Today's Special: Visa Procedures!

Direct from the overseas commission that runs these things, a list of documents needed to complete our visa applications. Bear in mind, this is, allegedly, the "simplified procedure":

Salary in US dollars from home institution for the duration of your stay in France

4 identity photos

Photocopies of your passport (make sure that all info, especially passport n°, place and date of issue are legible)

Names and ages of accompanying family members & photocopies of their respective passports

Marital status

Marriage certificates and birth certificates for accompanying family members, if applicable

Birth date & place of birth

A Certificate of coverage from the US Social Security Administration*

(*The CoC has to be applied for online and takes another two weeks to turn around.)

Now, my favorite part. Remember how Mr. Rogers used to take field trips to crayon factories and whatnot and you got to see how the entire process worked? Here's a look into French immigration:

• The Commission prepares a "recruitment" application for each U.S. Exchange Teacher and communicates it to the Office Français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (OFII);
• The Office Français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (OFII) evaluates all applications and, if approved, forwards them to the Direction départementale du travail, de l'emploi et de la formation professionnelle (DDTEFP) ;
• The Direction départementale du travail, de l'emploi et de la formation professionnelle (DDTEFP) then prepares a « contrat de travail » that is sent directly to the French consulate in the U.S. closest to your place of residence;
• You will then need to apply for the appropriate visa with the French consulate; the visa that you will be issued should then read "salarié(e) OFII";
• Soon upon your arrival in France, and most likely during the orientation session in late September, you and any accompanying family members will be convoked to the Paris office of the Office Français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (OFII) for a medical exam;
• After completion of the medical exam, the Office Français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (OFII) will validate your long stay work visa; the latter will serve as your residency permit for the dates of your stay in France, as indicated in the visa.

God save us from the "complicated" version!