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Schengen visa for a housemaid

36

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 May 2012 - 10:02

Good morning, I was about to fill the application papers for our housemaid for a french visa.
In the guidelines, it is indicated that the maid should not be earning lower than the minimum wage in France which is around 1,400 Euros.
Obviously, our maid does not earn that much (not even close).
What do we do? Does anyone have an experience with this?
Do we just put her real salary and risk the visa rejection?
Or, we put the french minimum wage, even if it is not true?

Thanks for any help

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8

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 October 2014 - 01:30

Hi. I am bumping this old thread to check whether any one recently applied for the maids schengen visa through Germany but the point of entry is France? We are going for 8 days where 4 will be spent in France and the other 4 in Germany - we exit from Germany. The filing of the Cerfa is quite stressful. Can anyone confirm that this is done prior to her schedule with VFS for the visa application? How long does it take for them to approve? Do they ever deny an application? Thanks everyone.

93

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 19:58

Derien, thanks so much for this. It's really really helpful. Another question if you don't mind. Our maid is sponsored by my husband but I am processing her visa paperwork. Should the employer on the CERFA form be my husband or can I do it under my name? Thanks again for your help.

1575

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 15:37

Oh sorry just want to add that in order for your Maid not to raise any flags with URSSAF or Secu, you need to tick NON in the box "Detachement Securite Sociale" under Emploi

1575

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 15:30

Derien, would you mind sharing with me how you filled in your CERFA form? ie. did you say that her salary was 1365 Euros or did you split it between salary and "advantages en nature"? Also, will we need to pay URSSAF for her? Do you know how much? Thanks so much! Salaire : 1280 euros Hebergement : 400 euros Nourriture : 150 euros Duree hebdomadaire du travail : 37 heures :D All made up of course. No URSSAF payments needed as you are actually paying your maid cash in hand. The domestic employees that come into France from the Middle East under the CERFA forms are not even registered with URSSAF. Nor would any of us be spending enough time on the territory with our maids for it to become a red flag situation. I've been doing it for years and I've never had a "Facture URSSAF" to pay. It's all for grand posture! <em>edited by derien on 13/05/2013</em>

1097

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 14:59

Ah, looks like your maid is getting a long stay national visa then if they are giving her a 12 month multiple entry. With the normal Shengen visa for a housemaid, it's for a maximum of 90 days in any 6 month period.

93

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 13:26

Derien, would you mind sharing with me how you filled in your CERFA form? ie. did you say that her salary was 1365 Euros or did you split it between salary and "advantages en nature"? Also, will we need to pay URSSAF for her? Do you know how much? Thanks so much!

1575

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 11:25

I haven't applied since last summer but this was the rule back then. The french process is more complicated but if you do all the paperwoek properly, they alwys give you a 12 month multiple entry.

1097

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 10:55

Derien, unless things have changed in the past 12 months, that is not exactly true. You only apply via the French embassy if France is where you are spending most of your time. I know for sure because we have done it several times, flown into Paris but got our helper her Shengen visa from Switzerland which is where we spent most of our time. Also when calculating the salary, it's a gross salary you need to calculate, i.e. her monthly cash salary ..... plus, visa costs, holiday pay, flights home, accommodation, food allowance, insurance, bonus etc. It adds up pretty quickly and you will be surprised how it is not too far off the minimum required in France. I am not sure, but you should find out if the Euro 1400 is a gross or net French salary, if it's gross, than you need to work back by deducting the equivalent French tax and social welfare.

1575

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 10:39

If your first port of call is France, you will need to apply for the Schengen Visa through the French Consulate. I have done it a nuumber of times and I have lied about the salary. It has never been a problem as my maid can't read French HTH

1097

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 10:35

Actually, here is what I found online ".........If you are intending to visit just one Schengen country, you will need to apply for a visa with the embassy or the consulate of that particular country. If you are looking to visit several Schengen countries, you will need to apply for a visa with the embassy or the consulate of the country that is your main destination. If you are intending to visit several Schengen countries, but do not have a main destination, you will need to apply for a visa with the embassy or the consulate of the country where you will be entering the Schengen territory...."

1097

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 10:32

The first point of entry is irrelevant, you apply to the Shengen country where you are going to spend most of the time. So if most of the time is spent in Germany, you apply there with all the supporting documentation to support your application.

PowerPuffMom78212

247

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 09:46

Yes we did it that way for our visas, but it was a few years ago. When we did it last October we had to do it the French way because the first entry point was france. Its why I think the OP should contact the relevant authorities .....all she is getting here is conflicting advice. I can recall the shock of hearing about the work permit because it added to the waiting time and the consul official said to me its because your first entry point is France...any other country as the entry point and you wouldn't need the permit. Anyway, the answer surely is just at the other end of a phone call. Yes but it is not black and white. The rules is that you should obtain the visa from the forst port of entry mission, but in theory they do not check that.

1337

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 07:21

Yes we did it that way for our visas, but it was a few years ago. When we did it last October we had to do it the French way because the first entry point was france. Its why I think the OP should contact the relevant authorities .....all she is getting here is conflicting advice. I can recall the shock of hearing about the work permit because it added to the waiting time and the consul official said to me its because your first entry point is France...any other country as the entry point and you wouldn't need the permit. Anyway, the answer surely is just at the other end of a phone call.

PowerPuffMom78212

247

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 06:56

Yes we did it that way for our visas, but it was a few years ago.

1337

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 06:41

Why don't you just contact the French and German authorities and ask them. Just say you are trying to avoid the french process and see if there is a way. But just to add, the process is painless....just time consuming. Time that you really don't have right now - I know.

93

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 12 May 2013 - 21:05

Hello bumping this old thread. I would like to know if anyone else has applied for a Schengen visa through the German embassy even though the first port of entry into Europe was France. Trying to avoid the hassle of the French visa paperwork....

2

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 June 2012 - 14:09

Captain America, if you are not flying into Germany how did you do the Schengen visa for your housemaid through them. Our first point of entry is France, then off to Portugal and Spain. Spain Embassy has already told me they do not approve housemaids Visa. We will go to VFS global to do the visa for the family all through first point of entry France. So how do I do hers through Germany. Pleeeeeeese help.

CAPTAIN AMERICA...

1260

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 27 May 2012 - 19:55

The French visa is hard to do. We got our her visa from the German Consulate, and did not face those issues, even though the first port of entry was France.

123

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 May 2012 - 10:23

I don't know about the French visa but have applied for several other Schengen tourist visas for our housemaid and there I've written that we, the inviters, bear all costs related to her visit, together with a statement of our bank account and information about our address back home, so her salary has been irrelevant. I have also had to write a separate statement saying she's not coming to work (as she then would need a work permit and not a tourist visa) but to enjoy the holiday time together with the family. Maybe the requirements are slightly different from one country to the other but it might be worth calling the French Embassy to ask if there is any special formalities related to applying for a visa for the maid, as I think the embassies of most Schengen countries are dealing with this issue very regularly in this particular part of the world.

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