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A foreigner who is not a European citizen can ask to work in France, in particular by obtaining a salaried residence permit. How to put all the chances on his side to see his request to the prefecture succeed?
Les démarches à accomplir
Le titre de séjour salarié permet à un étranger qui n’est pas membre de l’Union européenne de travailler en France. Cette demande se fait à la préfecture. Elle correspond à une admission exceptionnelle au séjour en qualité de salarié. Celle-ci n’est pas automatique, même si l’étranger remplit l’ensemble des critères demandés, et fera l’objet d’un examen au cas par cas. D’autres titres de séjours sont aussi possibles pour exercer une activité salariée. Un avocat ou des associations comme le GISTI (Groupe d’information et de soutien des immigrés) ou la Cimade peuvent vous renseigner.
Have a seniority on the territory
In principle, it is necessary to have 5 years of seniority on the French territory to apply for a salaried residence permit. The administration can however agree to study the request, even if the seniority is less than 5 years. It must be proven that the stay in France is habitual and continuous. Evidence can be, for example, invoices, medical documents or account statements. During these 5 years, to be able to validate the seniority criterion, it is important not to have stayed in another foreign country.
Choose a job in demand
It is strongly advised to choose a job “in tension”, that is to say a job for which it is difficult to find staff: IT specialist, merchandiser, surveyor… These jobs are defined by the government in a list which can be consulted on the legifrance website: www.legifrance.gouv.fr. During the request, the administration will check that the profession proposed by the foreigner is included in this list.
Be sufficiently qualified for the job
The qualification must be related to the requested job. You have to give proof of your expertise by providing certain documents: diplomas, work certificates, recommendations from your employers, etc. All of these documents must be gathered when applying to the prefecture.
Obtain documents from the employer
It is essential to obtain a certain number of documents from the employer. The employer must provide you with an employment contract which will attest to your future presence in the company. It is also necessary to prove the existence of the company by providing in particular the statutes of the company. The complete list of documents to be requested from the employer is communicated by the prefecture. As it is sometimes difficult to obtain these documents from your employer, it is preferable to be assisted by a lawyer.
DAMY law firm, Nice, Work in France for foreigners, Update 2022
