As senators picked through France’s 2026 draft budget on 3 December, Senator Guylène Pantel tabled Amendment 1415 to move €3 million into the “Integration and Access to French Nationality” programme, drawing the money from the parallel “Immigration & Asylum” envelope so the overall mission budget stays neutral.
The catalyst is Decree 2025-647, which from 1 January 2026 raises language thresholds for residence cards (A2 for four-year cartes de séjour, B1 for ten-year resident cards) and introduces a compulsory civics exam. Officials estimate that thousands of additional foreigners will need state-funded French classes and test preparation each year. Without fresh funding, OFII-run courses risk being oversubscribed, creating bottlenecks at prefectures and delaying card renewals.
![Senate amendment seeks €3 million boost for immigrant language & civics training]()
Business-immigration lawyers note that corporate transferees on Talent-Passport permits also need the language certificate when applying for family reunification or long-term residency. If public classes fill up, employers could face higher private-tuition costs or delayed start dates for spouses. The €3 million top-up would finance extra teaching hours, digital-access support and additional test sessions across the OFII network.
The amendment is modest in a €480 billion budget, but its symbolism is large. It reframes integration spending as an investment rather than a cost and counters calls from the lower house to slash immigration outlays. A vote is expected later this week. If adopted, HR teams should pencil the new language rules—and potentially smoother course availability—into 2026 relocation budgets.
The catalyst is Decree 2025-647, which from 1 January 2026 raises language thresholds for residence cards (A2 for four-year cartes de séjour, B1 for ten-year resident cards) and introduces a compulsory civics exam. Officials estimate that thousands of additional foreigners will need state-funded French classes and test preparation each year. Without fresh funding, OFII-run courses risk being oversubscribed, creating bottlenecks at prefectures and delaying card renewals.
Business-immigration lawyers note that corporate transferees on Talent-Passport permits also need the language certificate when applying for family reunification or long-term residency. If public classes fill up, employers could face higher private-tuition costs or delayed start dates for spouses. The €3 million top-up would finance extra teaching hours, digital-access support and additional test sessions across the OFII network.
The amendment is modest in a €480 billion budget, but its symbolism is large. It reframes integration spending as an investment rather than a cost and counters calls from the lower house to slash immigration outlays. A vote is expected later this week. If adopted, HR teams should pencil the new language rules—and potentially smoother course availability—into 2026 relocation budgets.
