Nationality update *Updated*

Last September when I submitted my naturalization application, the woman at the Préfecture told me I should get a response in 8-9 months. My application was more than complete, so there weren't supposed to be any delays.

Fast-foward to June, and I hadn't received anything. July, still nothing. When I went on vacation mid-July I finally called the Préfecture to ask if there was a problem or a missing document, and the woman said I actually shouldn't expect anything before one year from my submission date.

September 16th came and passed, and still nothing. Then about September 20th I received in the mail a document from the Service Central d'Etat Civil in Nantes asking me to verify the information to be used to create my French birth certificate. I needed to provide a copy of the declaration of naturalization received from the Préfecture. Except I hadn't received that paper (and I still haven't...). A copy of the récipissé from the day of submission was accepted too, so I signed the form and mailed everything back around October 10th.

Yesterday in the mail I got two copies of my French birth certificate. So I guess it's official??

I am rather disappointed that it was so anti-climactic. I never got a letter saying "Féliciations! Votre demande de naturalisation a été validé et vous êtes française maintenant." I just got a form to date and sign and mail back (though very French if you think about it).

I have an appointment next week at Toulouse city hall to request my CNI and French passport.

I was at a wedding a few weeks ago and chatted with an Australian woman who was naturalized 2-3 years ago and she said she got an invitation to a ceremony at the Préfecture at which date they gave her a number of documents, including her French birth certificate, but at that time they didn't pre-verify the details and she had to get the Service Central to correct the birth dates of her parents on her birth certificate.

The irony in the whole thing is that the naturalization is retroactive to last year (Sept 2013), which means that I had French nationality last March-April during the civil servant application period and was eligible for category B positions.

So that's the end of my naturalization story for now. If I get an invitation to a ceremony at the Préfecture I'll be sure to write a post about it.

********Update********
I made an appointment at the Mairie for my carte d'identité and passport, got pictures, bought the timbres fiscaux, and brought everything I thought I needed.

I left work early, waited for my appointment, was about halfway through the processing when someone realized I didn't have my decret de naturalisation from the Préfecture (apparently given at the ceremony).

No dice for the carte d'identité and passport.

I looked up a few details and I'm not really positive about getting my documents any time soon.

Service-publique.fr says "L'invitation à la cérémonie vous parvient dans un délai de 6 mois à compter de l’acquisition de la nationalité." Which of course we all know means they can do the ceremony twice a year and catch everyone. In the local newspaper there was an article about the Minister of Defense participating in the last ceremony, which was in July. Since my naturalization was published in the JO on August 6th, that means the next one will probably be in January...

On the Yapiladi forum someone said you can request the documents early, but then don't get invited to the ceremony. I'll see if that works.