Solution to Catch 22 Proof of Investment Situation?

It appears that the business plan review portion of my application for passeport talent creation d’enterprise was finally approved by DIRECCTE after sitting with them for more than 5 months.

Now that the file is back in the prefecture’s hands, I have run into a final problem I need to resolve which I am hoping that you can help me with. I realize it’s more visa specific than business but what I am asking is what french administration would consider as proof of an investment.

One of the requirements for this card is that you have to invest at least 30 000 euros into the project. The prefecture is now asking by email for this although when I did my application preparation I learned that it was not possible to do this without first having the change of status first, which I brought up at the prefecture at my first appointment. It’s frustrating to hear this new request because at my appointment I was told that yes this was a catch 22 situation and that what I had provided was sufficient. The issue is that I cannot create the company (or manage it) without first having the passeport talent so I can’t show that I’ve invested the 30 000 into the company. This was frustrating to learn and I only learned of it after I went through all the other steps (domicile, business bank account, company articles, etc). I included proof that I have liquid assets in France and abroad that far exceed the required investment (BNP certified my French balances plus other foreign accounts), provided an explanation of why this was a catch 22 situation and a letter from the business startup company to that effect, included a promise to invest the 30 000 as soon as the visa was approved.

Any idea what the prefecture might accept as ‘proof of investment’? I will ask them but the response time is very slow (2+ weeks) and is only by email for this specific visa at my prefecture, not phone, and I cannot go into the prefecture to ask as I am travelling. I want to provide them something in response to their emailed request for proof of investment that they will probably accept so that they will issue the carte de sejour and I can move on with my life.

I suppose I could do part of the first step in the process and deposit the money through the caisse des dépôts or a notary but I am hesitant to do this because I was told by banks (the other option for this) during the application stage, that I could not do the deposit step because I could not create the company and also because this will just lead to the investment being stuck with the notary or the caisse des dépôts until the company can be formed. It might also not be accepted since it’s not an investment but rather something along the lines of blocked funds.