What do Americans on a tourist visa to France get penalized with?
Nov 9th, 2013, 10:46 AM
#1
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What do Americans on a tourist visa to France get penalized with?
I'm an American citizen and I overstayed my tourist visa for almost 2 months. Do I have to pay a fine? Does the French immigration stamp my passport with a special stamp to ban me from France?or do I not get banned at all? I'm also married to a French citizen. I have no schengen visa just a tourist visa. But I have an appointment to get my french papers in January because we want to live in France and Im really scared to be banned. Please help!
Nov 9th, 2013, 10:53 AM
#2
brittanyc,
i don't think that a travel forum is the right place to be getting immigration advice, frankly. you need a lawyer who knows about french immigration law.
using my general knowledge and expertise as a UK family lawyer, it's not clear where you are now. that could be crucial - in the UK you generally have to be in the country legally or outside the UK to make applications like this, but french/Schengen law may be different.
you may find the following helpful [yes, i know it's wiki, but you have to start somewhere]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law
good luck!
i don't think that a travel forum is the right place to be getting immigration advice, frankly. you need a lawyer who knows about french immigration law.
using my general knowledge and expertise as a UK family lawyer, it's not clear where you are now. that could be crucial - in the UK you generally have to be in the country legally or outside the UK to make applications like this, but french/Schengen law may be different.
you may find the following helpful [yes, i know it's wiki, but you have to start somewhere]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law
good luck!
Nov 9th, 2013, 11:00 AM
#3
Why on earth do you have a visa? Americans have a visa exemption for 3 months.
This is not at all a guarantee, but Americans who overstay almost never get in trouble in France because their passports are almost never scanned, just glanced at. At least you have a (bad) excuse for overstaying if you are questioned -- that is better than no excuse at all.
This is not at all a guarantee, but Americans who overstay almost never get in trouble in France because their passports are almost never scanned, just glanced at. At least you have a (bad) excuse for overstaying if you are questioned -- that is better than no excuse at all.
Nov 9th, 2013, 11:09 AM
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What you need is a local immigration attorney (in France who knows all of the details of the local laws).
By overstaying your visa your issue is not just a potential fine if they find you. They may well just deport you on the spot. And it;s not like you're a tourist who is just going home.
You are trying to get papers to LIVE in France - so they will look at everything you have done since you arrived. And you may well have jeopardized your chance to stay in France long-term.
You need to get an attorney immediately - to help you figure out if there is a way out of this mess.
By overstaying your visa your issue is not just a potential fine if they find you. They may well just deport you on the spot. And it;s not like you're a tourist who is just going home.
You are trying to get papers to LIVE in France - so they will look at everything you have done since you arrived. And you may well have jeopardized your chance to stay in France long-term.
You need to get an attorney immediately - to help you figure out if there is a way out of this mess.
Nov 9th, 2013, 11:12 AM
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Sorry - but coming here for an answer on an issue as serious as this is an example of your incredibly fuzzy thinking.
This is a real legal issue - and you shouldn't be fooling around with this. It's not like ignoring a parking ticket. They may well refuse to let you you live in France at all - or ban you for a period of years.
This is a real legal issue - and you shouldn't be fooling around with this. It's not like ignoring a parking ticket. They may well refuse to let you you live in France at all - or ban you for a period of years.
Nov 9th, 2013, 12:19 PM
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I don't think France even has something called a tourist visa, they have short-term visas (and Americans don't need one) and long term visas for stays over 90 days. The reason for that can be for a "visitor", which is when the visit is for non-professional reasons, I suspect that is what the OP has. They don't have any visas for those who intend to marry French citizens any more, so this must be a long term visitor visa. http://www.consulfrance-washington.o...php?article401
I don't know what they do, but I know in the US, you can get expelled from the country for overstaying your visa and be banned from returning for several years at least, because I know a Danish guy who did that and that's what happened to him.
I don't know what they do, but I know in the US, you can get expelled from the country for overstaying your visa and be banned from returning for several years at least, because I know a Danish guy who did that and that's what happened to him.
Nov 9th, 2013, 12:38 PM
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Nov 9th, 2013, 04:34 PM
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Brief summary: It's a crime. You can be arrested and/or fined. You may go to prison. You can be deported. You can be denied entry into the country in future.
It's a complicated site, with lots of links to other information, but the general message is that, if discovered, this could be a real pain to deal with. Probably not so much if you're married to a French person, but still...
It's a complicated site, with lots of links to other information, but the general message is that, if discovered, this could be a real pain to deal with. Probably not so much if you're married to a French person, but still...
Nov 9th, 2013, 05:12 PM
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It turns out that the OP has decided to drop out of Fodors. I must admit that the combined postings by the OP sounded questionable.
Got married in France, to a Frenchman, but can't have him pursue the issue of her extended stay with the authorities?
No mention of in-laws who would have wanted to meet the other parents?
The husband must be held by the hand to go through U.S. immigration--did she rob the cradle?
Surprise the parents with an unexpected husband? and a decision to move to France?
Was all this for real?
Got married in France, to a Frenchman, but can't have him pursue the issue of her extended stay with the authorities?
No mention of in-laws who would have wanted to meet the other parents?
The husband must be held by the hand to go through U.S. immigration--did she rob the cradle?
Surprise the parents with an unexpected husband? and a decision to move to France?
Was all this for real?
Nov 10th, 2013, 08:40 AM
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The naivity of people when it comes to immigration issues no longer surprises me.
There is a tv series called 'Border Security' which shows real life events involving people entering Canada. I believe there is also an Australian version.
If you watch a few episodes you'll quickly see how incredibly naive/stupid some people are. It doesn't matter which country it is, the laws are pretty much the same everywhere.
https://www.google.ca/#q=border+security+tv+epidsods
In this case, the OP has definitely compromised her chances of ever being given legal residency in France.
There is a tv series called 'Border Security' which shows real life events involving people entering Canada. I believe there is also an Australian version.
If you watch a few episodes you'll quickly see how incredibly naive/stupid some people are. It doesn't matter which country it is, the laws are pretty much the same everywhere.
https://www.google.ca/#q=border+security+tv+epidsods
In this case, the OP has definitely compromised her chances of ever being given legal residency in France.
Nov 10th, 2013, 08:53 AM
#18
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A few months ago on the Rick Steves' web site someone reported being fine 500E for being one day over and came extremely close missing her return flight because of the "paper work." She thought 90 days meant three months. Someone else reported being a couple of weeks over and being banned for a year but no mention of a fine. It may depend greatly on the mood of the immigration office at the time.
Technically the 90 day Schengen visa is a true visa but doesn't involve any paper work since it is automatic for citizens of certain countries.
If her story is real, then she potentially has some serious problems that are not going to be solved on this site.
Technically the 90 day Schengen visa is a true visa but doesn't involve any paper work since it is automatic for citizens of certain countries.
If her story is real, then she potentially has some serious problems that are not going to be solved on this site.
Nov 10th, 2013, 11:08 PM
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Cathies, no need to ask StCirq for a translation of the link — all you have to do is paste the URL into Bing or Google Translate and you get this: http://translate.google.com/translat...ej.htm&act=url
