France Mobility & Study Hub

A: Yes. Under French law, all international students holding a valid VLS-TS student visa have the legal right to work up to 60% of the annual statutory working time (964 hours per year, approximately 20 hours per week). All work is protected by French labour law and must be paid at or above the national minimum wage (SMIC: €11.88/hour gross).

A: The Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF) provides financial housing assistance (APL - Aide Personnalisée au Logement) to students renting rooms, apartments, or university dorms in France, regardless of nationality. International students typically receive between €100 and €220 per month directly deducted from or reimbursed against their monthly rent.

A: The RECE (Recherche d'Emploi ou Création d'Entreprise) permit grants Master's degree (Bac+5) graduates from French accredited institutions a 1-year non-renewable temporary residence permit to seek employment or establish a company. Once you secure a job in your field with a gross salary of at least 1.5x the SMIC (~€2,700/month), you can transition to a multi-year Passeport Talent or Salarié residence card.

A: Yes. France offers two major long-term settlement routes: the 10-year Carte de Résident after 5 years of continuous legal residence and tax filing, and an accelerated naturalization pathway under Article 21-19 of the French Civil Code, which reduces the required residency period for French citizenship from 5 years to just 2 years for graduates holding higher education diplomas from French universities.