# Current visa processing delays - non-UK applicants



## nrlaurin

Does anyone know how long it is taking to get long-stay (1 year) visitor visas? I'm planning on applying for one from the US in October 2022 so that I can retire to France in January 2023 (I have arranged lodging for that first year in Brittany). It seems that UK visitor visas are seriously backed up probably due to Brexit issues (https://www.connexionfrance.com/Fre...il&utm_term=0_9b5fbe85b4-b32e9c2c57-360375786) but does anyone know if visa apps from other countries are also experiencing similar delays? I am desperately hoping that any pandemic backups will be resolved by then. I'm just asking for anyone's current experience with their applications from non-UK countries.


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## bhamham

I did it last summer in Aug. After the interview it was just over a week (8 or 9 days) that I had my passport back with visa. It took a bit of persistence to schedule the interview through VFS's system. I had to keep checking for an opening. I started the application process mid July, had my interview Aug 10 then visa shortly after. Could have travelled to France in Sep but waited until Oct.


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## bhamham

Forgot to mention that was at the Houston VFS office.


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## nrlaurin

bhamham said:


> Forgot to mention that was at the Houston VFS office.


Great news. Thanks.


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## GraceS

I've had long stay visas both pre-pandemic and this fall. Always received my visa less than two weeks after the interview. As Bhamham says, the trickiest part is scheduling the interview--both because the VFS website is not the most stable, and because lots of interview times are already booked up. My advice is to research well in advance the supporting documents you'll need to provide. That way, you'll be free to select an interview appointment that might pop open within days of your submitting your online application.


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## nrlaurin

GraceS said:


> I've had long stay visas both pre-pandemic and this fall. Always received my visa less than two weeks after the interview. As Bhamham says, the trickiest part is scheduling the interview--both because the VFS website is not the most stable, and because lots of interview times are already booked up. My advice is to research well in advance the supporting documents you'll need to provide. That way, you'll be free to select an interview appointment that might pop open within days of your submitting your online application.


Many thanks! I have fully researched (maybe over-researched, out of sheer paranoia) the filing requirements and will be completely ready when the time comes. I know I am saying this with over-confidence, given the difficulties some have with the process lol.. But my main concern was not being able to apply until 3 months before travel, and then not being able to get an interview quickly. It sounds like that hasnt been an issue for either you or bhamham so that is a relief for now.


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## Sneetch

I had a similar experience to others last June, I gave my paperwork in at VFS in San Francisco and had my passport back with the visa in 10 days. The experience with scrambling to get an appointment at VFS is something that I went through also. I waited till I was within the 3 month window before travel to look at the VFS website and then spent a lot of time constantly looking for appoints that were newly released (without any rhyme or reason I could figure out) or released by a cancellation. 


nrlaurin said:


> But my main concern was not being able to apply until 3 months before travel, and then not being able to get an interview quickly.


It appears that you are thinking the same way I thought, I only started looking at the VFS website when within the 3 month travel window. After my experience the thought occurred to me that it might be possible to look at the VFS website much earlier and then pick at date for the interview that is far enough in the future that it is within the 3 month travel window. After all, the rule is about the time between the VFS appointment and when you are leaving, not about when you book the appointment. That being said the way the VFS website is configured might not allow that, but it is certainly worth looking into and you could even try a "dry run" to test the idea and then cancel the appointment if you manage to book one.

Good luck getting the visa and moving to France !
The visa is actually only the first, and somewhat simplest, hurdle to getting established here  

If I was to do only two things differently they would be :

1) get a non-resident bank account before leaving - I wasted a lot of time walking around to different banks and being refused before I finally got an account at BNP-P, having a local account in my pocket when I hit the ground would have made things easier for me

2) schedule between three to six months in a short term rental with a local agency that handles that type of thing, I was in three different AirBnB's for the first ten weeks, it would have been less stressful if I had a more stable living situation from which to do my apartment hunt 
(I say this for others, you seem to have gotten your lodging squared away nicely  )


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## GraceS

Hi Sneetch--I'm not sure you can book a VFS interview way in advance. I tried looking at interview appointment times more than three months ahead of my departure, but to really get into the booking system, you had to input your application number, a number you're issued AFTER you submit the online application. And, of course, you can't submit that application more than three months before departure. Circular--but effective! 

Would be interested to know if anyone had a different experience.


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## Bennieman

nrlaurin said:


> Does anyone know how long it is taking to get long-stay (1 year) visitor visas? I'm planning on applying for one from the US in October 2022 so that I can retire to France in January 2023 (I have arranged lodging for that first year in Brittany). It seems that UK visitor visas are seriously backed up probably due to Brexit issues (French long-stay visa delays hit British second-home owners) but does anyone know if visa apps from other countries are also experiencing similar delays? I am desperately hoping that any pandemic backups will be resolved by then. I'm just asking for anyone's current experience with their applications from non-UK countries.


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## Bennieman

I applied for my long-stay visa in the Atlanta Ga office 3 weeks ago and I got my passport yesterday


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## andthushesaid

I am going through the same thing, so cheers and good luck! I would just add that I personally needed to renew my passport prior to both the application and appointment (because mine coincidentally was set to expire January 2023, and the passport needs to be valid well after the end of your first year's stay).

Also, if you contact your region's consulate, they should corroborate what these other forum members have experienced. I called mine in Chicago twice (just to be sure), and both representatives said definitively, "15 jours, Monsieur."


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## TomMM

Sneetch said:


> 1) get a non-resident bank account before leaving - I wasted a lot of time walking around to different banks and being refused before I finally got an account at BNP-P, having a local account in my pocket when I hit the ground would have made things easier for me
> 
> 2) schedule between three to six months in a short term rental with a local agency that handles that type of thing, I was in three different AirBnB's for the first ten weeks, it would have been less stressful if I had a more stable living situation from which to do my apartment hunt
> (I say this for others, you seem to have gotten your lodging squared away nicely  )


I've given up a getting a non-resident bank account before my move to Paris. I'll wait until I my permanent move to Paris.

Looking for apartments in Paris was quite an experience. Took some time but I was able to sign a 1 year lease through an agency.


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## bdelancy

I applied at the Washington DC office in late November and had my visa within 10 days. 

One bit of advice - the VFS schedule always seems a little optimistic and they often run well behind the actual appointment times. To minimize that problem, try to schedule an appointment for earlier in the day.


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