# New to this Forum! New to Paris! New to Interegration processes at OFII. Au secours!



## rara_ricepuddin

Hello everyone
I found this forum on Reddit and was told its best to ask my questions here! and boy do I have *A LOT *of *Questions! So, sorry in advance & please bear with me here!*

_I am sorry that I have so many questions but all this is very overwhelming and it doesn't help that my husband doesn't know anything about this as he doesn't know anyone that has gone through something similar. I am juggling with job search, wedding planning (in Jan 2023) & learning French at home and it is really stressing me out. I hope someone can guide me through this. I would really appreciate it! Thank You again! _

I arrived in Paris from Singapore in Jan 2022 and my visa is VLS-TS vie privée et familiale. Thankfully my husband's organization assisted me with my visa.

I have my 'welcome visit' where I'll have to take a French test (i think) & sign le Contrat d'intégration républicaine (CIR) in _94000 Créteil _next week!
I was asked to bring the following:

Cette convocation (the appointment letter)
Mon passeport ou titre de séjour
Vaccination & chest x-rays - which they mentioned in the email that wasn't mandatory!
I also have another meeting a month later at _92120 Montrogue_ for a medical examination, hopefully, everything goes well there.

So here are my Questions:

The email doesn't mention this but *should I bring along my address proof & the timbres fiscaux* (which was paid when my visa was validated online)
Many people recommend* reaching half an hour early for the appointment, is it true for both meetings?*
*Is the French proficiency test really difficult!?* I have completed my A1 but I wouldn't say I am great at French, esp. not conversationally!
Unrelated to OFII but my passport doesn't have enough pages left. Thanks to the error of the French Embassy in Singapore, two pages of my passport were ruined! I only have one full page left- *Will the OFII place the sticker on that page?*
I have to go back to my home country in January 2023, I will have to renew my passport as well as my visa to get my _Carte de Séjour Pluriannuelle_, *Can I somehow 'transfer' my visa to the new passport, do I have to go to OFII, or do I have to hold onto both passports when I am traveling? *
I don't know how carte de Sejour works and if it mentions my old passport number, etc.



Thank You so much in advance & again sorry for the number of Questions!
Hope y'all have a great day!


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## Bevdeforges

I'm not so sure that you'll have to take an actual test. They are only looking for A1 level anyhow (to exempt yourself from the compulsory French classes the OFII puts you through as part of the contrat d'integration process. (You'll have plenty of opportunity to attend classes and various meetings as it is, so getting out of the OFII classes is definitely desireable.) The A1 level is pretty basic - introduce yourself and know some basic vocabulary. But it's not a "grammar" test by any means.

Actually, I don't think the OFII uses a sticker anymore - they really do just validate your visa in your passport, so if your visa is still legible in the passport you're good to go.

That first titre de séjour is your validated visa in your passport. What you may want to do is renew your passport reasonably in advance and then use the new passport when doing your renewal (when you will get an actual carte/card de séjour). But you may wind up having to have both passports with you if the timing isn't quite right. I'm told they won't transfer a visa from one passport to the next any more - but you're far from the first person to run into this. Just play the various expiration dates carefully when the time comes. (Normally you can't apply to renew your carte de séjour until 2 months before you old one expires - and that applies to changing status, too.) But it's also a question you can ask at your initial OFII meeting. (Ask in French and it's a step toward exempting out of the mandatory French classes. <g>)


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## Xyz789

Hi, my OFII appointment in 2022 was not in Paris but:

- due to COVID we were not allowed into the building much in advance - there was a sign on the door. You may need to wait a bit if you arrive early, if Paris has the same process 

- I didn't need to show the visa validation letter but you could bring it

- my language assessment was some comprehension exercises (read a couple of short texts and answer multiple choice questions) and a couple of short written exercises. It didn't take very long. If your French is above A1 you will still get some help from OFII - I received a language dispensation from OFII but they offered to pay for DELF/TEF as part of the contrat d'intégration process.


