The French government has loosened the requirements for international workers to be eligible for EU Blue Cards. The French government has implemented five significant changes to draw and keep a highly qualified international labor force in the nation. According to Fragomen, the requirements for professional experience have been loosened, the length of the required employment contract has been shortened, and the regulations governing intra-EU mobility have been loosened.
For highly competent non-European Union people, the EU Blue Card is a work and resident permit in the EU. It makes it easier for people to enter the labor market and encourages their mobility within the Union by allowing them to live and work in an EU member state. Employers now have more options when it comes to permanently migrating talent to France thanks to the new, loosened regulations that let EU Blue Card holders migrate more easily from another EU Member State.
According to Fragomen, employers may now choose highly qualified applicants from a wider pool of applications, which is particularly important given France’s present labor shortages. It is anticipated that the ease with which holders of long-term residence permits may settle and work in France would increase the nation’s ability to retain talent.
Criteria for education have been withdrawn
To qualify for the French EU Blue requires either five years of relevant professional experience or a three-year higher education degree Card. However, even if they do not possess the necessary school credentials, candidates can now get a French EU Blue Card provided they have at least three years of relevant professional experience (earned within the last seven years). Only specific roles—to be specified in a subsequent Council of State decree—will have access to this avenue.
Duration of work contracts decreased
The former 12-month minimum for employment contracts has been reduced to six months. Highly qualified individuals are usually employed on long-term, permanent contracts. Employees will have more time to hunt for other employment if necessary because of the shorter lock-in period.
Mobility regulations within the EU are being relaxed
The latest regulations allow non-French EU Blue Card holders who have lived in another European Union Member nation for a minimum of 12 months access to France without requiring an additional visa. This right of admission was formerly limited to those who had lived in the other EU member state for 18 months. However, the foreign person must apply for a French EU Blue Card within a month after landing in France.
Moreover, they can visit France without needing a second visa after living in another European Union Member nation for six months, following a year in their first EU Member State. The closing date to apply for the French EU Blue Card remains one month from now.
Short-term contracts’ visa durations are raised
When the employment contract lasts under two years, EU Blue Cards are now valid for three months longer than the corresponding work contract, with a maximum validity of 24 months. Previously, the visa duration was limited to the length of the associated agreement.
As mentioned earlier, if the employment contract lasts two years or more, the validity of the EU Blue Card will align with the contract’s duration, capped at a maximum of four years years). The three-month extension will allow foreign workers to continue working in France while they take renewal measures or hunt for other employment.
Permit to reside in the European Union for a vast period of time
Holders of the EU Blue Card can now more easily achieve the five years of residency required for the 10-year EU Long-term Residence Permit. Rather than only counting the time spent on an EU Blue Card in other EU Member States, the five-year total also incorporates time spent on other types of residence permits as outlined in the French Code.
