Long-stay visitor visa for France, What reason to put?

Hi everyone,

I’m a non-EU national finishing my studies in Italy, and I’m planning to apply for a French long-stay visitor visa (visa de long séjour “visiteur”). I’ll be staying with my boyfriend’s family in France, but I’m a bit stuck on how to present it correctly for the application.

Here’s my situation: • I can be officially hosted either by my boyfriend(he works, but his salary is not very high), • or by his parents, who own the house and have stable finances. • I’ll have the attestation d’accueil from his parents since they own the property.

My two main questions: 1. In the visa application, what’s the best “reason for stay” to put? (Cultural/language study, family hosting, etc. I want to avoid giving the wrong impression.) 2. From people’s experience, is it usually stronger to be hosted by the parents (homeowners, stable income) or the boyfriend (younger, working, but lower salary)?

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s applied for a similar visa, what worked for you, and what the consulate cared about most in your file.

Thanks so much