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## Xyz789

Also 

- OFII does not give you a physical sticker in your passport.

- I don't believe OFII has anything to do with your actual visa/titre de séjour apart from the language assessment/medical exam/formation civique etc. You could queue at the local prefecture to ask questions. My understanding from my prefecture is that after this VLS-TS you will get a 1 year card, and it is only after that (and with proof that you have met the additional requirements) that you get the multi year card.


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## rara_ricepuddin

Bevdeforges said:


> I'm not so sure that you'll have to take an actual test. They are only looking for A1 level anyhow (to exempt yourself from the compulsory French classes the OFII puts you through as part of the contrat integration process. (You'll have plenty of opportunities to attend classes and various meetings as it is, so getting out of the OFII classes is definitely desireable.) The A1 level is pretty basic - introduce yourself and know some basic vocabulary. But it's not a "grammar" test by any means.
> 
> Actually, I don't think the OFII uses a sticker anymore - they really do just validate your visa in your passport, so if your visa is still legible in the passport you're good to go.
> 
> That first titre de séjour is your validated visa in your passport. What you may want to do is renew your passport reasonably in advance and then use the new passport when doing your renewal (when you will get an actual carte/card de séjour). But you may wind up having to have both passports with you if the timing isn't quite right. I'm told they won't transfer a visa from one passport to the next any more - but you're far from the first person to run into this. Just play the various expiration dates carefully when the time comes. (Normally you can't apply to renew your carte de séjour until 2 months before you old one expires - and that applies to changing status, too.) But it's also a question you can ask at your initial OFII meeting. (Ask in French and it's a step toward exempting out of the mandatory French classes. <g>)


Thank You so much for your response!
I am so glad its not a grammar test because that's something I am WORST at!

I think depends on the prefecture as I saw two articles mentioning the OFII asked them to book an appointment for renewing CdS 4-5 months before. I will have to see what timeline they give me. 

I do plan to ask my Questions during my OFII meeting when I get a chance! I hope they help me out on the passport renewal issue!


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## rara_ricepuddin

Thank You all for the replies! I am done with my OFII & Medical Appointment and it thankfully went smoothly.


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## bdelancy

rara_ricepuddin said:


> Thank You all for the replies! I am done with my OFII & Medical Appointment and it thankfully went smoothly.


I have my first OFII appointment on Tuesday. Anything you can share about yours would be very helpful.


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## rara_ricepuddin

bdelancy said:


> I have my first OFII appointment on Tuesday. Anything you can share about yours would be very helpful.


Do you have it at DT Creteil!?

The process takes a long time ---my appointment was at 1 and I got out of there at 4.30 so bring some snacks - there are coffee vending machines though. 

Try to stay close to the door in the queuing area which is shaded. People were standing precariously and with no qualm about social distancing. Although I was standing a little outside of the queuing area... I was able to be the first few in line. People who came earlier than I were just standing outside or far away and came too late in the queue. And some who were inside the queuing area were just sitting on the metal bars, protecting themselves from the cold, and had a later appointment - so it seems that is first come first serve --- As you enter you are given a ticket with a number in it and you are called accordingly.

Wearing Mask is mandatory & so is social distancing so when I entered, all the seats in front of the teller window' from where your number is called out to verify documents were taken due to the limited seats. I sat down at the back but close enough to hear them out. 

Try to be seated near or in front of a 'teller window' where someone is sitting. There will be calling you from there so watch out as the woman speaks very softly and also call out the number in french (so revise your numbers in french or google translate and be ready to hear your number, as a guy who didn't speak ANY FRENCH missed it and he was told to come at the very end)

Brush up on your French of course as there is a test -- To write an email, fill out a form, read an advertisement, etc.

You'll meet with someone twice. Once after the written test, where they'll take your oral test as they ask you questions and then assess if you'll be needing free French lessons. 
The second time you meet someone make sure to ask all the doubts you have as they will be happy to help you!


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## bdelancy

Thanks!


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