We are in the middle of a visa renewal right now that included a trip to the regional prefecture, armed with new documentation and ... the trusty file-folder above. Originals and copies of just about every important piece of data ... we treat it with such tender-loving care, we call it our fourth child.
Living in France requires an initial visa process that is so brutal, I'm convinced it's meant to weed out the people who don't want it enough. Before they will even begin consider your general worthiness, you have to jump through so many hoops, fill out so many papers, go to so many appointments, wait in so many lines, and pay so many fees ... a good measure of people bail before they've begun. I totally understand why they might.
And even once you get here, the saga continues.
It appears the children's renewed documentation is ready for pick up. Yea. Ours, however, is supposed to be ready on the 13th of August. We move south on the 12th. After several stilted conversations later, we seem to be permitted to come in on the 11th. And this will be good ... as long as we actually get our carte des sejours at this time. We've heard stories of getting a temporary piece of paper instead and still having to wait for the real deal. And without the real deal ... we can't leave the country -which we have plans to- and we have to come back to pick up the les cartes when they are ready ... except that we will have relocated 8 hours away.
This stuff makes me so batty. But I am trying to remind myself ... one more opportunity to see God's hand of provision at work.
Know the feeling?
Your fourth child is beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteHa! Spoken like a woman who understands in full! :)
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