Debate on the 2026 draft budget in the French Senate produced a headline amendment on 3 December: Senator Guylène Pantel tabled Amendment 1415 to transfer €3 million from the "Immigration & Asylum" envelope to the “Integration and Access to French Nationality” programme. The move is designed to fund extra French-language classes and civic-knowledge training in the run-up to new, stricter residence-card conditions that take effect on 1 January 2026.
Under Decree 2025-647, foreigners seeking a multi-year carte de séjour will have to demonstrate A2-level proficiency in French, while applicants for the ten-year resident card must reach B1 and pass a mandatory civics exam. Officials estimate that several thousand additional newcomers will need state-funded tuition and test preparation, straining the current capacity of OFII-run integration courses.
![French Senate seeks €3 million boost for immigrant language & civics courses ahead of tougher residence-card rules]()
Senator Pantel’s explanatory note warns that without extra money prefectures could face processing bottlenecks, undermining the government’s objective of smoother integration through language mastery. Corporate mobility teams – especially those moving non-EU assignees on three-year talent-passport permits – will need to budget more time and resources for employee language compliance and exam scheduling.
The amendment keeps the overall mission budget neutral by simply shifting funds internally, increasing the odds of parliamentary approval. Even so, HR departments should track the final vote later this month and prepare to support impacted assignees, for example by sponsoring private language tuition when OFII slots are full.
Under Decree 2025-647, foreigners seeking a multi-year carte de séjour will have to demonstrate A2-level proficiency in French, while applicants for the ten-year resident card must reach B1 and pass a mandatory civics exam. Officials estimate that several thousand additional newcomers will need state-funded tuition and test preparation, straining the current capacity of OFII-run integration courses.
Senator Pantel’s explanatory note warns that without extra money prefectures could face processing bottlenecks, undermining the government’s objective of smoother integration through language mastery. Corporate mobility teams – especially those moving non-EU assignees on three-year talent-passport permits – will need to budget more time and resources for employee language compliance and exam scheduling.
The amendment keeps the overall mission budget neutral by simply shifting funds internally, increasing the odds of parliamentary approval. Even so, HR departments should track the final vote later this month and prepare to support impacted assignees, for example by sponsoring private language tuition when OFII slots are full.
