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In brief
Section actions
Duration: Status verification — 20 min; status adjustment — 6 to 12 months
Cost: Free associative consultation; lawyer if necessary
On-site only

Who this guide is for

Section actions
  • If you are a foreigner outside the EU and are looking for a job in France
  • You if you are urged to work without a contract (covered work)
  • You if you are a student outside the EU and want to work (up to 964 hours/year)

To be prepared in advance

Section actions
  • Your residence permit or receipt, to check the statement "allows the exercise of a professional activity"
  • An offer or contract from the employer
  • Contact details of the labour inspectorate and France Travail for advice

Step-by-step procedure

Section actions
  1. 1Check that your status allows you to work. The VLS-TS visa/student residence card allows up to 964 hours per year (accessory). Some titles (visitor, some temporary) do not allow to work.
  2. 2For employment outside the EU, the employer must apply for a work permit in the prefecture (introduction procedure). Without it, hiring is illegal.
  3. 3If you are hired without a contract or in black (hidden work), it is an offence. Never accept: in case of accident, unpaid or control, you are unprotected and your status is in danger.
  4. 4If you already work without permission under duress or deceit, you have rights. The law protects victims of exploitation: complaints and regularization by the labour inspectorate are possible.
  5. 5Keep all the evidence: pay slips (even falsified), exchanges, photos at the post. They are used to recover your unpaid fees and wages.
  6. 6In case of proven illegal work, the foreigner may receive a ban from the French territory and a cancellation of the residence permit. Contact an association (Cimade, Gisti) or a lawyer as a matter of urgency.
  7. 7Legal channels: change of status via the prefecture to obtain the right to work; authorization for a specific profession (caregiver, carer).

Common mistakes

Section actions
  • Accepting work in the dark by pressure or need — we lose protection and status.
  • Believing that the student visa authorizes any work. There is a limit of 964 hours and type restrictions.
  • Don't know that in case of unpaid, you can still recover (even without a contract).
  • Hide illegal work when renewing the title — the discovery is worse than the confession.
  • Do not ask for help out of fear of expulsion: protections exist for victims of exploitation.

Official sources

Section actions
Show sources in this section

Useful links

Section actions
Authorization to work (procedures)Change of statusLabour inspection

Important remark

Unauthorised work is a serious offence with consequences for the status. This information is indicative — speak urgently to an association (Cimade, Gisti) or to a lawyer in foreign/labour law.

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