# Q very specific to filing for citizenship, B1 test, titre de sejour renewal and timing of all such



## calin-m

Happy Holidays, everybody!

Disclaimer: my question may be way too specific for this forum, case in which I apologize in advance for the noise, and request a follow-up via private messaging, for someone "in the know".

Status: married for 10+ years, in the US, with a French born citizen. Moved together to France approx one year ago. Got a two year titre de sejour, to expire mid 2024. I am interested in filing for French nationality, but I am not sure how to "pace" the process, i.e. when should I start what, based on an approx duration, from start to finish (this is my Q!), so that I could sync it up with a TCF ANF B1 test I would need to take (which expires in two years) and titre de sejour renewal. For example - I hear about a min of three years of continuous French territory presence required, but not clear under which conditions. To complicate (or simplify) the matters, I also hold another EU citizenship, which - I've been told - may be beneficial, when it comes to addressing some qualifying criteria for French nationality (?!?)


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## Bevdeforges

TBH, the EU nationality doesn't do much for you at this point. To apply for French nationality by marriage, you need to have been married to your French spouse for at least 4 years, I think it is. Take a look here for all the requirements: French nationality by marriage

The timing is fairly straight forward: you submit your dossier (including your language certificate) and once the full dossier is accepted for processing, you wait. Usually for a good year or so. You need to be legally able to remain in France during the processing time - and to make yourself available for a couple of interviews with the prefecture and the gendarmerie. 

The timing you're asking about relates mainly to assembling all the necessary documents - including the "police report" from you country of origin, that language certificate, appropriately certified copies of birth, marriage and (if applicable) divorce records. 

In your case, assuming you are a US citizen, potential delays may be due to the need for the FBI "rap sheet" (which involves submitting your fingerprints on a very specific form), and if you haven't already, registering your marriage to a French person officially in the French spouse's French birth record. Meanwhile, just keep renewing that titre de séjour and stay patient while the (seemingly endless) processing happens.


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## ALKB

calin-m said:


> To complicate (or simplify) the matters, I also hold another EU citizenship, which - I've been told - may be beneficial, when it comes to addressing some qualifying criteria for French nationality (?!?)


If you have an EU citizenship, why did you get a titre de séjour? Did you conceal that citizenship ftom the French authorities?


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## BackinFrance

ALKB said:


> If you have an EU citizenship, why did you get a titre de séjour? Did you conceal that citizenship ftom the French authorities?


The OP entered France the correct way. For France if you are married to a French citizen you are supposed to enter France on a visa vie privée et familiale when moving permanently from a non EU country.


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## BackinFrance

It is usual to only get a 2 year TDS in the OP's situation. It needs to be renewed and should be renewed during the naturalisation process as opposed to relying on the EU nationality when it expires.


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## ALKB

BackinFrance said:


> The OP entered France the correct way. For France if you are married to a French citizen you are supposed to enter France on a visa vie privée et familiale when moving permanently from a non EU country.


That´s astonishing.

So, an EU citizen married to a French person moving from Italy to France does not have to do anything permis-wise, but the same EU citizen married to a French person moving from Australia has to get a permis de séjour like a non-EU citizen?


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