French work permits can now be obtained through an online portal

France has made the work permit application process easier. The government of France has decided to launch an online service for work permits for all non-EU citizens who want to work in France. The online application process is greatly convenient.

Work permits are required for temporary and permanent work contracts for all persons who do not have a passport from an EU or Schengen zone country. “The préfectures remain responsible for issuing residence permits to the foreign employees concerned.” Employers can access the new platform here from April 6th, 2021.

The track will become in practice on April 6, 2021. Under France’s employment regulations, employers who want to appoint non-European Union citizens, including Brits, must apply for a work permit or else known as “autorisation de travail” for specific job fields.

Explaining the declaration of the online pathway, in a press release, the Interior Ministry said that a new era has begun in the modernization of foreign nationals.“Applications will be examined by six inter-regional platforms created when this task was transferred to the Ministry of the Interior as part of the reform of the regional organization of the State. A seventh national platform is dedicated to processing applications for seasonal workers. The préfectures remain responsible for issuing residence permits to the foreign employees concerned,” the Ministry’s press release reads.

People who have citizenship from EU or Schengen Zone nations do not need to get a work permit in order to seek employment in France.

The application procedure is no more complicated now. With the new improvements, the work permit application process is easy and more understandable. 

Candidates need to get the work permit of France either for permanent or temporary employment. Furthermore following are the people who will need to get a work permit:

• seasonal workers
• students who want to work in France during their studies

If an individual has more than one employer, each employer is required to apply for a separate work permit. However, the waiver terms of the permit include the following groups of people:

• Doing a job at cultural, scientific or sport event
• Working at an exhibition or seminar
• Modeling
• Performing and broadcasting cinematographic and audio-visual works, for example, concerts
• People who are associated with domestic and personal services, doing jobs during their private employers stay in the country
• Providing their skills in management, finance, IT, insurance, architecture, and engineering, following a service agreement
• Teaching projects

In addition, by April 7, international students studying in France will be able to submit digital copies of their supporting documents required to complete their visa application online. This facility will only be accessible to long-term student visa applicants.

One important note is that visa waiver nationals will also have to apply for the work permit. Nationals of many countries including the UK do not need a visa if they are working in the EU for less than 90 days in every 180 – you will still need a work permit if you don’t qualify for one of the exempt sectors listed above.

The salary depends on the skills sets of the candidates/employees. The French government revises the minimum wage each year. In 2020, it rose to €10.15 an hour from 10.03 in 2019 (with an overall average of €39,099 annually).

Benefits of applying online

There are many benefits to applying online such as:

• Applying online can save you valuable time
• You can complete your application in a few simple steps
• Every step will be saved and at any stage, unless you revise and edit it
• Submit your application
• Your details will be saved, making it easier to apply for vacancies nearby in the future
• Your previous job applications will be saved for your reference
• A much faster processing
• More convenient than walk-ins
• Securing and saving your application and information
• Storage, organization and access to Digital Information
• Digital tools remove barriers to application
• You will need your documents a laptop/mobile and a valid internet connection

Some in demand jobs in France

• Electrical and electronic draftsmen (Dessinateurs en electricité et en électronique)
• Qualified heat and surface treatment technicians (Agents qualifies de traitement thermique et de surface)
• Vehicle mechanics and electricians (Mecaniciens et electroniciens de véhicules)
• Domestic workers and cleaners (Aides à domicile et aides ménagères)
• Vets (Vétérinaires)
• Carpenters (Charpentiers)
• Roofers (Couvreurs)
• Regulators (Régleurs)
• Surveyors (Géomètres)
• Panel beaters (Carrossiers automobiles)
• STEM professionals (science, technology, engineering, and math)
• electricians
• medical professionals
• construction workers
• surveyors
• ICT professionals

Immigration rules changes for more work permit ease

France has been working on easing its immigration system especially for the work permit stream. Many changes have been identified in the new immigration plan for economic immigration announced at the end of 2019 where it has been decided to implement an Australian and Canadian based immigration system which means France hiring based on its needs.

On the other hand, the French industries feel the necessity for foreign workers. The government also wants to accept foreign workers but just for concrete places and sectors in the industries where the workers need is the most critical. The Prime Minister also signaled a quota system for such sectors such as economic immigration.  The minister of labor, Muriel Penicaud gave an explanation on Tuesday for the BFMTV that the certain idea is about owning quantified quotas and targets. It has not yet decided on the exact quota system for the shortage occupation list.

It is being said after the government clarified it that new caps on economic migration, which accounted for only 33,000 of the 255,956 residence permits awarded in 2018, “will not be restrictive”.

The employers back then in 2019 were required to justify why they cannot hire a French citizen through a complex administrative process for their set aside posts for foreign workers. Due to this hurdle, France could only recruit 33,000 international professionals and skilled workers. However the same will not remain true, the new quota-based list of professionals will allow employers to recruit without having to justify why they could not hire a French citizen. The catering objects and companies like hotels, restaurants or some sectors for retail have often complained about fewer workers in this industry with people ready to work for a low salary. On the other hand, the IT and technology engineering sectors are not receiving enough professional workers and this industry needs people from non-EU countries.

Major companies in France

• AXA
• BNP Paribas
• Carrefour
• Credit Agricole
• EDF
• L’Oreal
• Michelin
• Orange
• Peugeot
• Renault
• Societe Generale
• Total

Job portals for France

Official Portals

• Pôle Emploi (France’s national employment agency for skilled jobs)
• APEC (national agency for managerial jobs)
• Expatica jobs page
• EURES (European Union’s official jobs portal)

Website portals

• The Local – English-language jobs
• ABG – scientific/medical jobs
• Indeed France
• Keljob
• Recrut
• Stratégies Emploi – marketing, communications, and PR jobs
• Cadremploi – managerial jobs
• L’Agriculture Recrute – agricultural and viticultural jobs
• Emplois Verts – green jobs
• IAPA (International Au Pair Organization) – a list of French agencies for au pair jobs
• Les Jeudis
• L’Etudiant – students and young graduates
• L’Hôtellerie Restauration – restaurants and hotel jobs
• Monster

Other job portals

• Jobs in Paris
• Momji (teaching and childcare jobs)
• Option Carriere
• Jobted
• Trovit
• Prism Emploi.
•  Pages Jaunes
•  British Council and CIEP (teaching jobs)