Employed worker in France

Residence and work permits

If you wish to work as an employee in France, you must obtain a work permit by:

• first having a work contract that has been approved by the competent French labour department (DIRECCTE - Directions régionales des entreprises, de la concurrence, de la consommation, du travail et de l'emploi);
• then, obtaining a long-stay visa, an individual residence permit permitting employed activity.

Once the authorisation to work is granted, the temporary residence permit "employed worker" (for those with indefinite term contracts) or "temporary worker" (for those with fixed-term contracts or for seconded employees) will be issued.

The applicable fee for the temporary residence permit "temporary worker" is 19 EUR. The fee for the temporary residence permit "employed worker" is 269 EUR.

Jobs in 'high demand'

If the employment is in a geographic area experiencing difficulties in recruiting, and included in the list of shortage occupation fixed on a national level by the competent French authorities, the employment situation will not be invoked against you to refuse the issuance of the work permit.

Employers can recruit non-EU workers for vacancies for which companies have difficulty filling.

Bilateral agreements on concerted management of migratory flows modify the list of jobs that can be filled by nationals of the signatory country, once the agreement has entered into force e.g. Benin, Congo, Gabon, Senegal, Tunisia, etc.

Application for an employment authorisation

The employer in France applies for an employment authorisation to the competent DIRECCTE, which is the authority responsible for the foreign labour force. The DIRECCTE verifies:

• your professional qualifications and experience;
• that the proposed job is suitable given your qualifications and experience;
• that the proposed salary is at least equal to the minimum full time monthly gross wage equivalent to 1,521.22 EUR as of 1 January 2019.
• compliance with labour regulations and conditions (equal treatment and pay) by the employer;
• that there is a confirmed shortage of employees for this employment and that the employer has previously searched for a competent French/EU national candidate available on the French labour market.

The decision will be favourable if all criteria set out in the Labour Code are met.

DIRECCTE then transfers the file to the French Office for Immigration and Integration and the competent French consulate in your country of residence which will proceed to your admission to France.

If you present a threat to public order, your application will be rejected.

Visa and residence permit

You must apply for a long-stay visa at the French Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin.

The long-stay visa equivalent to the resident permit for permanent workers is issued for an indefinite term employment contract and exempts holders from having to apply for a residence permit during their first 12 months in France.

The long-stay visa for temporary workers is issued for a fixed-term employment contract valid for a period of between 3 and 12 months.

Within the first 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your long-stay visa equivalent to a resident permit online on the official dedicated website.

Non-compliance with this requirement may lead to your illegal stay in France.

If you want to stay in France for more than one year, you must apply for a residence permit at the prefecture in your place of residence two months before the expiration of your visa.

Under certain categories you can apply for a multiyear residence permit valid for a maximum of 4 years if you still fulfill the required conditions for the residence permit attached to your activity and prove your integration and respect the values of the Republic.

You may appeal the decision to refuse a visa before the Commission for Appeals Against French Entry Visa Refusals (Commission de recours contre les refus de visa d'entrée en France) within two months from the date of notification of the decision.

If the Commission rejects the appeal, or if, despite a positive decision of the Commission, the ministers confirm the visa is refused, you may appeal, within two months, to the Administrative Court of Nantes, which is the first instance for visa refusal litigation. A hierarchical appeal may also be brought before the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

More on appeals against visa refusals (in French)

Refusals of residence permits are subject to internal appeal to the prefect, hierarchical appeal before the Minister in charge of Immigration or administrative appeal before the competent administrative court within two months of the date of notification.

Further information on administrative and hierarchical appeals

More on visa application to France

More on long-stay visas equivalent to residence permits

More on settling in France

More on reception of foreign nationals to France: here and here

More on coming to France

More on working in France

Further information on tax due to the OFII

The “passport talent” residence permit allows the holder to exercise any professional activity related to their specified project or activity for which they have been issued their residence permit. For a salaried activity there is no need to apply for a work authorisation.

You must submit your application for a “passport talent” residence permit to the French Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin at the same time as your application for an entry visa or if you already live in France, before the préfecture competent for your place of residence.

The decision to grant a “passport talent” residence permit will be taken by the consular mission abroad or the préfecture which received the application.

Long-stay visa

You must apply for a long-stay visa at the French Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin, or if you already live in France, apply for the residence permit with the préfecture competent for your place of residence.

The decision to grant a “passport talent” visa/residence permit will be taken by the consular mission abroad or the préfecture which received the application.

List of required documents for a “passport talent” residence permit: depending on your project (highly qualified employee, innovative employer, young graduates, etc.) the list of documents may vary.

Your application will be rejected if you are deemed to represent a threat to public order.

The applicable fee for a passport talent is 269 EUR.

You may appeal the refusal of a visa before the Commission for Appeals Against French Entry Visa Refusals (Commission de recours contre les refus de visa d'entrée en France) within two months from the date of notification of the decision.

If the Commission rejects the appeal, or if, despite a positive decision by the Commission, the ministers confirm the visa is refused, you may appeal, within two months, to the Administrative Court of Nantes, which is the first instance for visa refusal litigation. A hierarchical appeal may also be brought before the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

More on appeals against visa refusals

Refusals of residence permits are subject to internal appeal to the prefect, hierarchical appeal before the Minister in charge of immigration or administrative appeal before the competent administrative court within two months of the date of notification.

Further information on administrative and hierarchical appeals

Further information on the “passport talent” residence permit

More on professional immigration in France

More information on the “passport talent” residence permit

More on visa application to France

More on settling in France

More on foreign workers

You can be joined by your family if you are a permanent employed worker under the conditions set out in the family reunification procedure (permanent residence in France of 18 months at least, regular financial resources, etc.). Your children under 18 are admitted onto the territory without a residence permit.

Temporary residence permits for temporary workers do not entitle to family reunification.

More on bringing your family to France

An EU long-term residence permit may be granted to you if you have legally and continuously resided on French territory for at least the last five years for the list of who is eligible for this residence permit [see Article L. 314-8 of the Code on Entry and Residence of Foreigners and Right of Asylum (Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile, CESEDA)].

Requirements:

• regular, sufficient and stable financial resources, at least equivalent to the full time monthly gross minimum wage (SMIC - Salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance);
• medical insurance;
• suitable accommodation.

Your integration to French society will be assessed in terms of your commitment to respect the principles governing the French Republic and your sufficient proficiency of the French language.

The EU long-term residence permit is valid for ten years, and is renewable.

The EU long-term residence permit gives access to employment and vocational training. It allows its holder to apply for the right to reside in another EU country under the facilitated procedure of Directive 2003/109/CE.

The permit will be refused for non-compliance with issuance conditions. It will also be refused for the following reasons:

• threat to public order;
• polygamy;
• conviction for abuse of a minor aged 15 years or younger.

Applications must be filed with the préfecture or sous-préfecture of your place of residence or at the police headquarters if you live in Paris.

As a long-term resident, you will have to sign a Republican Integration contract (Contrat d'intégration républicaine), if you have not already done so for a previously held residence permit. The contract is valid for one year. The OFII monitors the contract and checks that information and training requirements have been complied with (integration and language proficiency).

More on the EU long-term residence permit

A “family passport talent” residence permit is granted to family members so that they may join the holder of a “passport talent” residence permit. The “family passport talent” residence permit is issued for the same duration as the “passport talent” residence permit. The “family passport talent” residence permit and grants the right to work.

Your children under 18 are admitted onto the territory without a residence permit.