The Full Visa Process

Hello world!
      I understand that its been quite a long time since I've posted here, and I apologize for the inconsistency.  I have been rather busy trying to put the rest of this trip together, and there have been many new developments which I have been unable to post.  I can hardly think of where to begin, so I guess I'll just start with the most important, rather than the most exciting.

Getting My Visa

Words cannot express my frustration regarding getting my Visa.  I would outline the entire process here, but it would simply be exhausting and take up many lines of work, and would largely be a waste of time.  Instead, I will post important links that one would find useful in order to get through the process ALIVE. 

Okay, so I may be exaggerating just a bit here.  It is not THAT bad, but it's still quite an impressive amount of work.

Remember how in my last post I said you would need to use Campus France in order to even be able to set up an appointment with the French Consulate in order to study abroad?  Well start with this link, which will take you through the ENTIRE application process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kCR5M-Hv_g

Yes everyone, I do understand that this is YouTube, but I wouldn't have been able to figure out the form without it.  This women is indeed, THOROUGH, and possibly more helpful than any other person I have dealt with during this process. This will help you set up your PASTEL ACCOUNT and help you with your CAMPUS FRANCE FORM.

After this, send your money order for $70 to the address in Washington DC which can be found on the VISA website.  Voila!

Now, all you must do is wait to receive your Campus France MESSAGE in your PASTEL inbox.  It will tell you in the message that you are now ready to make your appointment with the Consulate which you have been assigned.  On the Visa Information I will explain below, it says to look in your conformation "e-mail."  WARNING:  THIS IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL.  

After this, things can become much more difficult.  Here is a direct link for students applying through Campus France, which explains in vivid detail what is needed at your consulate appointment.

http://www.consulfrance-boston.org/spip.php?article2293

Also, bring THREE MONTHS worth of BANK STATEMENTS.  Not just one.  I found that out the hard way, but we'll get to that later...

Also, make sure that you print the actual Campus France RECEIPT.  You can find this in the message entitled "Votre Quittance Est Disponible."  When you open this message, click one of the presented links, which will open up in a PDF FILE.  THIS IS YOUR RECEIPT.

Once you have received these documents, you are now ready to make your appointment with the Consulate.  If you go to your Consulate's Website, there should be a button on the top right hand corned which will allow you to switch your information to English.  Unless you're up for a challenge, CLICK IT.

Click the tab on the top which says VISAS FOR FRANCE.  From there, it's actually self explanatory.

MY APPOINTMENT:

Now, to put your minds at ease, I can tell you a little bit about my appointment.  First of all, I would like to tell you that in the end, it's NOT THAT BAD!  I took the train into Boston, and then was easily able to find the Consulate. 

My appointment went very well.  I was almost expecting to sit down with a panel of people sitting behind a mahogany table (similar to Gringott's in Harry Potter if you catch my drift).  It wasn't that bad.  It felt more like I was inside of a bank, and in the end, when I was missing a bank statement, they allowed me to fax the other two.  Really, in the end, it wasn't that bad.

Ironically, the most difficult part of managing this was navigating the trains with my girlfriend in Boston.  Go figure?  What can I say, though?  I live in the middle of nowhere, so living in a city for four months is going to be a big switch for me.