Applying for French Long Stay Visa

France: a country of romance, beautiful language, and delicious bread... It must be these three things they really want to protect that they make the visa application look so intimidating. Yes, it looks intimidating, but it is not. Our experience at the French Consulate in Toronto was very smooth and pleasant. Here are some tips and info for those who may follow our paths.

We applied for :

Long Stay Visas (over a year) for Scientist, and an accompanying family member: July, 2010

1) Book your Rendez-vous: You have to make a personal appearance at the consulate for any type of visas. The appointment is done online, and it is almost fully booked. You cannot make double appointments, but you can grab the earliest one available, and keep changing it if there is any vacancy sooner than your date.

2) Gather all the documents: Follow the consulate website and gather all necessary documents. The biggest challenge lies in the format of the photos. The size is a standard, but the size of the face in the photo is larger than ordinary passport size. Find a competent photo studio. Do not go to CAA!

3) Email the consulate if you have questions: It says you need the airplane reservation when you apply for the visa. We did have ours ready, but when I emailed them, they told us that was not necessary.

Our visas were issued on the same day, within an hour. On their website (Toronto), they say it takes three months. When you are waiting for your turn at the consulate, a note on the wall says it takes three weeks. My life has been shortened by three years by such exaggerated information.

Apparently, this part is nothing compared to the application for "Carte de Sejour" once we arrive in France.