Prefecture Worries

I know it may seem that I like to talk a lot about the prefecture and it's defaults, but I only talk about it to inform those of you who are like me or who will be like me of France's problems.

For those of us who decided that it would be fun to live in Paris and arrived in Paris ready to accomplish our dreams, I imagine that 95% of us realized that our decision to move to the City of lights or one of the most beautiful countries in the world was made a little too fast. Because after sending mountains of paperwork to the Prefecture, the CAF, LMDE/CPAM, and finding out they somehow "misplaced" or "lost" them, is very annoying and nerve racking. Well at least for me, it seems like this.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy living here, I love the culture and the people I have met and those that I meet each day. But, I dislike the fact of going to every administration place at least once a month or having to call to get information usually negative on why they lost my paperwork or my photocopies.

One such example is this past week. I discovered last Friday that the Prefecture supposedly lost my dossier that I had given them on 17 May concerning my status change. Apparently according to my reliable source, the Prefecture said I never showed up for my rendez-vous. So, I was furious, as you could probably tell.

This morning I went to the Prefecture, calmly explained to the woman at the help desk (who didn't give any help imagine that!) that I was there and needed answers on why they couldn't find it.  After having to sit for an hour, I was able to get a ticket for a rendez-vous which meant sitting for another hour to get the date and time. The woman who was setting up the rendez-vous was the same, who was in charge of my dossier on the 17th and she remembered me and my 30 page dossier.  So,I was given a recipisse which is like a prolongement of my card, and  the information concerning my dossier, which was sent off to reviewed by the Public Treasury (hopefully this will not be another headache!) I left the prefecture happy to at least know that I was not going to be forced out of France; a situation all too common in here.


For the moment, I am ready to keep living this dream until the next roadblock comes, but let's hope that is not for a long time. My husband and I have had way too many roadblocks and not enough luck. It seems like people who cheat the system have more luck than us, but that is another post in itself.

If you have questions concerning moving to France or you are currently here and are dealing with their un-organized system, do not hesitate to contact me.

Once Again...

La Préfecture!
It may seem like we go to the préfecture at least once a month, which in a way is true. And every time we go they try to pull a "sorry you forgot something" or "no we cannot help you".

This time, we were missing a paper from the electric company. Appartently the paper stating the payments we make each month with another confirming we pay, does not really "confirm" that we live at our apartment. Or as the consultant claimed "anybody can create an internet page and print it out making it look real". Does she really think all foreigners trying to get legal papers in this country are crooks??

So Y and I called the company and we were told to wait 2-3 days for a mailed copy, problem was, we needed it by the 9 or 10th of June! We ran all over town until we found an address for an office which really doesn't help regular people, more for the professionals and we pleaded with the receptionist to help us. She ended up getting us the copy of the paper and even printed it in color so that the Prefecture would believe it to be an original.

We returned to the Prefecture the next day, and the consultant was shocked that we were able to find the paper. Now Y just has to wait 2-3 months for a positive or negative response. While, I am still awaiting my answer for my authorization to work and open my music agency, updates should be coming soon.

If you need help with a situation about papers and visas for France, please do not hesitate to contact me, as the official Prefecture websites do not offer "real information".

Camping at the Prefecture 2

A second commentary on the prefecture in Bobigny, one has to spend the night just to get a rendez-vous or their carte de sejour, it's really true because I have done it plusieurs fois (many times).

Of course their website only shows the pretty side!

 It was another event-filled day at the Prefecture!! Because it was Ramadan, Y and I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to eat and arrived at the Prefet by 4:30ish! (We didn't actually camp out, but we did see people doing it, ones that had been there since 5 o'clock the day before!)

Both of us were there for two separate reasons so that meant two different entry points. Y was a sans rendez-vous, without a meeting, which is the worse line possible. I was scheduled for an appointment at 14h, but somebody told me that I needed to stand in line early so there I was at 4h30. I found out when the line started moving at 8h30, that I could only stand in line "à partir de 12h", meaning get out of the line and come back @ 12h! So I was pretty angry.

A French Blog about the Prefecture

Y was able to get a ticket, they literally hand out 200 tickets to the first 200 people in line.

Today he was 31! Actually there were not as many people in line today as usual and we figured it as because vacation, Ramadan ( lots of Muslims go here), the mosque and other Friday events. But as usual every other person as a Pakistani/Indian selling their place (20 -200 euros!) And the fights were numerous today, therefore just try to stay out of the fight, in case the police come. 
Has anyone ever bought a place at the Prefecture, or do something of this nature in the states?

We submitted Y's dossier for a temporary work contract and carte de sejour. We hope that it gets accepted, because we kissed it and prayed over it. Please pray that we get good news!

I received my carte de sejour recipisse which means that I will go back the 15th of November to receive my real card!

Does anyone have questions on carte de sejours or visas either on the state-side or the French side?

Prefecture 101

This post is about the administrative side to moving abroad, the fun part about getting your papers all in order.

The prefecture is similar to city hall, but has more higher power, this is the place where one goes to renew visas, work permits, residency cards, etc.

For those who have the chance to live in Paris, the city, you are the lucky ones and will not have to fight the battles that those of the surrounding suburbs have too.

I live in Drancy, in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb, 93 is it's department number, and its known has having the worst reputation, I will post later about this. I will just say that I live in a nice place and do not have to worry about some of the things that neighboring cities do. Therefore, I go to the Bobigny Prefecture.

Last Friday, I needed to go and renew my visa and get my carte de sejour for next year. I had found a link on the website that said students could get a meeting which would allow me not to stand in the line (story to follow) for hours. But apparently this is not "true". The prefecture's site also mentions that the prefet is open for foriegners from 8:30 to 4 p.m. and again it's a "lie".

Basic Guide to prefecture:
1. Be prepared to wake up really early in the morning -  I got there at 4 am and I was the 60th person in the line.
2. Be prepared to have people cut in front of you. because a. they pay the Indians 20-100 euros or b. their "friend" is saving their spot in line. also, people get angry when people cut the line, therefore keep looking straightahead and don't get involved.
3. Be prepared to get touched on every spot of your body - though this last time it was not true, the line went smoothly.
4. Talk firm with them and when you don't get your way, try to talk forcefully, its the opposite in France, use anger to get your way.

I was ticket number 1610 and there were apparently 10 people in front of me, but there was only one office open. When I arrived in the office, she gave me a meeting for August! I told her I had all the photocopies and orginals with me, all of the information right in front of her. and still she couldn't help me out. So I told her about how they couldn't give me a meeting earlier and she basically told me I was lying. So now I have to wait until August.

Basically, just be prepared to wait a long time, and sometimes it will feel like a waste of time going there and be there only for an hour when you have already waited 5 hours in the freezing cold.

Also, keep deadlines in mind when it comes to renewing papers etc. and never give away and original.