At the beginning of 2024, a law called “Controlling Immigration, Improving Integration” came into force in France. Among other things, this law provides for the introduction of a new residence permit reserved for workers in occupations classified as “under pressure” (métier sous tension in French). Despite much controversy, the new residence permit is designed to address the severe labor shortage in certain sectors, often involving low wages. Generally speaking, it represents good news for undocumented migrants living in France, as it opens up a new avenue for regularizing their administrative situation.
What is a “job under pressure” residence permit?
The first thing you need to know about the “live-in professions” residence permit is that it falls into the category of exceptional residence permits. This means that it is only issued to people without a valid residence permit who meet certain conditions. It is therefore in addition to other forms of exceptional admission to residence, such as for reasons of private and family life, salaried employment/self-employment, etc. That said, just like the latter, the “live-in professions” residence permit is not a right. It is therefore subject to the discretion of the prefect, who takes into account several parameters, such as integration into French society. Although this integration is almost subjective, it can be demonstrated by attaching certain documents to the application for regularization (see Admission requirements).
It should also be noted that the residence permit for “occupations under pressure” can be issued on two different grounds:
- Employees in under pressurejobs.
- Temporary employee in an under pressure job.
The essential criterion for determining which of the two the claimant can receive depends essentially on the duration and nature of his or her employment contract. For example, a butcher’s job position is continuous, with no termination date, while a construction worker’s contract is limited to the duration of the project on which he or she is employed. In both cases, the residence permit issued entitles the holder to a 12-month permit, which can be renewed on expiry.
Advantages of the “job under pressure” residence permit.
According to initial official estimates, some 10,000 people will be regularized each year under this law. Foreigners who have been admitted under this law are now legally resident, and can change their status depending on their situation: family life, salaried employee, Algerian… and so on. They can even apply for a 10-year residence permit, provided they meet the conditions in force at the time of application.
The other advantage of this law is that the récépissé issued following application for exceptional admission to residence for “job under pressure” already authorizes the applicant to work legally, without having to wait for the permit to be issued. This is on
condition that the application file is already complete at the time of submission. What’s more, there is no need to submit a CERFA form, which means you can bypass your employer for the regularization procedure.
The maximum processing time for applications has been set at 90 days. This ensures a more rapid response than with other types of residence permit application, which is perfectly suited to the urgent nature of the problem that the residence permit for jobs under pressure is designed to address. The government has also invited prefects to include Moroccans, Tunisians and Algerians within the scope of this exceptional residence permit, even if the latter are governed by a special immigration regime (e.g. 1968 Franco-Algerian agreements).
List of jobs under pressure
The burden of classifying a trade as being under tension or not lies with the French administration. This means that applicants can never claim that their job is under pressure by providing material evidence in their application. The exhaustive list of trades under pressure is published on the official Légifrance website. This list is constantly updated according to the needs of the job market. It should also be noted that the classification of a profession as being under pressure may differ from one region to another. Applicants for regularization by this means must therefore make sure that their occupation is indeed under pressure in the same region where they work, and intend to submit their application for exceptional admission to residence. By way of example, here are a few occupations that are in high demand in certain French regions with a strong non-EU foreign presence:
Ile-de-France (Paris)
- Butchers
- Charcutiers, traiteurs
- Sheet metal workers, locksmiths
- Nurses
- Skilled mechanical and electrical workers
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes(Lyon)
- Paramedical professionals
- Charcutiers
- Carpenters (wood)
- Sheet metal workers, locksmiths
- Maîtres d’hôtel
- Market gardeners
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Bordeaux)
- Employed farmers
- Butchers
- Charcutiers, traiteurs
- Roofers
- Bricklayers
- Pipe fitters
Hauts-de-France (Lille)
- Employed farmers
- Orderlies
- Butchers
- Truck drivers
- Intermediate sales occupations
The full list of jobs in shortage is available at : Légifrance – métiers sous tension.
Condition for admission by “job under pressure” residence permit.
As an exceptional admission to a residence permit, regularization on the grounds of working in a job under pressure follows the same criteria as for the Valls 2012 circular, with the addition of a few conditions. For example, you need to prove that you have accumulated 12 pay slips (non-mandatory successive months) over the last 24 months, in addition to proving 3 years of continuous presence on French territory. This last condition is proved by providing at least one proof per quarter (3 months), although the applicant must aim to provide 2 proofs per month of presence. Acceptable proofs are, for example : medical certificates provided by public institutions, or money withdrawal/deposit activities on a checking account or a Livret A.
Applicants must also prove their integration into French society. This requires, first and foremost, the presentation of a clean criminal record. It is also imperative to prove mastery of the French language by providing the results of a language test given by an accredited organization.
It is also advisable to prove your respect for republican values by providing, for example, testimonial letters from people of French nationality in your entourage, such as neighbors or your boss. To this can be added proof of associative or voluntary activities, or even donations to noble and preferably apolitical causes (WWF, Doctors Without Borders… etc.).
It should be noted, however, that students and seasonal workers are excluded from this scheme, and are under no circumstances eligible for a “job under pressure” residence permit.
Documents to provide for “job under pressure” regularization
The documents to be provided in the application for exceptional admission to stay “job under pressure” are :
- Birth certificate in French.
- Copy of passport: 1st page + pages with visa or entry stamp.
- Proof of address such as a utility bill (EDF, water, Internet box, etc.)
- 03 passport photos.
- Medical certificate issued by OFII.
- Declaration on honor of non-polygamy if the applicant is married and from a country where polygamy is permitted.
- Proof of residence in France for the last 3 years.
- Pay slips, bank statements, bank transfers, work certificates, France Travail (ex-Pôle emploi) certificates, income tax statements.
- Certificate of identity concordance issued by your employer if proof of work is in another person’s name.
- Proof of integration into French society.
- Any other proof of family life or personal attachments in France.
Refusal of residence permits trades under pressure
It should be noted that the administrative departments within the prefectures that are responsible for examining exceptional admission files for jobs in tension have been asked to be more lenient towards applicants. For example, if the applicant provides evidence that would enable him or her to be regularized on another of the grounds provided for in the Valls circular, he or she will still receive a residence permit corresponding to the ground that best suits his or her situation, even if his or her admission for “occupations in tension” is refused. That said, any refusal will most likely be accompanied by an OQTF, which the foreign national can contest within the allotted timeframe.
