International students: changing status from student to employee

A foreign student who graduates in France does not automatically become an employee. They must apply for a change of status with the French administration before their student residence permit expires, and the employer hiring them has specific steps to complete on their side too.

Each year, France Immigration handles more than 350 status changes from student to employee or Talent permit. A procedure that remains, for many HR teams, one of the most complex to manage securely — often handled under time pressure, because the hiring decision was made too late relative to the administrative calendar, or because the student residence permit expires just a few weeks after the degree is awarded.

In 2024-2025, 443,500 international students were enrolled in French higher education, representing 15% of total student enrolment (source: Campus France / MESR-SIES, September 2025). A growing share of these graduates are looking to transition durably into employment after their studies. For recruiters, anticipating the process from the moment the degree is obtained is the essential condition for a successful change of status.

This article covers the eligibility conditions, the procedure, and the employer obligations involved in securing a change of status from student to employee in France.

Who can apply for a change of status from student to employee

The change of status applies to foreign students who are not nationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland, and who have completed or are about to complete their studies in France with the intention of taking up salaried employment.

How to file the change of status application?

The filing modalities vary by prefecture:

• the application may be submitted via the Démarches Numériques online platform,
• by booking an appointment through a dedicated platform,
• by email to a dedicated address,
• or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

It is strongly recommended to check the exact procedure on the relevant prefecture‘s website before filing. In nearly all cases, a signed employment contract or job offer is required.

What does the administration examine?

The French administration examines four criteria for the general case:

• the labour market test (unless an exemption applies),
• the employer’s compliance with labour law,
• compliance with the applicable minimum wage and working-time rules,
• and the match between the candidate’s degree or experience and the position offered.

This last point is often underestimated: a business school graduate hired for a highly technical role far removed from their field of study risks a refusal, even with a signed contract.

Labour market test or not: two scenarios depending on the profile and salary

In both scenarios, a work authorisation must be obtained from the ANEF (the French national online immigration platform) before the person can start work. The difference between the two scenarios lies solely in the condition relating to the position itself (art. R5221-20 of the French Labour Code).

First scenario:
If the position matches the degree and the salary reaches 1.5 times the French minimum wage (SMIC), the labour market test does not apply. The work authorisation request is filed directly with the relevant Prefecture, with no prior job posting required.

The administration then examines the remaining criteria:

• employer compliance,
• salary floor,
• match between the profile and the role

Once the authorisation is issued — as a secure PDF document with a QR code — the authentication of the student residence permit allows the person to start work, before the final employee permit is issued.

Second scenario:
If these conditions are not met, the labour market test applies and the procedure follows five steps:

1. the labour market test itself (job offer posted for at least 3 weeks and 1 day with France Travail or APEC),
2. filing the work authorisation request,
3. the favourable decision and issuance of the authorisation,
4. the authentication procedure — which allows the person to start work on their still-valid student permit
5. filing the employee residence permit application.

⚠️ The exact reference SMIC amount changes every year: recalculate with your compliance team before quoting any figure to a candidate or client company.

Which residence permit matches which candidate profile

Click on the situation that matches your candidate to find out which residence permit applies.

Correspondence table by profile and contract type

The permit issued at the end of the change of status depends directly on the candidate’s profile and the contract offered, not on a single pathway.

This table does not replace an individual case review: the right permit depends on the exact combination of degree, contract, and employer, and a wrong choice at this stage delays the entire procedure.

Detail by permit:

• CRECE / APS: CDD of at least 3 months or CDI, salary at least 1.5 times the SMIC, degree obtained in the past year, and match between the profile and the position. No labour market test. The CRECE holder is also exempt from the work authorisation requirement (art. R5221-2, 13° of the French Labour Code).
• Employee (multi-year residence permit): positive result at the civic exam, CDI contract, salary at least equal to the SMIC, match between the profile and the position. Labour market test applicable, unless an exemption applies. Work authorisation required in all cases.
• Temporary worker (temporary residence permit): CDD of at least 3 months, salary at least equal to the SMIC, match between the profile and the position. Labour market test applicable, unless an exemption applies. Work authorisation required in all cases. Permit duration aligned with the contract.
• Talent passport, qualified employee, general case (art. L.421-9 CESEDA): CDI or CDD of at least 3 months, eligible degree, salary at least equal to the reference average annual gross salary. No labour market test. Once the Talent card is issued, the holder is exempt from the work authorisation requirement (art. R5221-2, 6° of the French Labour Code).
• Talent passport, qualified employee — JEI (art. L.421-9 CESEDA): CDI or CDD of at least 3 months, eligible degree or innovative project linked to the company, company recognised as an innovative young company (JEI), salary at least equal to the reference average annual gross salary. No labour market test.
• Talent passport, EU Blue Card (art. L.421-11 CESEDA): CDI or CDD of at least 6 months, eligible degree, salary at least equal to 1.5 times the reference average annual gross salary. No labour market test.

Timeline and steps of the change of status from student to employee

The procedure follows a precise sequence, and each step has its own administrative timeline:

• Filing the application: ideally 2 to 4 months before the student residence permit expires, never after.
• Labour market test: when it applies, the job offer must remain published for at least 3 weeks and 1 day with France Travail or APEC before any application is filed.
• Work authorisation processing: generally 2 months, sometimes longer during peak administrative periods (June to October in particular).
• ANEF attestations during processing: the confirmation of filing does not grant any new right, the instruction-extension attestation extends existing rights, and the favourable-decision attestation allows the person to start work as soon as it is issued, even before the final permit.
• Final employee residence permit: issued once the file is fully validated, with an overall timeline that rarely exceeds 4 to 6 months when the file is complete and filed on time.

An application filed too late, or an incomplete one, exposes the student to a gap in lawful status between the expiry of their student permit and the issuance of the new one. This is the most common cause of employment disruptions in the first months.

Employer obligations and points to check

An employer hiring a foreign student at the end of their studies has obligations of their own, independent of the student’s. They must first ensure the student’s remaining part-time work quota is sufficient (student permits allow a maximum of 964 hours of paid work per year, or 850 hours for Algerian students), then request authentication of the residence permit from the relevant prefecture no later than two working days before the start date.

If the administration does not respond within that time, the verification obligation is deemed fulfilled, but proof of the request must be kept on file.

Employing a foreign student without a valid permit, or before the receipt is issued, exposes the company to the same sanctions as any irregular employment of a foreign worker: a fine per employee concerned, repayment of public subsidies received, and in the most serious cases, administrative closure of the establishment.

What to do in case of refusal of a change of status from student to employee

A refusal of a change of status is not final. Two administrative appeals are available first:

• an informal appeal to the authority that made the decision
• a hierarchical appeal to the higher authority.
  

Both must be filed within two months of the refusal notification, and they suspend that same two-month deadline for a potential judicial appeal. Depending on the reason cited, filing a new application may also be a more straightforward option than pursuing a formal appeal.

If these steps do not succeed, a judicial appeal before the administrative court remains possible, also within two months.

In the meantime, the student’s or graduate’s administrative situation stays fragile: this is why anticipating the file well in advance remains the best protection, well before having to consider an appeal.

How France Immigration supports your hiring process

Our teams qualify the file from the candidate selection stage, identify the right permit to request based on the profile and contract, and follow the procedure through to the final permit, working directly with the relevant prefectures. For hiring under an apprenticeship contract, see also our dedicated article.

Conclusion

Changing status from student to employee follows a precise logic: the right permit depends on the contract and the degree, the procedure has fixed timelines, and a refusal can be challenged within strict deadlines. Anticipating the process several months before the end of studies remains the only way to avoid an administrative gap, for the student and for the hiring company alike.