France has introduced new immigration rules letting eligible foreign workers who lose their jobs remain in the country while they look for new employment, instead of facing an immediate review of their residence status. According to a report by The Economic Times, the changes affect temporary workers, EU Blue Card holders and other categories of foreign employees legally residing in France, as part of the country’s implementation of the revised EU Blue Card and Single Permit Directives.
Foreign nationals holding Temporary Worker residence permits who become unemployed now have three months to secure another job without losing their residence status; previously, their permits could be withdrawn once employment ended. Workers who find a new employer within that window can stay in France but must obtain fresh work authorisation.
EU Blue Card holders get a longer six-month grace period, and unlike temporary workers, those who secure another job will not need fresh work authorisation. The rules also apply to the EU Blue Card’s mobility track: foreign nationals who have held a Blue Card issued by another EU member state for at least 12 months can now move to France for employment, down from the previous 18-month requirement. For contracts under two years, Blue Cards will be issued for the contract length plus three months, up to a two-year cap.
Separately, France has cut the standard processing time for most complete residence permit applications from four months to 90 days, with a possible 30-day extension for complex cases. Applications with no decision within 90 days will generally be considered implicitly refused, compared with the previous four-month window.
The reforms come as France says it may need up to 310,000 foreign workers annually by 2040 to address labour shortages linked to an ageing population, and follow similar moves by other European countries, including Luxembourg’s higher 2027 work-permit salary thresholds.
References
Nairametrics – France Introduces New Immigration Rules for Foreign Workers Who Lose Their Jobs
