Can you get a residence permit (titre de séjour) through work if you are in France irregularly?

Regularisation through work lets a non-European foreign worker in an irregular situation in France request a salarié or travailleur temporaire residence permit. Regularisation through work is decided case by case. Regularisation through work is reserved for exceptional situations or humanitarian considerations. The conditions for regularisation through work differ depending on whether the job is on the shortage occupations list. In the general case, the préfecture may require at least 7 years of residence in France. In the general case, insertion must be attested in particular by a certain mastery of the French language.

Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

What steps do you take to ask for regularisation through work in the general case?

In the general case, if you are a non-European foreign worker in an irregular situation in France, file a dossier at the préfecture of your place of residence to ask for a salarié or travailleur temporaire card.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If the préfecture accepts your request in the general case, go to the préfecture when you are summoned to receive the card.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If the préfecture has not answered after 4 months in the general case, the silence is an implicit refusal.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
After an implicit refusal in the general case, you can make a recours administratif (recours gracieux before the préfet and/or recours hiérarchique before the minister of the interior) within 2 months from that refusal.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
In the general case, the absence of an answer from the préfecture to your regularisation through work request after 4 months constitutes an implicit refusal. In the general case, you can make a recours contentieux before the administrative court within 2 months from the implicit refusal. In the general case, a lawyer is not compulsory for the recours contentieux.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
In the general case, the préfet notifies a refusal of your regularisation through work request by a reasoned letter (explicit decision). In the general case, after a refusal notified by the préfet, you can make a recours contentieux before the administrative court. In the general case, a lawyer is not compulsory for the recours contentieux.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
In the general case, find information on your préfecture's website about the récépissé receipt. In the general case, when the validity period of the récépissé receipt ends without an answer from the préfecture, the processing time may be extended. In the general case, when the validity period of the récépissé receipt ends without an answer from the préfecture, you can obtain the renewal of the récépissé receipt.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

What steps do you take to ask for regularisation through work in a shortage occupation?

If you are a non-European foreign worker in an irregular situation in France and you occupy a job in the shortage occupations and geographical zones at the time of your request, file a dossier at the préfecture of your place of residence to ask for a salarié or travailleur temporaire card.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you occupy a job in the shortage occupations and geographical zones, complete and sign the downloadable form yourself, without your employer's intervention, to make a work authorisation (autorisation de travail) request.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If your dossier is complete in a shortage occupation case, the préfecture gives you a récépissé receipt authorising you to work.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If the préfecture accepts your request in a shortage occupation case, go to the préfecture when you are summoned to receive the card.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If the préfecture has not answered after 4 months in a shortage occupation case, the silence is an implicit refusal.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
In a shortage occupation case, within 2 months of the implicit refusal of regularisation through work, you can lodge a recours administratif and/or a recours contentieux. In a shortage occupation case, you do not need a lawyer for the recours contentieux before the tribunal administratif. In a shortage occupation case, 4 months of préfecture silence on regularisation through work is an implicit refusal.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
In a shortage occupation case, the préfet notifies a refusal of your regularisation through work request by a reasoned letter (explicit decision). In a shortage occupation case, after a refusal notified by the préfet, you can make a recours contentieux before the administrative court. In a shortage occupation case, a lawyer is not compulsory for the recours contentieux.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

Which documents must you provide to ask for regularisation through work in the general case?

Which documents must you provide to ask for regularisation through work in a shortage occupation?

How long must you have lived in France to ask for regularisation through work in the general case?

In the general case, the préfecture that examines your request for regularisation through work may require at least 7 years of residence in France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you ask for regularisation through work in a shortage occupation and geographical zone, you must justify uninterrupted residence in France of at least 3 years.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you ask for regularisation through work in a shortage occupation and geographical zone, you must justify professional activity of 12 months in the last 24 months in a shortage occupation and geographical zone.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
The exceptional admission to stay for shortage occupations and geographical zones is possible until 31 December 2026.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
In the general case, when the préfecture accepts your regularisation through work request, you obtain a carte de séjour salarié valid 1 year and renewable if you have a CDI. In the general case, when the préfecture accepts your regularisation through work request, you obtain a carte de séjour travailleur temporaire valid for the duration of the contract if you have a CDD.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04