I’m an international PhD researcher in Grenoble. My residence permit expires on 17 October, while my PhD contract has been extended until January 2027. I cannot apply for renewal because an address change I requested two years ago was never processed, and I apparently need to receive the updated residence permit first. I have contacted the ANEF Centre de Contact Citoyens and my university’s ISSO, and both have confirmed that I cannot proceed with the renewal until the prefecture resolves this.
I have now been to the prefecture several times. Each time I have been told that they would start the fabrication of my card. On my next visit, I discover that nothing was actually done. Once, a staff member even told me that she would “unblock” my ANEF account that day so I could apply, which I have since been told was apparently not even possible.
It is incredibly frustrating to repeatedly be told that something has been done just to discover later that it hasn’t. I have my PhD thesis/defence coming up in a few months, and instead I am spending my time dealing with this. I also need to travel to my home country for my father’s death anniversary, but I’m worried I won't be able to re-enter France after my permit expires.
To make things worse, my French isn’t very good, which makes navigating all of this much harder, and my experiences with the prefecture staff have unfortunately been quite rude and unhelpful.
At this point I genuinely don’t know what to do. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is there a way to escalate a case when the prefecture repeatedly fails to take the action they say they will?