French/American Couples - Part III - 2014

[RKandGC 1]

When the US citizen receives the email with the subject: From the U.S. Embassy, Paris, France ..PRSXXXXXXXXXX your name. that's when you can go ahead and fill your DS160 here

After the DS160 you can go to https://ais.usvisa-info.com to schedule your interview. 

I waited to receive something in the mail, but as @quentin955 said on page 67: "Do not expect anything in the mail. More than likely, the thing you are going to get is an email and it will be sent to the US Citizen" 

For me when I did all of that there were no open appointments so I had to wait 3-4 days before paying the fee and then make the appointment. There were only a few spots left so I selected march 22nd. (that was on Feb. 6th) but I think it was especially busy so you should have closer appointments available. 
For your apartment just a reminder that in most large cities in France we only have to give a 30 days notice. look if your town is on the list: http://www.pap.fr/argent/calculettes/liste-zone-tendue

I hope this helps

[borodine01 94]

Hello Everyone!

 

I'm new to this thread not sure if anyone already asked that question. But how long after the embassy received the case and the status show as ready did the petitioner received the email?

[Falkor 5]

Hi everyone,

 We got our NOA2 and I was wondering about the "publication des bans" before the wedding. I wanted to do it while I'm still in France but I just saw my city hall wants both of the future spouses to be present, which is not possible since my fiancé lives in America (or maybe I misunderstood and I ask to the consulate in America and I've nothing to ask to my city hall?). Then I thought  maybe we should do it once I move in America but it takes 2 months until we get the paperworks and finally being able to get married. So now I'm wondering, what would happen if we miss this step, what would be the consequences exactly?

Edited May 25, 2017 by Falkor

[quentin955 4]

Hi,

Sorry for the late answer, barodine01. It took 2 to 3 weeks for us to get the email from the embassy. 

Falkor, Not everyone does the publication des bans. Actually many people don't. If you miss this step, consequences won't be too bad, it will just take longer to register your marriage. Some people may be asked to attend an interview at the Los Angeles or Washington Consulate to do so, but I don't think it's very common.
We decided to do it because we had enough time anyway after NOA 2 ( a couple of months). It took 7 weeks for us to get everything done. After the wedding it took only a few weeks, maybe 2 or 3, before we got our livret de famille.
We did not need to do anything at my city hall, the consulate took care of everything. 
But they need some papers from the american fiance (I think it was a birth certificate as well as a divorce certificate from a previous marriage if it applies), and a signature from the fiance too. They also need one or two envelopes with a stamp on it.
When we did it, I filed up everything, sent the whole package to my fiancee in America so she could sign where it was needed and put her birth certificate copy in it, then she sent it to Los Angeles (We were in Louisiana at this time so that's where we had to send it). The consulate then sent a request to my city hall to publish the bans. After ten days, they notified Los Angeles, which sent me another thing in the mail later. 

Depending on where the american citizen is living, everything has to be sent either to Washington or Los Angeles.
Voila le formulaire a imprimer et la liste des papiers demandes par le consulat de LA: http://www.consulfrance-losangeles.org/spip.php?article2733
Et pour celui de Washington: http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/spip.php?article868

Voila pour la liste des Etats qui dependent de Washington: http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/spip.php?article816 Tous les autres dependent de LA.

[Aquilina 51]

Hi,

 

We got our case number and the tracker says our case is ready for the interview but no appointment letter yet. Do they send it by email or mail ? And whats the average time until I get this famous appointment letter ? And also, is it possible to take an appointment before I get this letter ? 

Thanks for your answers. 

 

[Aquilina 51]

1 hour ago, Aquilina said:

Hi,

 

We got our case number and the tracker says our case is ready for the interview but no appointment letter yet. Do they send it by email or mail ? And whats the average time until I get this famous appointment letter ? And also, is it possible to take an appointment before I get this letter ? 

Thanks for your answers. 

 

So I got the embassy on the phone and they said I wasn't going to get any letters/emails and I can take my appointment right now, which I tried. Now, when I want to pick a date to schedule an appointment it doesnt work. All the days from today for the next months are in grey and I can't clicked on it, is it normal ? Am I missing something ? 

[hopephilly 21]

Call them again and explain your case 

Edited June 22, 2017 by hopephilly
Wrong page

[quentin955 4]

On 6/22/2017 at 5:14 AM, Aquilina said:

So I got the embassy on the phone and they said I wasn't going to get any letters/emails and I can take my appointment right now, which I tried. Now, when I want to pick a date to schedule an appointment it doesnt work. All the days from today for the next months are in grey and I can't clicked on it, is it normal ? Am I missing something ? 

Hi!

Most of us got an email. Actually, the US citizen usually does. It can take a few weeks. Mine took about 4 weeks, some others got the email even later. Make sure both of you did not get anything in the spam folder!
Usually, what they send is an email with a checklist about the information and documents you need for the interview, as well as information regarding your medical appointments. You will also have to file something online (and you better be patient for that). 
You do have to make the appointment by yourself, as the embassy told you, once you've done everything they request you to do (or at least when the appointment with the doctor is booked, even if it has not been done yet). Maybe that's why they told you they don't send you an email for an appointment. But they do send an email, unless they changed the way they do things very recently but it would be strange. 

I hope everything was clear. I'd say wait for a few more weeks to see if one of you gets an email. I you haven't had it by the middle of July, try and call again. 
I also know how hard it is to actually talk to someone there, and most of the times they are not very helpful and don't know what they are talking about or don't forward us to the right service, so good luck with that!
I'm sure it will end up well at the end though

[Aquilina 51]

On 22/06/2017 at 2:37 PM, hopephilly said:

Call them again and explain your case 

 

23 minutes ago, quentin955 said:

Hi!

