Government urges local authorities to ease Talent Passport, ICT application processes

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? France is taking steps to ease application processes for Talent Passport and intracompany transfer (ICT) applicants.

What does the change mean? The Ministry of Interior has outlined a series of steps that local authorities may take, ranging from speeding up processing of Talent Passport applications to issuing temporary residence permits that allow ICTs to travel internationally while they await final approval of their applications.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Talent Passports, ICT permits.
• Who is affected: Employers and foreign nationals applying for Talent Passports and ICT permits.
• Business impact: If successful, the changes would make it easier for businesses to recruit and retain high-skilled foreign workers on Talent Passports and ICT permits.

Additional information: The initiatives were outlined in a Dec. 17 memorandum from the Ministry of Interior to local immigration authorities (prefectures). The ministry encouraged local authorities to:

• Reduce review times for Talent Passport applications to 15 days from submission of the application to request for permit issuance).
• Provide appointments for Talent Passport applicants within two weeks.
• Ease documentation requirements so that birth certificates are no longer necessary for Talent Passport applications (both for first-time applications and renewals), though they will still be required for other post-arrival processes.
• Issue six-month temporary residence permits to ICTs while they wait for final approval of their residence permit, allowing them to travel internationally. This option is currently only available to Talent Passport applicants.
• Allow ICT permit holders to change their immigration status without leaving France.

Analysis & Comments: It is difficult to gauge how much of an impact the initiatives will have on local processes, but the changes are nevertheless a welcome sign of France’s efforts to ease immigration requirements for high-skilled workers. It is recommended that applicants continue to provide birth certificates, as they are still required for other formalities, such as social security registration.

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