OFII Meeting for New Arrivals in France: Personal Experience about Medical Exam, Interview, Language Test and CIR

How the OFII Process unfolded?

1. First Stop: Entry Check. Walking into the OFII building felt a bit like airport security—papers out, ready for inspection!

At the entrance, they verified my invitation letter and passport. Then came the next checkpoint, where they checked names against their list and asked a few quick questions: How’s your French?. Have you completed any diplomas in French?. The waiting room had about 20 other candidates, and I couldn’t help but notice the mix of emotions—some looked nervous, others curious. The OFII officers started calling names one by one to confirm details.

2. Second Stop: The Briefing. Once everyone was settled, an officer outlined the day’s agenda:

• Signing the CIR (Contrat d’Intégration Républicaine), a contract that’s part of integrating into French society.
• A French language assessment—both written and oral.
• Scheduling the Civic Training sessions (more on this later).

3. Third Stop: The French Written Test. This part felt like being back in school. They handed out exam papers and gave us strict instructions: fill in your nom, prénom, and date, and wait for the signal to begin.

The test itself wasn’t too intimidating. We had 20 minutes to complete the following:

• A form to fill out with personal details like name, date of birth, and address.
• Two reading comprehension exercises with questions to answer.
• Writing responses to short, written dialogues.
• Drafting an email based on a given scenario.

Some questions were simple, while others made me scratch my head for a second. But overall, it was manageable.

4. Fourth Stop: The French Oral Test. Next, I sat down for the oral test. This felt more like a friendly conversation than an exam, which was a relief. The officer asked me basic questions like:

• What is your name?
• Where do you live?
• Where do you work?
• What is your educational background?
• What is your profession?
• How long have you been in France?
• What is your nationality?

I answered confidently, and it seemed to go smoothly. Honestly, it felt like they were more interested in getting to know me than grading my French.

Note from Prasanth: The written and oral tests are done only to evaluate your French language proficiency. Based on the evaluation, appropriate number of language class hours will be assigned. If you are evaluated to have A2 level, then the French language classes are not mandatory. 

5. Final Stop: Auditor Assessment. This was the last step of the day. The auditor reviewed everything and completed a form to wrap up the process. 

Here’s what happened: They checked the Salarie Visa stamp on my passport.
We discussed dates for the Civic Training sessions, which span three days (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), with a fourth day scheduled later. Once we settled on the dates, I got the schedule instantly via email and SMS. They asked if I had an SSN number, and I was glad to have my Carte Vitale on hand.

What I walked away with?. At the end of the visit, they handed me two important documents to use for visa renewal:

• The signed CIR (Contrat d’Intégration Républicaine).
• A detailed report titled “Votre Parcours d’Intégration Républicaine”.

Overall, the experience was structured but not overly formal. The staff were professional yet approachable, and everything moved along smoothly. Sure, there was a bit of waiting, but it gave me time to observe and mentally prepare. It feels good to have another step of the integration process ticked off the list!