The residence permit for job seekers/entrepreneurs: a step forward for foreign students graduating in France

Since 1 March 2019, the temporary residence permit " job seekers or business creation" has replaced the temporary 12-month non-renewable residence permit issued to graduate students. The " job seekers or business creation " residence permit is mainly intended for students and researchers who have recently graduated or are at the end of their studies and who wish to look for a job in France or create a company.

This residence permit complies with Article 25 of Directive 2016/801/EU of 11 May 2016 ("student-researchers" Directive), which requires that a researcher or student be allowed to remain in the country for the purpose of seeking employment or setting up a business for a minimum period of nine months, and requires a specific residence permit.

Objectives of the "Job seekers/business creation" residence permit

The temporary residence permit for job seekers or business creation gives graduate students in France the opportunity to stay for a period of 12 months to:

- Complete their training with a first professional experience

- Create a company in a field corresponding to their training.

Access conditions:

According to article L313-8 of the CESEDA the conditions to be met are :

- To be a foreigner: to be a national of a country that is not a member of the European Union

- To be a graduate in France: to hold a diploma from a French institution such as a professional licence, a Specialised Master's degree, a Master of Science or another diploma at least equivalent to the Master's degree.

In addition, foreigners who have left France after obtaining a diploma in France may benefit from the temporary residence permit "Job seekers/business creation" within a maximum period of four years from the date of obtaining the diploma in France.

- To be regularized: To have been a holder of a temporary or multi-year residence permit marked "student" or "researcher" and to have completed his research work.

- Proof of health insurance

The conditions for the first professional experience

Within the framework of the professional activity found, the student will have to justify a remuneration higher than a threshold fixed by decree and adjusted, if necessary, according to the level of diploma concerned (art. L. 313-8 of the CESEDA). This threshold is set at 1.5 times the amount of the minimum monthly remuneration (art. D. 5221-21-1 of the Labour Code).

After obtaining this card

Once the one-year time limit has expired, it is possible to apply for a residence permit if the foreigner has found a job:

Amount of salary	Residence permit
From €2,281.82 gross monthly and employment related to your training	- Temporary residence permit for employees or temporary workers - or multi-year residence permit talent passport - researcher - or multi-year residence permit talent passport - artistic and cultural profession
From 36 509,20 € gross per year	- Multi-year residence permit talent passport - qualified employee - or multi-year residence permit talent passport - innovative company
From 53 836,50 € gross per year	- Multi-annual residence permit talent passport - European Blue Card

or create a company:

It will be possible to apply for either an entrepreneurial/freelance temporary residence permit,

or a multi-year residence permit talent passport - business creation.

Exceptions

Other rules apply for Europeans or Algerians.

For foreigners from a country that has concluded a bilateral agreement on migration flows with France, it is possible to apply for a provisional residence permit (APS) for a first professional experience.

Provisional residence permits are issued in different ways depending on the agreements:

Duration condition:

- 6 months renewable once: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Tunisia, Lebanon;

- 9 months: Cape Verde, Congo;

- 9 months, renewable once: Gabon;

- 12 months: Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia.

Diploma requirements:

- Diploma at least equivalent to the master's degree obtained in a French institution: Cape Verde, Congo;

- Diploma at least equivalent to the master's degree obtained in a French institution or in the country of origin within the framework of a convention for the award of diplomas in international partnership: Lebanon;

- Professional degree or diploma at least equivalent to the master's degree obtained in a French institution: Benin, Gabon;

- Professional degree or diploma at least equivalent to the master's degree obtained in a French institution or in an institution in the country of origin as part of an agreement to award diplomas in international partnership: Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Tunisia, the Balkans.