France must strengthen its Talent Passport


Talent PassportThe talent passport is a multi-year residence permit for foreigners wishing to work in France for more than 3 months.

In a note published on Tuesday, the Economic Analysis Council (CAE) highlights the weaknesses of the systems in force to attract skilled labor and high-potential foreign students to France.

“The spirit of our study is to promote labor immigration by promoting the arrival in France of qualified immigration from diverse backgrounds” indicate Emmanuelle Auriol and Hillel Rapoport, members of the Economic Analysis Council (CAE) in their note published on Tuesday. The two economists point out the weaknesses of the systems in force to attract talent.

· The ” talent passport ” not widely distributed

The Talent Passeport residence permit aims to attract employees of an innovative company, researchers, business creators and initiators of innovative projects. But it is only issued to around 13,500 first-time applicants on average, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

The CAE wishes to see more immigrants since “a considerable body of economic studies demonstrates the benefits of skilled and diversified labor immigration in terms of innovation, entrepreneurship, integration into the global economy through trade, capital flows and the circulation of productive knowledge, and ultimately productivity growth”.

“Thus, to respond effectively to short-term labor market needs, we recommend continuing efforts to digitize, centralize and systematize the processing of work visa applications from companies with clear and predictable eligibility criteria in the framework of so-called ‘in tension’ trades”, suggests the council.

 

The insufficient supply of universities

France is the fourth host country for international students, and even the first non-English speaking country. But the number of mobile students is growing more slowly there than elsewhere. France is struggling to attract the best. Among the reasons identified, the limited offer of courses in English offered in higher education. The creation of the Welcome to France label is, on the other hand, seen as progress in terms of reception and administrative procedures. Too few institutions adhere to it, however, according to the report.

The CAE considers that it will also be necessary “to intensify efforts to attract foreign students and to facilitate the transition from studies to employment by streamlining and extending the granting of a residence permit at the end of studies, in particular of the highly qualified, without adding criteria of minimum wage, nor of adequacy of the work to the qualifications. »

 

The difficult school-to-work transition

The Talent Passport is not widespread and well known. The Talent Passport is not connected enough to the graduation process.

In France, the study-employment transition “is not easy”, observe the economists of the CAE who recommend extending the granting of the residence permit at the end of the studies, in particular for the highly qualified without adding salary criteria. minimum nor of adequacy of the work to the qualifications”.

Today, obtaining a residence permit at the end of studies is subject to the same hazards as applying for a visa for workers. These constraints mean that the retention rate for foreign students in France is very low,” they write. Out of a cohort of 70,000 foreign students who obtained their first residence permit in 2015, only 21% of them were still present in France five years later.

Finally, the CAE also wishes “the establishment of an immigration policy in France through the introduction of a clear and predictable system, inspired by the “point systems” which have proven themselves elsewhere, particularly in Canada. “.

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