Applying For French Visa in United States

In this article

Introduction

If you are applying for French Visa in the United States, then visa applications submitted in diplomatic missions are processed by the France Embassy Washington DC, France Consulate General in Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco.

France at a glance

France remains at the top on many itinerant’s wish list. From the relaxing countryside to the glittering fashion capital of the world Paris, French territory remained the most captivating destination across the globe.

Tempting cuisine such as sauces, cheeses, bread, and pastries wait inside charming cafés.

French beaches are often known to be naturalist friendly, but plenty of family-oriented beaches abound. Many French villages have Internet access, ATMs and cell phone service, but they retain their historic architecture, gorgeous views and quiet pace of life.

Indulge in celebrated wine and champagne, and then stay the night in a traditional chateau. Discover masterful art and architecture, the French Alps, and beautiful landscapes. Create your own legendary experience in France.

Who can apply for France Visa from within the USA?

Before proceeding further, let it be clear that a permanent citizenship holder of the United States does not need to apply for or acquire a France Schengen Visa. A Permanent Resident Card [usually referred to as Green Card] allows you to enter France or any other Schengen Area for up to 90 days without a visa. But it is mandatory that an itinerant’s passport must hold validity of a minimum of 90 days or three months after his/her intended return to the USA.

Visa Application Process At France diplomatic missions

Go through our elaborative directory to ace the regarding applying for France Visa in the United States.

Step One

To discover whether itinerant have need of a visa document for entering the French mainland, click on franceintheus.org (official website of French Missions in the United States) and click on “Visit France” section and click on “Visa” category.

Step Two

A new tab will be opened by the system. Click on underlined “France Visas” segment to advance further.

Step Three

French authorities have overtly simplified visa application procedure. Once itinerant click on the underlined “France Visa” section, a new window will be opened enlisting the four-step visa application process.

Begin by following “Do You Need a Visa” as illustrated on the website.

Now “Visa Wizard” would be unfolded on itinerant’s screen by the server. Being a permanent inhabitant of America, itinerant would pick up the United States of America under “Place of submission of application”.

The wizard would aid itinerant in gauging the following points:

Necessities for a visa process
Visa Charges
List of subsidiary documents

As cited earlier, itinerant does not require to waste his energy on French Visa process provided he/she is permanent US citizen. Contrarily, in case itinerant lives in the USA at present but permanent citizenship is not in his custody thus far, then s/he would have to seek France Schengen Visa from the France Consulate General in Houston.

Handpick visa type (short-stay or long-stay visa), type the intended duration of stay, intended destination, issuing power (country) of passport, and enter search button.

In the context of the data the itinerant has submitted, the portal would explain whether an itinerant require a visa. In case the answer is yes, the portal would also demonstrate a list of supporting documents that itinerant will attach with his/her visa application.

If the itinerant already holds an online account, type them in relevant boxes and log in. Else, make an account by following relevant instructions.

Step Four: Submit Online Application

Go back to France Visas and click on “submit online application” box and select your location i-e United States of America.

Scroll down your icon to VFS Global and click on it.

Now select the category you belong to (i-e the state which you belong to) and click on “Book An Appointment”.

Please note that appointment’s times and processing duration for applications can vary, depending on itinerant’s nationality and type of visa applied for. We recommend you to apply well in advance of your trip, at least 15 days, but not more than 90 days, prior to your intended departure dates.

Step Five: Prepare Your Documents

Now that “Visa Wizard” has illustrated the list of supporting documents that you’re required to submit with your visa application, we recommend you to start preparing them without wasting even a nanosecond.

Application form: Fill the application form. Don’t forget to sing it. Also, attach an ID Photograph.

Passport: Your passport must hold validity for at least three months before the planned date of return. It should be issued less than ten years ago and with at least 2 blank pages and photocopy of passport pages.

Cover Letter: This is the document describing the planned program. It is also known as the letter of confirmation or confirmation at concerned French diplomatic mission.

Roundtrip Flight Reservation for visa application: If you are going to apply for a short-stay visa, we recommend you to buy a roundtrip flight itinerary as it entails dates of your entrance in French territory and dates of departure to your home destination.

However, if you are going to apply for a long-stay visa, we recommend you to attach a one-way flight itinerary as you’ve no intention to return to the USA soon.

Travel Health Insurance: You must not forget to attach a Travel Health Insurance document. The travel health insurance must cover any possible costs for medical repatriation, and emergency or hospital treatment, for a minimum treatment of 30,000 EUR or 50,000 USD. The travel health insurance should hold validity in all Schengen Area.

