# Visa for stepchild



## Leonie88 (Apr 29, 2021)

Good day, I hope everyone is well!

I have a desperate question. My husband is French and I am South African. My daughter (not his biological child) and I applied for our family reunion visas. I received mine within 4 days. They now tell me that she cannot get a family reunion visa - child of foreign spouse married to French national - she can only get a 1 year visitor long stay visa. Why is this and what other process can I follow to get her to travel with me to France? She is already registered at a school in Paris to write her IGCSE exams.

Please, if someone knows about the easiest and fadtest way to get her to join me I appreciate it.


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## BackinFrance (Nov 26, 2020)

Leonie88 said:


> Good day, I hope everyone is well!
> 
> I have a desperate question. My husband is French and I am South African. My daughter (not his biological child) and I applied for our family reunion visas. I received mine within 4 days. They now tell me that she cannot get a family reunion visa - child of foreign spouse married to French national - she can only get a 1 year visitor long stay visa. Why is this and what other process can I follow to get her to travel with me to France? She is already registered at a school in Paris to write her IGCSE exams.
> 
> Please, if someone knows about the easiest and fadtest way to get her to join me I appreciate it.


Is your spouse able to adopt your daughter? If so start the adoption process and go for the visitor visa in the meantime.

In any case, if the one year visa is renewable, I see no reason for concern.


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## Leonie88 (Apr 29, 2021)

BackinFrance said:


> Is your spouse able to adopt your daughter? If so start the adoption process and go for the visitor visa in the meantime.
> 
> In any case, if the one year visa is renewable, I see no reason for concern.


He is able and willing to adopt her. Guess I will have to wait and see, because the Consulate said to me that if they don't approve her visa I must go alone and start some process at OFII for her to join us.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

It might have something to do with the "family reunification" visa you applied for. While you're eligible for a "spouse visa" to join your spouse, your French husband isn't "family" to your daughter (technically, anyhow) and so her "family reunion" visa depends on your ability to sponsor her on your own. 

Go for the one year "visitor" visa. It shouldn't interfere with her ability to attend school, and then you can work through OFII (who are generally easier to work with than the folks who issue the visas) to see what needs to be done for your daughter to either change status, or for you to qualify to sponsor her "family reunification" visa.


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