So le Jumeau and le Frère and I set out for our arduous trek to Houston on July 18. We arrived just in time to see the Galleria, eat dinner, review our forms and pass out. The only problem was that while le Jumeau and I were reviewing our forms, he had a letter from his health insurance provider, and I did not. (Merde!)
Turns out, just like the English version of the CampusFrance website is a big, steaming pile of ish, the English list of documents required to obtain a long-stay student visa on the Houston consulate's website leaves out some important tidbits of information (talk about à completer).
Each region's consulate demands different documents, and the list probably changes de temps en temps, but here is the latest version of Houston's, complete and in English because I love you, my hypothetical pre-exchange reader:
*valid passport with at least 2 blank pages left. Make copies. You might not see it again for a little while.
*1 long stay application form (a cakewalk after CampusFrance)
*1 OFII form
*1 recent passport-sized photo (head and shoulders) - I'm told you should go ahead and get a bunch of these made because we'll need more when we get there.
*letter of admission or pre-admission (?) to your French university - show it to them, but give the consulate a copy. We might need this at customs.
*letter from your American university to prove you are currently registered
*proof of sufficient funds - either a bank statement demonstrating that you can provide yourself with 430 euros a month, or a notarized statement from you parents saying that they promise to send you that much. Remember to check exchange rates to see if your bank account really can provide you with that much before you present it to the workers at the consulate (more on them in a moment).
*a prepaid Express Mail envelope. Fill out your information and sign it if you don't want to have to sign for it.
*a letter from your health insurance provider stating that you will be covered in France.
•Your CampusFrance proof of payment and completion of the application, just in case.
*visa appointment receipt, again, just in case
*about $11 cash, credit, or money order. Yes, another fee.
*If you aren't an American citizen you also need proof of your status in the U.S.
For more details about proof of sufficient funds and links to the OFII and application forms, here's the URL: http://www.consulfrance-houston.org/spip.php?article1068
If possible, meet with one of the older French ladies who work there. Be nice, throw in your best French phrases, and they'll probably overlook it if you don't have your health insurance letter. Everyone I know who has spoken to the older ladies nicely has gotten away with little faults in their paperwork. The girl I spoke to seemed determined not to let me in. She was American.
A highlight of our trip to Houston (big gray skyscrapers in a big gray sky) were the sales at the Galleria, which is just down the street from the consulate. I got this darling petite robe noir for 50% off at Benetton: (picture soon)
