Students apply to the Préfecture 4 months before the end of their “student/pupil” CST explaining how this initial work experience shall contribute (directly or indirectly) to the economic development of France and their country of origin.

The APS allows them to look for and, if applicable, carry out a job related to their education for a salary that must be one and a half times more than the minimum wage, i.e.  €2,015.65 gross per month as at 1^st January 2010.

Graduates with a job or job offer (that meets the conditions mentioned above) can apply for an “employee” CST before the APS expires.

Some bilateral agreements allow a few exceptions to this rule:

• the Franco-Algerian agreement does not provide for an APS,
• the Franco-Gabon agreement provides for a 9-month APS renewable once,
• the Franco-Tunisian agreement provides for a 6-month APS renewable once.

Applicants must demonstrate their personal commitment to the principles of the French Republic, their knowledge of the French language, ensuring their children attend school, professional training, participation in local social life and proof of sufficient, stable and regular income. The conditions of integration also require applicants to live in their own accommodation, not staying with someone else.
For the application to be successful, a good supporting letter and proof of these points will be necessary.

This year, consulates and préfectures do not have to achieve a quota objective so are becoming much stricter.
Currently, this permit is issued to foreign nationals who want to work as a legal representative in an establishment or a company in France when they have been employed by the same group for at least three months outside France. Their gross monthly salary must be at least three times the minimum wage and their assignment in France must be over 3 months.
Anyone already occupying such a position under the same condition can apply to the préfecture for this CST.

The number of professional residence permits  increased from 11,751 to 21,310, but the report states that part of this increase comes from the introduction of the “seasonal” residence permit which did not exist previously (3,860 such cards having been issued in 2008).

• the number of visas issued (short and long stay) remains stable, 2,069,531 for 2008 compared with 2,070,705 for 2007;
• the number of residence permits issued to non-EU foreign nationals or similar is up, 182,688 for 2008, compared with 171,907 in 2007;
• the number of effective removals of foreign nationals increased significantly (+ 22%), from 23,196 in 2007 to 29,726 in 2008;
• asylum seeking also increased significantly in 2008 (27,063 first applications before the French office for the protection of refugees and stateless persons compared with 23,804 in 2007);
• the number of reception and integration contracts signed (France and overseas departments) increased from 101,217 in 2007 to 103,952 in 2008;
• the number of people gaining French nationality (by decrees and declarations) rose in 2008 (108,131 compared with 100,820 in 2007), stabilising in 2009 (108,275).

Report on immigration policy of December 2009