Most of us got an email. Actually, the US citizen usually does. It can take a few weeks. Mine took about 4 weeks, some others got the email even later. Make sure both of you did not get anything in the spam folder!
Usually, what they send is an email with a checklist about the information and documents you need for the interview, as well as information regarding your medical appointments. You will also have to file something online (and you better be patient for that). 
You do have to make the appointment by yourself, as the embassy told you, once you've done everything they request you to do (or at least when the appointment with the doctor is booked, even if it has not been done yet). Maybe that's why they told you they don't send you an email for an appointment. But they do send an email, unless they changed the way they do things very recently but it would be strange. 

I hope everything was clear. I'd say wait for a few more weeks to see if one of you gets an email. I you haven't had it by the middle of July, try and call again. 
I also know how hard it is to actually talk to someone there, and most of the times they are not very helpful and don't know what they are talking about or don't forward us to the right service, so good luck with that!
I'm sure it will end up well at the end though

 

 

Hey,

 

So I know most of you got an email and that's why when I got the embassy on the phone I asked about that email. I asked about it a first time via their website and here's the answer I got (my question was when would we get the notification for an appointment and if we were going to get it by email or mail):

Quote

Dear XXXXXX:

 

We are pleased to inform you that we have received an approved petition in support of your immigrant visa application. 

 

To prepare for your interview, please visit our website at https://fr.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/. See the section “How to Apply,” where you will find detailed, step-by-step instructions.  Failure to carefully follow these instructions could result in delays in the processing of your application.

 

Should you need to communicate with the Visa Section, please visit our website at https://fr.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-section-contact-form/, and select “I have a pending immigrant or fiancé(e) application.”

 

Please note that issuance of an immigrant visa is not guaranteed.  A Consular Officer will evaluate your case and make a final determination.

 

                                                                                                 

Sincerely,

 

 

                                                                                                  Chief, Immigrant Visa Branch

 

So I sent another email saying pretty much that I knew already that and asked about the part of the website where they sent me to that says "

1. Wait to receive notification from Embassy Paris that your file has been received from the National Visa Center (NVC).  Follow the instructions carefully."

A woman from "service immigration" of the embassy called me and told me that they didn't send email or mail, that I was ready for an appointment and I could schedule it online right now. I asked her like 2 times "but what about the notifications you're supposed to send me ?" and she answered I was good for an appointment - and probably thought I was dumb for asking so many times the same question.

 

Anyway, I registered on the online appointment system, didn't work, all the next days are in grey, I called the persons on the contact us webpage of the ais.usvisa-info.com, they tell me they don't know why it's blocked and to contact again the embassy, which I did... The embassy called me back, tell me that yeah, it was closed but one of the consuls opened the appointment back again (she even told me there was only 19th of July left for that month and then it was August), but of course, still didn't work... I sent the embassy an email again, they tell me they don't know why it doesn't work and now they're sending back to the persons in charge of the website to take online appointment, saying the problem comes from them... I'll call them tomorrow and see what's happening.

Edited June 25, 2017 by Aquilina

[FeBo 1]

Hey all! I took an appointment at the embassy for july the 19th, But I don't really understand what I should  bring with me... I had no mail ( packet 3 ) ect explaining what documents are required... Does it will come ?? 

Edited June 30, 2017 by FeBo

[borodine01 94]

5 hours ago, FeBo said:

Hey all! I took an appointment at the embassy for july the 19th, But I don't really understand what I should  bring with me... I had no mail ( packet 3 ) ect explaining what documents are required... Does it will come ?? 

Hi, He had a I-134, copy of DS-160 confirmation page, Receipt of payment for the DS-160, a new letter of intent, 3 years of Tax transcripts, W2's, pay stub, Casier Judiciaire of all the countries you lived in for more than 6 months.proof of ongoing relationship, 2 passport photos, birth vertificates, divorce documents (if needed). not sure if i'm missing anything else.

[Aquilina 51]

10 hours ago, FeBo said:

Hey all! I took an appointment at the embassy for july the 19th, But I don't really understand what I should  bring with me... I had no mail ( packet 3 ) ect explaining what documents are required... Does it will come ?? 

So when I called the embassy in Paris a couple weeks ago, they told me it wasn't going to come and to schedule my interview. She did send me to this page https://fr.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/immigrant-visa-required-documents/ where it says the required documents for the interview. Also, when I filled my DS-160 I had a note saying to bring the letter proving our I-129F was approved (so our NOA2).

[FeBo 1]

Thanks for the answer! I've everything I think, except the I-134 that my fiancé will send me in the week! I hope everything will go well   ( Just, Borodine01, What's the W2's ?? ^^ )

Edited July 1, 2017 by FeBo

[Aquilina 51]

On 30/06/2017 at 5:37 PM, borodine01 said:

Hi, He had a I-134, copy of DS-160 confirmation page, Receipt of payment for the DS-160, a new letter of intent, 3 years of Tax transcripts, W2's, pay stub, Casier Judiciaire of all the countries you lived in for more than 6 months.proof of ongoing relationship, 2 passport photos, birth vertificates, divorce documents (if needed). not sure if i'm missing anything else.

Did they check the I-134 and all the tax transcripts, pay stubs, etc. during the interview ?

[borodine01 94]

11 hours ago, Aquilina said:

Did they check the I-134 and all the tax transcripts, pay stubs, etc. during the interview ?

For us they didn't. 

On 7/1/2017 at 5:51 AM, FeBo said:

Thanks for the answer! I've everything I think, except the I-134 that my fiancé will send me in the week! I hope everything will go well   ( Just, Borodine01, What's the W2's ?? ^^ )

It's something they give in the states that show how much you got pay for the year. You need it to fill out your taxes.