New Amendments to the Rights of "Temporary Worker CDD" Cardholders in France

New amendments came into effect in France as of October 30, 2026, granting foreign employees signed to fixed-term contracts (CDD) the right to retain their residence permits upon involuntary job loss to seek another job, provided that the unemployment period does not exceed 3 months, and extends to a maximum of 6 months for those proven to have experienced working conditions contrary to human dignity or human trafficking.

This French decree aligns with new regulatory changes applicable to non-Europeans issued by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union bodies.

This European text aims to establish a common set of rights for workers from a non-European country who are legally residing in an EU Member State.

Accordingly, based on the amendment, the prefect must issue a decision within 90 days for most residence permit applications (compared to 4 months previously), and this period may be extended by an additional 30 days in exceptionally complex cases.

On the other hand, within the same legal circular, several additional changes occurred, most notably the reduction of the period during which a foreigner is prohibited from changing employers after obtaining a work-related residence permit; this period has now been reduced to only 6 months instead of 12 months previously, while guaranteeing the right of residence to those forcibly deprived of work or due to force majeure under the aforementioned conditions.

Under this law, foreigners involuntarily deprived of work have the right to retain their residency if they lose their jobs due to force majeure; however, the period of unemployment may not exceed 3 months during the validity period of the residence permit.
The maximum unemployment period is 6 months for foreign workers who were subjected—in their previous jobs—to working conditions involving human trafficking, forced labor, or any other situation contrary to human dignity.

Exclusive to France News.