ils ont une approche pratique des choses qui est super interessante...

[Lili 3]

Yep, le systeme de compta est different. Il y a quelques annees de cela, la France et d'autres pays europeens voulaient changer le systeme de compta au systeme anglo saxon mais depuis, c'est le silence radio. Enfin bref, j'envisage d'obtenir le CPA(expert comptable) et de voir si une companie francaise serait interessee. Tout n'est pas perdu!

Excellent conseil de recommender de passer le bac francais avt toute chose, c'est un bon moyen d'avoir quelque chose a retomber sur. au cas ou les etudes aux USA ne se deroulent pas bien. Le "bac americain" ne vaut rien du tout en rapport du bac francais, c'est une blague!

Aloha, au sujet des dettes d'etudes de ton epoux...Toutes les dettes de ton futur epoux qui s'accumulent avant votre mariage restent ses dettes. Ta responsibilite financiere en cas de divorce n'est que vis a vis des dettes acquises pendant votre mariage, pas avant. Verifie cela mais j'en suis presque certaine. Je ne te plains pas de t'inquieter, les divorces sont "ugly" ici. Divorce amicable n'est pas un concept!

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

...

From what I understand, BONA FIDE residence must contain one full year, but it does not mean it must be the year for which we are filing taxes.

Lucie was a resident for 2007, during which she visited the US on a tourist visa for a long vacation. She went back to France, and continued her residency uninterupted, UNTIL she got her K1. So we can claim 60% of the year as a resident, and is exempt for ($86,000 * 60%) under the foreign income exclusion treaty. We just need to fill out form 2555ez, and our normal 1040.

...

Je viens de lire pas mal d'instructions via 2555-EZ, et moi aussi j'ai mis du temps à comprendre le "bona-fide resident".

Malheureusement, je ne suis restée que 265 jours en France, donc je ne pourrais pas faire l'exemption de mes revenus francais!! puisque c'est moins de 330 jours! La dernière période de 12 mois consécutifs en France remonte de Nov 05 jusqu'à Nov 06!!!C'est bcp trop ancien!

...

Je reviens sur cette histoire de Bona Fide Residence. Dans les instructions du 2555-EZ ils disent:

A US resident alien who is a citizen or national of a country with which the US has an income tax treaty in effect and who is a bona fide resident of a foreign country, or countries, for an uninterrumpted period that includes an entire tax year (January 1 - December 31)

So, as Damon said, bona fide residence does not have to be the year for which we are filing taxes. Then Pam, I don't understand why you say you can't do the exemption. Doesn't that mean that everyone of us, as long as in our life we have spent an entire year in France, we are Bona Fide Resident?

[Sophie123 1]

J'ai une question un peu particulière : j'aimerais savoir si certains des couples franco-américains déjà mariés sur ce forum ont choisi un régime de mariage autre que le régime 'communauté des biens réduite aux acquêts' qui est le régime par défaut ?

Si on fait un contrat, je me demande s'il peut être visé par un notaire américain (qui coûte environ 5$) ou si on doit faire ça devant un notaire français (qui coûte 490€ + le coût du voyage vers le consulat).

Je réponds à mon propre post parce que j'ai eu une réponse d'un notaire sur le sujet que je vous copie :

Je vous confirme que la signature de votre contrat doit avoir lieu deavnt le Consul de France qui remplit les fonctions de notaire et peut donc recevoir ce contrat sous la forme authentique comme un notaire français.

Cette forme est obligatoire au regard de la loi française. C'est une question de validité impérative pour que votre régime matrimonial soit soumis à la loi française.

Votre acte de mariage, faisant mention de ce contrat, sera ensuite transcrit dans les registres d'état civil en France par les soins du Consul.

Pour tous ceux qui voudraient faire un contrat de mariage français...

[Pam&Josh 0]

Je viens de lire pas mal d'instructions via 2555-EZ, et moi aussi j'ai mis du temps à comprendre le "bona-fide resident".