Hotel Booking Reservation/Proof of accommodation: A proof of accommodation will be submitted by your friend or relative—who must possess permanent French citizenship—in case you are planning to reside at his place. It is known as “Attestation d’accueil” in French.

In case you’ve booked or paid for accommodation in a hotel, then you will attach the Hotel Booking document with your visa application.

It can also be a certificate of ownership of real estate in France or lease agreement.

Bank statement/Proof of financially means: Whether you want to enter French territory for a short period or a long period, you are bound to prove to the staffers of the French diplomatic missions that you possess sufficient financial means to carry yourself comfortably in France during the course of your stay.

For this purpose, you will submit a bank statement entailing bank transactions of the past six months.

Affidavit of Support: Now, if you’re unable to produce bank statement for any reason whatsoever, you will ask your sibling or friend—residing in France and in possession of permanent citizenship—to produce an affidavit of support on your behalf stating his/her willingness to support the itinerant financially during the course of stay.

Means of subsistence: It means to provide evidence to the French diplomatic missions in the USA that the applicant has sufficient amount or financial resources to bear his/her expenditures during his stay in the Schengen country. In the absence of proof of accommodation or hotel booking, the applicant is bound to attest to the French Embassy or Consulate that he possesses daily cash equivalent to 120 euros.

The amount plummets to 65 euros per day if the foreigner—seeking entry in France—displays proof of prepaid accommodation.

The amount falls further to 32.25 euros per day if the applicant holds evidence of cheaper means of accommodation.

If employed:

Employment contract; and

Current bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Leave permission from the employer; and

Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary.

If self-employed:

A copy of your business license; and

Company bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Income Tax Return (ITR).

If a student:

Proof of enrollment; and

No-objection certificate from school or university.

If retired:

Pension statement of the latest 6 months.

If applicable:

Regular income generated by property proof of the latest 6 months.

Apart from the general documentation required, accompanying should be other additional documents depending on the nature of your visa application.

Recent nationwide criminal history check.

US work permit

Confirmation of participation in any type of event or activity

Self-addressed, pre-paid US express mail envelope (if applicable)

Documents proving the legal status in the US – original Alien Registration Card (Green Card), a Green card Stamp in your passport, an Advance Parole, or a valid US Visa must be provided along with a valid I-94 departure record. Students should also submit the original validated I-20, DS-2019 or IAP-66.

The US residence permit or visa should be valid at least 3 months beyond the intended departure from the Schengen member state territory.

Letter of continued employment including income statement. If you are self-employed a business license and tax return forms are required.

Step Six: Submit File

Well, after being done with all the stuff mentioned above, you are now required to submit the visa application file at the relevant French diplomatic mission. We recommend you to adhere by below-mentioned instructions to avoid any untoward situation:

Double-check that you are coming with all mandatory documents

Try to reach at least 30 minutes prior to embassy or consulate on your day of the appointment

Dress smartly

Answer all interview questions smartly, confidently and most importantly with utmost honesty.

Try to leave a good impression

As of May 15, 2014, each individual applying for a Schengen visa in the USA must appear in person, so that the necessary biometric data – ten fingerprints and a digital photo – can be collected. The biometric data are stored for a period of 59 months and can possibly be reused. This means that future applications during that period of time may be filed through correspondence, provided your data are of good quality and can be retrieved from the VIS.

San Francisco, Atlanta, and Washington: visaonweb.diplomatie.be (printed application form and documentation must be sent by postal mail or courier service)

San Francisco: by postal mail or courier service only

Exemptions for the fingerprinting requirements are granted to:

Children under the age of twelve;

Persons for whom the collection of fingerprints is physically impossible;

Heads of State and members of National Governments and their accompanying spouses, as well as the members of their official delegation when invited by Member States’ governments or by international organizations for an official purpose.

Furthermore, the applicant can extract the aforementioned data from the Visa Information System (VIS) if he/she has submitted it within the duration of five months. In such a case, you can forward application either by mail or courier.

Step Seven: Track your Visa

With the advent of VFS Global tracking tool, you can effortlessly track your visa application by simply entering your tracking number to know progress being done by staffers of the French diplomatic missions. Usually, French diplomatic missions will take up to 15 days to process your visa application.

Possible Reasons for Visa Rejections

There are a number of reasons upon which France diplomatic missions may reject your visa application. These reasons include (but are not limited to):

You forgot to sing the application form

The validity of your passport has expired

Passport is partially damaged.

Any of mandatory or supporting documents is missing

French diplomatic missions find something dubious in your application.

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