To apply at the French consulate, you need to go to Paris, Fridays from 9 AM until 12 PM ONLY. (If applying in a different country, make sure to check this information well in advance.)

As the consulate is constantly very busy, I do advise to get there early if you are travelling to Paris. (We went there at 7 AM and were the first ones by just a few minutes. We still had to wait in line for another 2 hours but were assured to be seen that same morning.)

Do not risk having to wait another week or travel again because you arrived too late. After a certain time, depending on the number of people yet to be seen, the consulate can decide to close the doors to newcomers.

If you were born in France, you might not meet the American requirements concerning vaccinations. You might not have been given a specific vaccination or were administered the vaccination only once instead of the two times required.

Be carefull to make sure your vaccinations are satisfactorily up to date well in advance, as you might not be able to get several shots done at once and it might be necessary to wait 3 weeks in between shots. You will get a detailed list of which vaccinations you will need to have had according to your age.

You will need a record for each of the country you (the foreign spouse) have lived in for more than 12 months.

In my case, I needed to supply a British police record.

What you need to know: The UK does not issue Police records, as it is against their privacy laws. However they will issue you an equivalent if you ask for it at your local police station. This can take up to 40 days and usually takes at least a month. It costs 10 pounds and will be taken care of by a specific administrative department. You will receive it by mail.

Make sure you take of this first so you have it for your interview. It is quite different from the French police record that you can order online for free and get within 3 days!

If you are amongst those who were previously issued a United States visa, make sure that you will be able to get approved for a new application.

There is some fine print you will need to read carefully - such as the J1 visa for students and interns, which states that you might need to wait at least 2 years before applying again for a United States visa.

To my knowledge this was only concerning specific situations: visas sponsored by the home country (e.g., if you have student benfits or the like), but the issue was raised during my application so make sure you are within the requirements.

The infamous affidavit of support (or I-864) is a document that legally binds you with your spouse in a very strong manner: the American spouse declares financial liability for the sponsored spouse for the next ten years (even if you get divorced) or until the foreign spouse obtains American citizenship.

Also, if your spouse's income (or the both of your incomes combined) does not satisfy the American requirements for the I-864, make sure far ahead of time that someone else (usually a family member) will be willing and able to sponsor you.

In our case, we had both been full-time students in the previous years, and as such we ended up just a bit short of meeting the requirements. We were required to ask a family member to sponsor us, and while they were happy to help, it is still an awkward position to be in.

Even if you do get the Permanent Resident card (aka green card), following your successful application, be aware that if your marriage is less than 2 years old, you are still under the Conditional Status.

This conditional status can be cancelled after 24 months if your American sponsor (your spouse) applies for it. You must apply within 90 days before the 2nd anniversary of the issuance of your visa. (Not the Resident Card, but the visa: the issue date is stamped on your passport). This costs $205 (at time of writing).

If you spouse does not apply for the conditional status to be cancelled, you will not have any right to stay in the USA and will not be considered as a legal alien anymore. (Yes - you need to apply and pay $205 for a cancellation.)

Your medical exams will take place in 3 steps. Before planning anything, you will need to have received the letter stating when you will have your interview.

1. Take an appointment with an approved doctor (list is enclosed with the interview letter, as well as all information concerning which shots you will need). Your doctor will then direct you to a place for the blood test and the X-rays.

2. First visit to the doctor: bring all your paperwork (including the letter for the interview) and proof that you took care of the vaccinations required. The doctor will give you the necessary documents to go get the blood test and X-rays done.

3. Second visit to the doctor: The doctor checks the results and fills in the paperwork that the embassy requires for your visa application to be approuved.

I had to travel to Paris for this purpose only, so I had all the medical exams and the interview within 2 days. I would advise that you plan a little more time if possible, so that you do not get stressed if something goes slightly wrong.

When we filled in the paperwork, we were scared that the embassy would get confused, so we filled in everything with my married name. However, being very recently married, I still had my passport and other documents at my maiden name.

On the day of my interview in Paris, after I was approved for getting the green card, the officer strongly advised me to get the documents in order (with my married name on them) and send them the new passport for them to stamp. This is for a really simple reason: the stamp or visa in your passport is named after the name used in the application.

If you keep your old passport with your maiden name and have a visa in it with your married name, you are risking to have problems at the customs during future travel. So make it simple, choose a name, stick with it and try to get your paperwork done on time for the interview.

All the applicants listed on your green card application will need to be present during the interview at the embassy. This means that if your husband is sponsoring you and your 2 childrens, the 3 of you will need to attend the interview.

The sponsor (in this case your husband) does not need to be present during the interview. (However, he will need to be the one starting the process at the embassy at the beginning of the application.)

If you want to bring along your favorite pet, like your cat or dog, you will need to get a health certificate. Your can contact your airline or visit the US Customs website for more info on how to obtain this certificate. www.customs.gov