Changing from student to employee status in France: job-search permit, employee, talent, and the case of Algerians and Tunisians

Information checked on 6 October 2026.

Degree in hand, a job offer on the table, and a "student" residence permit that expires in a few months. Nothing happens automatically: an international graduate does not become an employee just because they have found a job. They must apply for a change from student to employee status before their permit expires, and meet conditions on the diploma, the job and the salary. Here are the possible routes in 2026, the thresholds in force, the steps on the ANEF, and the specific rules for Algerians and Tunisians, who do not follow the general regime. For the big picture, from application to arrival, see our complete Campus France guide.

Changing from student to employee status: the possible routes

The amounts come from Service Public (the official French government site), whose pages were checked on 1 June 2026. The €2,800.53 threshold equals 1.5 times the gross monthly SMIC (French minimum wage) of €1,867.02, in force since 1 June 2026: it will therefore move at the next increase. The "talent" permit replaced the former "passeport talent", a name still found on forums.

The "job search or business creation" permit

This is the route for those who finish their studies without a signed contract. It is still often called the "APS", after the former autorisation provisoire de séjour (temporary residence authorisation) it replaced.

With a job that meets these conditions, you then apply for the "salarié" permit, and the labour market test does not apply to you: the prefecture does not check whether a candidate already on the job market could have filled the position. With a salary of at least €39,582 a year, you aim straight for the "talent - salarié qualifié" permit.

Note: this permit does not apply to Algerian students. Their case is covered below.

Becoming an employee directly: 2026 thresholds and conditions

If you already have a contract before your permit runs out, you can apply for the change of status without going through the job-search permit.

• Degree at least equivalent to a master's, related job, at least €2,800.53 gross a month: "salarié" permit, no labour market test.
• Degree at least equivalent to a master's, at least €39,582 gross a year: "talent - salarié qualifié" permit, up to four years, for €350 in tax stamps.
• Other degree or lower salary: the change remains possible, but the employer must in principle advertise the job for three consecutive weeks before requesting the work authorisation, unless the occupation is on the shortage list. The salary cannot be below the SMIC or the collective agreement minimum, and the job must match your degrees and experience.

In the last two cases, the work authorisation is part of the file. It is requested only online, and the filing receipt alone gives no right to work.

ANEF steps and timing

There is no single official processing time. As an indication, the University of Lille tells its students to expect two to four months of review for a residence permit, then two to three months between the favourable decision and receiving the card.

Algerian students: the 1968 agreement regime

Algerians are not covered by the general law on foreign nationals but by the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement. For moving into work, three differences matter.

• No "job search or business creation" permit: Service Public states that it does not apply to Algerian students. You must therefore have found the job before your "student" residence certificate expires.
• The target permit: a "salarié" certificat de résidence (residence certificate), valid one year and renewable. The employer requests the work authorisation; the certificate is applied for at the prefecture where you live.
• The cost: issued after a change of status, this certificate is not free: €250 (€200 tax and €50 stamp duty).

None of the official sources consulted extends to Algerians the exemption from the labour market test that master's graduates enjoy under the general regime. So start early: look for a job in your final year and raise the procedure with the employer at the interview. The steps from Algeria are in our Campus France Algeria guide, and the community gathers on the page of the Algerian diaspora in France.

Tunisian students: what the 2008 agreement provides

The Franco-Tunisian framework agreement of 28 April 2008, in force since 1 July 2009, provides a specific route for Tunisian graduates. According to the published text:

Service Public excludes only Algerians from the "job search or business creation" permit. Ask your prefecture which of the two routes applies to your file before you apply. To prepare your departure, see our Campus France Tunisia guide and the page of the Tunisian diaspora in France.

Costly mistakes

• Letting your student permit expire before filing the application.
• Accepting a job below the threshold of €2,800.53 gross while counting on the master's exception: below it, the labour market test applies again in principle.
• Confusing gross and net: thresholds are always gross.
• Starting full-time work before the permit or authorisation is issued.
• Forgetting the certificate of success if the degree has not yet been awarded.

If you are still studying, work-study for international students often prepares this step: the company that trains you is best placed to hire you. The rules on working during your studies are in our article on working in France as an international student.

The network that makes the difference

Many first jobs come through recommendation, and fellow nationals who went through the same procedure know which employers are familiar with work authorisation. On Compatri, your country's community in your city brings together graduates already in jobs, business owners and students preparing the same step; the "African students" group also discusses internships, work-study and first jobs. To activate this network without being pushy, read our article on the diaspora's professional network.

Compatri is not a Campus France or French government service and does not replace the official source: for your right of residence, the prefecture and Service Public are the reference, and if you are refused, an association helping foreign nationals or a lawyer can support you.

Official sources

• Service Public: job search or business creation residence permit
• Service Public: talent permit
• Service Public: work authorisation for a foreign employee
• Service Public: one-year residence certificate for Algerians
• French Senate: bill approving the 2008 Franco-Tunisian agreement
• ANEF: digital administration for foreign nationals in France