Multi-Year Talent Residence Permit: New Salary Requirement for Obtaining the Permit

The multi-year talent residence permit has undergone a change, as a new salary requirement came into effect on 29 August 2025. Since the decree of 13 June 2025, a new drafting had amended Articles R421-16 A and R421-21 A of the CESEDA. These articles referred to the “average annual gross reference salary set by order of the Minister in charge of immigration,” but this salary had not yet been established—until now. A few explanations and considerations regarding this development follow.

Until now, there were two salary thresholds for the issuance of the multi-year talent residence permit for “qualified employees” and the EU Blue Card (“CBE”). The threshold was twice the applicable minimum wage (SMIC) for “qualified employees” and €53,836 for the “CBE” (which corresponded to the median annual gross salary, not to be confused with the average salary). The threshold for the “qualified employee” therefore varied with the SMIC, while that for the “CBE” remained fairly stable. To clarify again, the applicant for one of these permits had to provide proof of remuneration at that level.

The government has decided to adjust these thresholds in opposite directions.

For the  “qualified employee,” the average annual gross reference salary has been set at €39,582 per year, which is slightly lower than twice the current SMIC (€43,243.20). This is rather a positive development, as the chosen amount is slightly lower, making the permit more accessible.

For the “CBE,” the situation is the opposite. The new wording of Article R421-21 A of the CESEDA provides:

“For the application of Article L. 421-11, the foreign national applying for the multi-year residence permit marked ‘talent – EU Blue Card’ must provide proof of an annual gross remuneration at least equal to 1.5 times the amount of the average annual gross reference salary set by order of the Minister in charge of immigration.”

The salary threshold is therefore raised to 1.5 times €39,582, i.e., €59,373 per year. This represents an increase of nearly €6,000 per year to obtain the multi-year talent residence permit “CBE.”

This makes the permit harder to obtain, which is unfortunate, especially since it previously allowed individuals who had not studied in France or who had significant professional experience to obtain a multi-year residence permit at the very start of their stay in the country.

It is regrettable that this new threshold—the “average annual gross reference salary”—is an amount chosen completely arbitrarily by the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry may, without oversight, determine this amount without providing any justification. It would be fairer to have a threshold tied to a broader standard (as was the case with the SMIC), rather than to an entirely arbitrary choice by an administration that is under no constraint. If tomorrow the Ministry were to raise this amount to €100,000, for example, nothing could prevent it.

Of course, this provision only applies from 1 September 2025. This means that for individuals currently holding a multi-year talent residence permit as a “qualified employee” or “CBE,” the new amount will not be applied against them. However, upon renewal, it will no longer be the old threshold but the new one that will apply.

It is therefore important to have this information in advance, particularly for current holders of the multi-year talent residence permit “CBE,” in order to anticipate whether their salary will be sufficient. If it is not, it will be necessary to prepare a status change well ahead of time to avoid any risk of losing residence rights.