France rewrites work-permit rules: pay floors, faster decisions

Décret n° 2026-1001 du 26 octobre 2026Legifrance rewrites the residence and work-permit rules for foreign nationals authorised to work in FranceLegifrance. It amends the Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile and the Code du travailLegifrance: new pay floorsLegifrance for intra-group transferees and traineesLegifrance, a shorter qualifying stay for EU Blue Card mobilityLegifrance, a six-month job-search safety netLegifrance, a general 90-day decision deadline replacing the previous four-month ruleLegifranceLegifrance, and a new work-authorisation exemption for employees posted by a British employerLegifrance.

Intra-group assignments now carry an explicit salary condition. New Article R421-38 A conditions the “salarié détaché ICT” and “salarié détaché mobile ICT” cards on gross annual pay at least equal to the average gross annual salary set by order of the minister in charge of immigrationLegifrance; new Article R421-51 A imposes the same floor for the “stagiaire ICT” and “stagiaire mobile ICT” temporary cardsLegifrance. For highly qualified workers, the qualifying prior stay under a European Blue Card in another Member State falls from eighteen to twelve monthsLegifrance, or six months from the second intra-EU mobilityLegifrance. Where the contract runs for at least two years, the “talent - carte bleue européenne” card lasts as long as the contract, up to four yearsLegifrance; for a shorter contract it lasts at least the contract period plus three months, up to two yearsLegifrance.

Protection against job loss is strengthened. A carte de séjour temporaire portant the mention “travailleur temporaire” cannot be withdrawn because the holder involuntarily lost their job for up to three months in total during its validityLegifrance; a worker who finds a new employer in that time may stay while the new autorisation de travail is examinedLegifrance, and the period grows by three months for victims of working conditions covered by Articles 225-4-1, 225-13, 225-14 and 225-15-1 of the Code pénal. Where the préfet envisages refusing to renew or withdrawing a “talent - carte bleue européenne” card because the employer breached its legal obligations, new Article R421-24 A gives the holder six months from notification to find a new jobLegifrance, extended to match the end of acquired unemployment-insurance rights.

Under rewritten Article R432-2, the administration notifies its decision on a carte de séjour application in writing within ninety days of a complete fileLegifrance, extended by thirty days for files of particular complexityLegifrance, and silence at ninety days is an implied refusalLegifrance; the researcher sixty-day rule and the thirty-day mobility cases keep their own timetables. The same ninety-day written notification now applies across the ICT, trainee, student, job-search, jeune au pair and stagiaire categoriesLegifrance.

Employees posted to France by a British employer are exempt from the autorisation de travail under new 22° of Article R5221-2 of the Code du travailLegifrance: secondment under 1° of Article L. 1262-1 of up to twelve cumulative months to supply contractual services in sectors set by joint orderLegifrance, requiring one year's service with that employer before entryLegifrance, three years' sector experience, a degree or equivalent, and the qualifications the activity requires. The first renewal of a work authorisation can now be refused where the contract broke within six months of hiring rather than twelveLegifranceLegifrance, still save for involuntary unemployment and now also for a grave employer breachLegifrance. Renewal paperwork and the overseas provisions are adjusted accordingly.

Legal basis: Décret n° 2026-1001 du 26 octobre 2026 amending the Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile (Articles R. 421-4, R. 421-12, R. 421-21, R. 421-22, R. 421-24 A, R. 421-38 A, R. 421-51 A, R. 432-2 and R. 433-2) and the Code du travail (Articles R. 5221-2 and R. 5221-36).