October 18, 2007

Taking a Beating

Yes, here I am, once again complaining about the never ending bureaucracy that is knocking me around, chewing me up and spitting me out.
I won't go into great detail, but my Carte de Séjour has been expired for two months now and just last week I received another letter from the sous-préfecture asking for more papers, more attestations, more justificatifs. Flashback to ten months ago when we were doing the same thing for my husband.

They want to know that we have enough income to live on. I guess being here, paying taxes and supporting the local economy for almost five years hasn't proven our case yet.
They want an attestation stating that I will not work without prior authorization from the authorities. Which they've already granted me. Which I asked for. From the authorities. Obviously they're not convinced in this area either.
They want copies of tax returns from 2006. They already have them in triplicate.

Oh. My. God.
When. Will. This. Get. Easier?

Why do they grant some Americans 10 year Cartes de Séjours with no problems? Is it just our sous-préfecture?

If I didn't love it here so much, I might have given up by now. Pin It

15 comments:

Katie Zeller said...

God, I hope it's not a nationwide regime change in thinking...ours comes up next month...
I feel for you!

Ksam said...

Sigh. Courage, ma fille, courage!

Jennifer said...

katie
I don't know what is going on, but I wish you the best of luck and hope you don't have to deal with what we've had to!

samantha
Merci mon amie!

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog. I've added it to my RSS feed.

I hope everything works out.

Jennifer said...

elisabeth,
Thanks for stopping by to say hello.
I appreciate your comments!

La Dolce Vita - Azille said...

LouLou,

it is not easy to get, even the 10-yr. Try living with a frenchman, having a baby with one and then still being asked for proof of the child's heritage, which includes her father's heritage and his parents heritage...try that one on for size. I struggled for 5 years, never got anything but temporary titre de sejours...the French struggle with their own paperwork - so, it never ends! Bureacracy originated in France, n'est pas?

Riana Lagarde said...

Yeh, its not that easy to get one, trust me, but they are really giving you a run for your money! I can only hope that it will get better for you soon. YOu can always ask my husband to go with you. He is a fonncionaire and gets good results with other fonncionaires.

And thank god, you speak French (because that seems to be a high priority for them right now).

Jennifer said...

la dolce vita,
You have gone through some bizarre shit with the sous-préfecture in Carcassonne! Even after having a French baby.
I'm just sick and tired of it. As I know anyone who has to deal with this feels, at one time or another.

Riana,
How about if you let me be married to your husband for a while. Just until I get this sorted out.
Please?
:)

wcs said...

XX <---- me, crossing my fingers and sending good vibes your way.

Jennifer said...

wcs
Thank you for the good vibes. I need them!

Marylène said...

En France chaque préfecture, et sous-préfecture, est un royaume en soi. Et le préfet, et sous-préfet, son seul maître à bord.
Cela explique, mais n'excuse pas, les différences de traitement que l'on retrouve d'un bout à l'autre du pays.
La lourdeur et l'opacité dela bureaucratie française ne sont malheureusement pas un mythe ! Imaginez en plus que vous ne lisiez pas bien le Français !
Il y a quelques années un grand vent d'espoir a soufflé dans nos chaumières quand une commission (une de plus) a été nommée pour voir comment on pouvait rendre lisible et compréhensible par le commun des mortels les différents courriers adminitratifs que nous recevons tous.
Ils allaient enfin changer le langage burocratique et hermatique !
Grave erreur !
Après quelques années, un nombre incalculable (et inconnu) de réunions et analyses, le tout payé sur l'argent public, la solution fut apportée :
cette commission nous a pondu, devinez quoi :
..... un dictionnaire.....
destiné à nous, administrés de base, qui ne parlons que le français public et non le français administratif.
Dictionnaire dont je n'ai jamais vu la moindre diffusion par ailleurs.
A quand des cours dans les écoles ? Mais vu la difficulté de cett langue, qui n'est qu'écrite, il faudra bien commencer à la Maternelle !
Ceci étant, à l'entrée aux USA aussi, les questions sur les finances pour l'obtention d'une carte de séjour ne sont pas tristes non plus.

Parisbreakfasts said...

A silly idea I'm throwing out here but who knows? Since David L. seems to get away with murder giving cookies and candies right and left. Couldn't you walk in with a box of freshly baked cookies when you deliver yr papers and insist they take them?
Does anyone ever bring them something to munch? The way = to everyone's heart...what do you have to lose except to leave a very nice aroma in a stuffy office!

Jennifer said...

marylène,
quand même, c'est difficile, mais j'y arriverai...
un jour

(j'espère)

parisbreakfasts,

Oh, I've taken in cookies and brownies!
The problem is that I have to do everything via our mayor's office, not the sous-préfecure in Béziers, where the papers are dealt with. The secretary here in the village is wonderful, and they've had lots of treats!

Yolanda said...

I was came across this post and must say 2 months expired and needing more papers is nothing, I'm on month 8 of expiration and need to make another appointment to submit more documents.

Jennifer said...

Yolanda
I can empathize... Hang in there!