France Immigration Services

Newland Chase offers full support with all aspects of corporate immigration to France. Please find an overview of the typical corporate immigration processes below. Every situation is unique, so please do get in touch, either through your usual Newland Chase contact or using the details on the right hand side of the page. Our immigration experts will be glad to discuss your needs in greater detail.

With offices in Paris, Newland Chase France provides corporations and individuals operating in France with complete support for all their immigration and visa needs – inbound to France and outbound to more than 190 countries around the world. Our full spectrum of services allows us to manage all of your business visa and employee immigration needs.

French immigration laws and procedures are complex and subject to frequent changes. With our consultative approach and diverse case management experience, we guide clients through the entire process, supporting companies and individuals each step of the way through all French immigration procedures.

Our team is multidisciplinary and combines a strong knowledge of French immigration, labor and social security laws and rules. Our detailed quality assurance measures, including specific communication protocols and verification procedures, allow us to offer highly developed expertise and customized immigration solutions in all immigration matters and all French jurisdictions.

  • France Immigration Management

    We provide support in all areas of French immigration for corporations and individuals – from short-term work authorization and temporary residency to long-term work authorization, permanent residency, and citizenship, including both company employees and accompanying family members. Our approach covers you from comprehensive guidance and pre-planning of new assignments and immigration options to completion of all in-country requirements to ongoing compliance monitoring.

    For up-to-date information on the most common work authorization routes in France, see Immigration Summary tab below.

  • Comprehensive Global Immigration Management

    For corporations and individuals located in France, we also provide support in all areas of immigration to more than 190 countries around the world. Our France team is part of the larger Newland Chase global team of 1,700+ expert immigration and visa professionals – specializing in everything from short-term work assignments and temporary residency to long-term work assignments, permanent residency, and citizenship throughout the world.

  • Business Traveler Management

    Business Visas are a key component of a globally mobile workforce – allowing individuals to enter France and other countries for non-work business activities. Business visas typically apply to business meetings, seminars, conferences, trade shows, limited sales activities, contract negotiations, and some supervisory activities. Newland Chase France offers comprehensive services for business travelers both inbound to France and outbound to more than 190 countries.

    Our services include everything from personalized assessment of the activities and destination for visa compliance to obtaining the proper visas to tracking of the number and length of stays of your business travelers for legal compliance.

  • Immigration Policy and Compliance

    Our France immigration experts offer an extensive suite of advisory services and immigration compliance strategies to ensure that your organization and employees remain compliant with all French immigration and visa requirements. Our services include strategic guidance on immigration plans, development and implementation of immigration policies, sponsor compliance, education and training, audit support (including mock audits), and immigration compliance technology solutions.

  • Consulting and Advisory Services

    Our France immigration experts act as trusted business advisors – supporting you in virtually any unique or complex immigration-related matter. Our France team is able to manage the scope of immigration in large-scale projects and employee moves, as well as guide you through the immigration complexities involved in corporate restructuring and mergers and acquisitions.

Immigration Summary

The ICT Salarié Detaché (EU Directive 2014/66) is for managers or specialists transferred within a group of companies to France for over 90 days up to three years, while remaining on home contract. The applicant must have been employed by the sending company for a minimum of six months.

ICT permits under Directive 2014/66 allow mobility within EU member states - i.e. work permission is not required for EU ICT permit holders to work in other member states for less than 90 days and a streamlined Mobile ICT permit application may be applicable if working in other member states for longer than 90 days.

The Passeport Talent - Salarié en Mission is for employees transferred within a group of companies and with a local contract in France for over 90 days. The duration of the residence permit will be in line with the French employment contract duration, up to four years and renewable. The applicant must have been employed by the sending company for a minimum of three months. For local contracts, the applicant must earn at least 1.8 times the minimum French legal monthly gross salary, and the same amount as a local staff member with the same educational background and performing the same duties.

The European Blue Card is an EU-wide (with some exceptions) immigration process for highly skilled employees with a local job offer in the destination country and a salary at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary for the specific job to be done. The Blue Card offers some concrete benefits to the applicant. The application is normally submitted at the relevant French consulate; however, it may also be possible for applicants already holding a different resident status within France to apply directly at the corresponding prefecture. The applicant must have a three-year graduate diploma or a minimum of five years' professional experience. The duration of the residence permit is aligned with the French employment contract duration, which must be at least 12 months. The residence card is granted for maximum four years and it can be extended for as long as the local work contract is valid.

The Local Hire (Salarié) process allows for the employment of a foreign national who will be locally hired in France with a contract of indefinite duration. Note that a labour market test must be carried out unless the position is on the Shortage Occupation List. After one year of residence and providing that the job title, employer company and salary amount has not decreased, the applicant may obtain a four-year residence permit with open right to work.

The Local Hire – Temporary Workers (Travailleurs Temporaires) process allows for the recruitment of a foreign national who will be locally hired in France for 12 months, renewable up to 18 months maximum. The applicant may change status in France to a long-term local hire (Salarié or Blue Card) provided that they fulfil the criteria.

The Foreign Service Providers (Détachés Hors Mobilité Intragroupe) process is for applicants employed by foreign companies on home contract and payroll, who provide a temporary service in France for over 90 days for a company in France on behalf of and under the authority of their employing company in their country of residence.

Short-Term Work (Up to 90 days) (Mobilité Intragroupe) is the standard process for short-term work of up to 90 days for intra-corporate transfers. Seniority of minimum three months within the home company is required. A work authorisation exemption may apply for audits and experts in information technology, management, finance, insurance, architecture and engineering, certain artistic and teaching activities, among other activities.

Short-Term (Up to 90 days) Foreign Service Providers (Détachés Hors Mobilité Intragroupe) is for applicants employed by foreign companies who provide a temporary service for up to 90 days in France for a company in France on behalf of and under the authority of their employing company in the country of residence. This route is expedited as there is no requirement for OFII (immigration office) approval, immigration medicals or a residence permit post-arrival. A work authorisation exemption may apply for audits and experts in information technology, management, finance, insurance, architecture and engineering.

The Van der Elst (Assignment from Within the EEA) process is for non-EEA nationals who are employed and contracted by a home entity in the EEA or Switzerland and sent on short-term assignment to France. A work permit is not required. For assignments over 90-days, an EU service provision residence card must be applied for at the local prefecture.

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals do not need a work or residence permit to take up employment in France. However, for assignees sent on secondment, a declaration should be submitted to the labour inspectorate prior to their arrival for the commencement of the assignment.

Our France team members are highly qualified and dedicated professionals with extensive experience in all aspects of France immigration. They come from the best of legal, consulting, in-house corporate and government backgrounds and bring a breadth of experience and insight both in immigration and a multitude of industry sectors. With a dedication to service and a consultative approach, our people act as your trusted advisors and partners in achieving your business goals in France.

Sergey Petrov

Senior Director, EMEA Immigration

London, United Kingdom

Cristina Bastea

Operations Director

Paris, France