Malheureusement, je ne suis restée que 265 jours en France, donc je ne pourrais pas faire l'exemption de mes revenus francais!! puisque c'est moins de 330 jours! La dernière période de 12 mois consécutifs en France remonte de Nov 05 jusqu'à Nov 06!!!C'est bcp trop ancien!

...

Je reviens sur cette histoire de Bona Fide Residence. Dans les instructions du 2555-EZ ils disent:

A US resident alien who is a citizen or national of a country with which the US has an income tax treaty in effect and who is a bona fide resident of a foreign country, or countries, for an uninterrumpted period that includes an entire tax year (January 1 - December 31)

So, as Damon said, bona fide residence does not have to be the year for which we are filing taxes. Then Pam, I don't understand why you say you can't do the exemption. Doesn't that mean that everyone of us, as long as in our life we have spent an entire year in France, we are Bona Fide Resident?

Well, my concern about the bona fide residence was to make sure that the 12 months in a row didn't have to be "linked" to 2008.

Damon was saying it doesn't have to be the year of the tax period we're filing, but I read on another topic it needed to be ending or starting in 2008. Here is the sentence: There is a form 2555-EZ where you fill out your exclusion. There's some questions about residency in that country asking if you were present for 330 days during any 12 month period that ended in 2008. Most of you were probably present in that foreign county your whole life until you moved here. It doesn't mean 330 days in calendar year 2008. It is 330 days out of any 12 month period...like Jan 2007 to Jan 2008, or October 2007 to October 2008.

In my case, I only spent less than 9 months in row ending in 2008, so I just wasn't sure of what I should file. I am trying to understand the law and to follow it as much as I can.

At the same time, I just came back from my husband's parents, and my father in law was a CPA some years ago. We looked up together all that stuff, and agreed that doing an exclusion income from 2008 and showing one 12 months period from 2006 was maybe not what they're looking for. In another way, there isn't one sentence saying that it has to be linked to 2008, except from one poster in VJ; so yes, after a lot of time thinking of what would be best, I will file for the exemption.

He also told me that the situation we're in is very specific, and depending on where you take advice, you could come up with many different ways to file your taxes. Everybody has a way to interprete those laws!

Anyways, thanks Cécile for pointing that out for me! I think I am now ready to file and send everything!!

[C&D 0]

Hello!

I'm new to this France/America thread..

I'm the french half, my husband is the USC and in the US military.

Do you know if it's possible to get an interview rather quickly with the US embassy in Paris?

We're trying to have the USCIS and NVC parts of the visa process expedited because my husband is going to get deployed in Irak in the spring.. I heard it takes 2 months to have an interview in Paris.. So my question is: has anyone been able to bring their interview forward? If so, how?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

Caroline

[lucie&damon 0]

Hello!

I'm new to this France/America thread..

I'm the french half, my husband is the USC and in the US military.

Do you know if it's possible to get an interview rather quickly with the US embassy in Paris?

We're trying to have the USCIS and NVC parts of the visa process expedited because my husband is going to get deployed in Irak in the spring.. I heard it takes 2 months to have an interview in Paris.. So my question is: has anyone been able to bring their interview forward? If so, how?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

Caroline

Hi Caroline! Welcome on this thread!

I'm sorry but I cannot answer your question, I have no idea... you should post this in a new topic and someone in the same situation as you might answer!

So how are you doing the other french/americans?? it s been a while! Did you sent out your taxes? did you hear back from them?

On our side we are waiting a little bit longer to send it! we just bought a house! yeaaah! and Obama signed today the 8000dollars credit for people who buy a house between january and August 2009! So, once we close on the house in March we will sent the paperwork at the same time to get this money too! How great is that! we are so lucky! a 8000 dollars gift!

I also went today to my first group interview at wells fargo! it was a weird experience! but went better than I thought! cross fingers!

Cecile did you find a job? how were your interviews?

[Koakland 0]

Hello all!

