To ensure that the document is valid and that you are complying with the law, send a copy of both sides of the document to the prefecture at least 2 business days before the start date.
To do so, fill out the application form on the Pre-Hire Verification of Residency Status page of the contactdemarches.interieur.gouv.fr website or, for employers in the Ardèche region, send an email to pref-employeurs@ardeche.gouv.fr, attaching a copy of both sides of the candidate’s residence permit.

Hiring a foreign worker without a work permit is a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of €30,000. This penalty is increased to ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of €200,000 when the offense is committed by an organized criminal group (Art. L. 8256-2 of the Labor Code). Fines are imposed for each foreign national involved.

A residence permit always has a validity period. When a foreign employee holds a residence permit that is about to expire, they must apply for renewal to extend their right to stay and continue working. The application must be submitted online via the digital administration portal for foreigners in France between 120 and 60 days before the permit expires. If the employee cannot find the permit they wish to renew on the ANEF website, they must make an appointment at the prefecture to submit their application.

To make an appointment at the Ardèche Prefecture, visit the website rdv-prefecture.interieur.gouv.fr.

When your employee’s previous residence permit expires, they will be issued a certificate of extended study (online application) or a receipt for a residence permit application (prefecture application), which will be renewed until a decision is made.

If the previously held permit allowed the employee to engage in professional activity, this activity may continue for the duration of the certificate’s validity. Otherwise, details regarding the establishment or continuation of the right to work are noted on the certificate of extension of proceedings or the receipt for the residence permit application.

For more information, visit the page Anticipating the renewal of your employee’s residence permit.

If the foreign national has signed a Republican Integration Contract, they have taken a French language test (oral and written) administered by the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII). Depending on their score, they may be eligible for tailored language training aimed at achieving level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

This training can be supplemented.
You can contact France Travail or your Opco for assistance. For employers in the Ardèche, find a detailed list of French language learning programs on the page “Useful contacts for employers.”

This general term encompasses refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection:

Refugees
This status is granted by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Ofpra) or the National Court of Asylum (CNDA), in accordance with the 1951 Geneva Convention. It applies to individuals who are persecuted in their home country (for political, religious, ethnic, or other reasons). Refugees hold a residence permit authorizing them to work in France.

Beneficiaries of Subsidiary Protection
This protection is granted by OFPRA to individuals who do not meet the criteria for refugee status but who face:

• The death penalty
• Torture
• Serious threats related to an armed conflict

Beneficiaries of international protection hold a four-year multi-year residence permit or a residence card authorizing them to work in France.

This status is granted in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons (for example, the war in Ukraine in 2022). It is activated by a decision of the Council of the European Union. Recipients of temporary protection are granted a temporary residence permit that allows them to work in France. 

An asylum seeker is a person who has filed an asylum application with the prefecture, the OFII, and the OFPRA and is awaiting a decision. The individual holds an asylum seeker certificate (without the right to work) that allows them to remain in France until a decision is made by the OFPRA or the CNDA. If OFPRA has not ruled on the application within 6 months of its submission, the individual may work. In this case, the employer must apply for a work permit.

This status is granted to foreign nationals who are married to a French citizen or are the parent of a French child residing in France. It entitles the holder to a residence permit allowing them to work freely in France, without restrictions on employer or sector.

This status applies to foreign nationals coming to work in France for a limited period, under a fixed-term contract or a specific assignment. It allows the holder to work only in the professional activity specified in the work authorization, and for the designated employer.

Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA), the Swiss Confederation, Andorra, Monaco, and Saint Martin have the right to work freely in France: they do not need to apply for a work permit and are not required to hold a residence permit (Art. L.231-1 and R.221-1 of the Ceseda). They must have a valid form of identification.

EEA countries: Germans, Austrians, Belgians, Bulgarians, Cypriots, Croatians, Danes, Spaniards, Estonians, Finns, Greeks, Hungarians, Irish, Icelanders, Italians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Luxembourgers, Maltese, Dutch, Norwegians, Liechtensteiners, Poles, Portuguese, Czechs, Romanians, Slovaks, Swedes, and Swiss.