redirect by petite anglaise

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22.04.2005 11:36 ammisc

Would you think it terribly rude if I sent you here again today?

Feel free to post any comments here at the mother ship - they may subsequently find their way onto the expatica site.

22 comments

Oh Petite veut devenir française! Fantastique.
Mais ce n’est plus 1 an après le mariage, c’est 3 ans en pouvant faire la requête après 2 ans. Avec un enfant, c’est réduit � 2 ans en tout.

Bonne chance Petite, la France est fière de vous ;-D

Zorglub | 12:34 pm
But you’d have to change your name to “petite franglaise”!

witho | 1:53 pm
yikes! I hadn’t thought of that witho…

petite | 2:53 pm
“A nous les petites franglaises”?? no, it wouldn’t sound right
I don’t think it’s that difficult to become French. Before Pasqua passed a law stating you need to have been married for 2 years before getting citizenship, the delay used to be 1 year only.
I’m not sure but I think that if you’ve been living and working in France for at least 5 years you can apply for it as well, without even getting married. And you get advantages if your kid is French.

Still, there’s a law about to be passed (or is it passed already?) that will constrain every applier to take a test about French language, civics and history (just like in the US).

But I’m sure this wouldn’t slow you down one second.

shellorz | 2:59 pm
I dunno, I’m not sure I really would want to give up having been on the winning side in the napoleonic wars. There’s something iconic about Wellington and Waterloo.

Did you hear that for the entente cordiale visit to Windsor the Chiracs were to watch Les Miserables in the Waterloo room? The name was hurriedly changed to “the music room.”

EasyJetsetter | 5:35 pm
I always wondered what Benoît corresponded to in English, but given the circumflex all I could think of was “Benoist.”

G’luck on your Frenchifying.

srah | 6:26 pm
I was surprised how not-threatened I was by the integration, language and rights&duties part of the nationality interview. I was expecting to be asked about Decartes philosophies, about which cheese is my favorite and why, and about the etyomology of some obscure word. But nope! The lady who interviewed me was very kind. She asked me if I watched French TV, listened to French radio or had French friends. That was the hardest part! We casually talked about the different places in France that I had visited and which place was my favorite (and why).

delaïdo | 2:42 am
I will totally check it out! THanks!

mrsmogul | 8:58 am
I have the same problem (been here for 13 years but still can’t vote), except that I don’t have the marriage issue as an excuse for not taking French nationality (been married to Mrs Iain for 10 years). Now I love France and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else - with the possible exception of Lansdowne Street - but French nationality? Just can’t do it, I’m afraid - my poor old English brain starts to melt down at the very thought of it!

So I suffer my lack of a vote in embarrassed silence…

Iain | 11:09 am
Just wanted to welcome you to the webring (Creme de la Creme)

My blog is The Mad Ramblings of T.S Ellis. I look forward to reading your blog and talking to you.

T x

turboslut | 1:56 pm
I think the other reason why they call the Pope Benoit in France is that the name Bendict is a girls name?

Andy | 2:42 pm
Bénédicte with an e is a girl’s name - subtle difference…
Just like Laurence (female equivalent of Laurent) is a French girl’s name

I imagine it’s Benedetto in Italy?

witho | 3:31 pm
What a pretty nice blog I found here!

You know, I’m fond of British people. I’m French and since I was a child, I’ve been really willing to become a British citizen, so what about swapping our nationalities?

I can’t believe there are people who want to become French

Julien | 5:45 pm
Taking on another nationality is serious business - or not. I did it for purely practical reasons because it a) gave me the right to vote here in the good ol’ US of A (and the British gov’t has made it pretty much impossible for me even to get an absentee ballot) and b) our lawyer told me that there are actually limits on what a non-US citizen can inherit from a citizen - even if they’re your spouse! I wonder if French inheritance law is similar? Maybe that would convince Mr Frog to propose?

Have to admit, I can’t understand not wanting to get married to the mother of your child if you’re living with her quite happily anyway, but I can certainly sympathize with all the bureaucracy you’ll have to deal with (either way) to get that citizenship document!

Susan | 3:29 am
So really, Petite, you’re seriously considering becoming a Frog… I feel quite flattered somehow!

Some good news for you: Delays for naturalisation have recently improved, to 18 months on average(French administration actually becoming faster… hard to believe, isn’t it?). If you apply now, you might even have the privilege of voting for the next presidential election.

Indeed, you will need to pass a test to demonstrate how much you know about the French constitution, bill of rights etc. My bet is that a majority of French-born people would be unable to pass. Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about a reading list: A hot-off-the-press “http://www.lemonde.fr/web/imprimer_element/0,40-0@2-3226,50-637679,0.html “>Guide des droits et devoirs du citoyen français” will be yours when you apply.

Useful place to find all kinds of procedures, required documents etc

ontario frog | 3:34 am
Si, witho. It’s Benedetto.

I always did wonder what Benoît was in English. There was a guy in the NBA from Louisiana named Benoit Benjamin, pronounced “Benoyt.”

DDJ | 4:58 am
I am mid-way (hopefully) in obtaining my French nationality. And this after having been married to a Frenchman for 11 years, having two children AND living in Paris for three years. Let me tell you this-about every six months some part of the law and the process changes. I am quite certain that having a child that is half French is a huge boon in getting your nationality, without getting married. As for the culture and language classes, as of August 2004, “they” require you take a one day class on the system and government. The class is free, and they give you lunch! “They” test your language skills, and if it is determined that you need to improve your ability to speak French, that course is free as well. However the options of where and when to go to said class are limited (but that little detail just changed in January of 2005, there a few more schools now). To begin the process, you must go to the Prefecture de Police at Cite. Anywhere else may not give you the most current info. They are nice and fairly efficient! Good Luck.

Alisa | 10:12 am
I am looking at relinquishing me french nationality for …… a british one. Fancy a swap.

Zed

Zed0 | 3:47 pm
I hope you don’t mind, what you said in the Expatica article got me thinking, so I referenced YOU and IT in my blog today. Thank you for what you wrote.

sammy | 12:04 pm
not at all Sammy - I read it, and corrected my oversight in not having put you on the roll yet

petite | 1:21 pm
Aw you’re a sweetie petite! Thanks for the link.

sammy | 1:44 pm
Petite,
It will be a long road of bureaucracy hell, you know it, but it’s probably worth it.
I am waiting for my NZ citizenship (after 2 years of efforts including queuing several times at 5 am at the doors of the Immigration Office in winter until midday or 2 pm, medical and police exams, an 8 hour English test, and around 3000 euros of miscellaneous fees) and the day I’ll receive it, I’ll feel very proud (and deserving for god sake). On top of it I’m quite excited at having 2 passports. It’s like having a double identity I can play with
As for voting I believe it’s unfair that residents in France cannot vote. I have the right to vote for all elections in NZ as a resident.

PS Can Mr Frog list the reasons why not to get married? Because all romantic issues apart, the why’s seem to outweight the ‘why not’ by far in your situation! Plan B could bring us succulent posts though…

Maurine au bout du monde | 3:05 am