Jeremy and I are doing well. He got his visa earlier this month, turned in his notice to his job and is preparing to move. He's moving to the US on May 14th. I've started planning for our civil ceremony (ceremony, license, dress, lunch, flowers etc). I do not like it. The K1 process was less stressful for me. A little bit at a time, I guess.

[lili&kai 0]

Hello and welcome to all the newbies

Today I went to DMV. The lady was soooo rude with me it was insane. She was shouting: "DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT WANT TO FILL THIS FORM?" It was crazy. Virginia issue driving license to K1 visa holder but since I have a license from another country they said they had to send a foreign driving license verification form to the State DMV in Richmond. I asked how it was working, if they just had a list of countries they would accept the driving license from. On the form it said they were actually going to check with the autorities in that country. Given that my DL is from Congo I told her it seems pretty unlikely they could make that type of verification. So I asked if I could just do the regular driving test, that I'm happy to take (I trained on their website;)) She told me that it was impossible now that they know I have a foreign license. they had to go through that process. During the whole time she was talking to me like ######. I know french bureaucratie is not much better but at least in France I'm in a position I can shout back, and now we have very good online access to all information. Here being an alien I always feel very frustrated in that type of situation, plus it seems like there is never one answer to a question. There is many depending on who you talk to!

Anyways. On another note I have my biometrics on March 4 and I'm hoping to get my EAD before April!!

Hope everyone is ok, and congrats on all recent I 129, K1 in hand, EAD, jobs and so on

Lili&Kai

[Cécy 44]

Lili and Kai, I would have left, gone to an other DMV an taken the whole test... They can be a pain in the butt sometimes for things like that.

C&D I know they do something like that for the AOS, I'm not sure for the K1. I would ask in the K1 forum if I were you. I hope they can do something to help you out with this. Good luck.

As for us, we did the taxes and got our little tax return back. No house for us this year, there are too many credit cards we need to pay off before we can get there. Oh well, I'll be patient an other year or so. We'd love to buy a house within the next 1.5-2 year though.

I'm looking for a new job. I still have a job but my company is in financial trouble and I don't want to wait to be laid off.

[C&D 0]

C&D I know they do something like that for the AOS, I'm not sure for the K1. I would ask in the K1 forum if I were you. I hope they can do something to help you out with this. Good luck.

We filed for a CR-1 visa as we are already married.. not a K1! but thanks for answering!

[Cécy 44]

C&D I know they do something like that for the AOS, I'm not sure for the K1. I would ask in the K1 forum if I were you. I hope they can do something to help you out with this. Good luck.

We filed for a CR-1 visa as we are already married.. not a K1! but thanks for answering!

Looking at your timeline could have been a good idea right

Anyway... I would think there is even more chances in that case.

Did you mention it in your application or did you found out later on?

[Lili 3]

There is a thread in the k-3 forum about spouses of military men. You might want to ask them about that.

Are you doing a DCF CR-1? Does your husband lives in France with you (aka, stationed in France)?

[C&D 0]

Cécy we filed and then requested an expedite at the USCIS portion of the process. We knew for quite a while he was going to be deployed this year, but decided in january it would be better for me to be in the us while he's in Irak.

Lili My husband lives in the US. There is no us army base in France. So no DCF... I'm still living and working in France.

I've found out a phone number (01 43 12 22 29) by digging out furthermore in the english version of the Paris US embassy website. Apparently i could be able to reschedule my interview, with a very good and valid reason. I think a military deployment could work..

Wait'n see!

[C&D 0]

This question is for the french halves

Did you take a lot of things with you for your move to America?

What moving company did you use?

I have a TON of books...

Oh and i have a cat.. any feedback on plane travel would be great.. Mine is a howler, any tips on how to calm a noisy scared cat? I heard i couldn't sedate her as it would cause some breathing problems in the plane..

It's a lot of questions but i'm basically alone here in France dealing with all this..

My family doesn't approve my choice of marrying my husband.