Vialto Partners issued a regional alert on 5 January confirming that France’s statutory minimum wage (SMIC) has risen 1.18 % to €12.02 per hour (€1,823.03 gross monthly) effective 1 January 2026. While most immigration salary thresholds are no longer index-linked to the SMIC, several popular categories—such as the Talent Passport ‘Corporate Officer’ and the work-permit exemption for graduates moving from student to employee status—still reference multiples of the minimum wage. ([vialtopartners.com](https://vialtopartners.com/regional-alerts/france-immigration-increased-legal-minimum-wage-from-2026))
The new figures push the corporate-officer Talent Passport floor to €5,469.09 gross per month and the graduate local-hire exemption to €2,734.55. Employers hiring or seconding foreign staff below these levels risk rejection or non-renewal of residence permits. In addition, the tax levied on companies obtaining first work permits for foreign nationals is now capped at €2,506.66—55 % of remuneration within the limit of 2.5× SMIC.
Companies should immediately audit payrolls of sponsored employees, adjusting salaries and secondment letters where necessary. Multinationals using global mobility cost-projection tools must update 2026 budget templates to reflect higher gross pay and social-security contributions. The increase also affects posted-worker notifications (SIPSI) and posted-worker housing allowances in France’s overseas territories.
![French Minimum-Wage Hike Triggers New Immigration Salary Thresholds]()
To streamline compliance tasks, both employers and individual assignees can rely on VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), which consolidates up-to-date immigration requirements, generates permit-specific document checklists, and offers real-time support for booking prefecture appointments—saving time and reducing the risk of application rejection.
For foreign employees, the hike may offer a net-pay bump but could also push some into higher income-tax brackets; HR should coordinate with tax advisers to model the offsetting impact of France’s expatriate tax regime.
Finally, mobility managers should note that minimum-salary announcements tend to trigger prefecture backlogs as applicants rush to file before thresholds rise. Booking ANEF slots well in advance and maintaining proof of timely submission is essential to avoid gaps in legal status.
The new figures push the corporate-officer Talent Passport floor to €5,469.09 gross per month and the graduate local-hire exemption to €2,734.55. Employers hiring or seconding foreign staff below these levels risk rejection or non-renewal of residence permits. In addition, the tax levied on companies obtaining first work permits for foreign nationals is now capped at €2,506.66—55 % of remuneration within the limit of 2.5× SMIC.
Companies should immediately audit payrolls of sponsored employees, adjusting salaries and secondment letters where necessary. Multinationals using global mobility cost-projection tools must update 2026 budget templates to reflect higher gross pay and social-security contributions. The increase also affects posted-worker notifications (SIPSI) and posted-worker housing allowances in France’s overseas territories.
To streamline compliance tasks, both employers and individual assignees can rely on VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), which consolidates up-to-date immigration requirements, generates permit-specific document checklists, and offers real-time support for booking prefecture appointments—saving time and reducing the risk of application rejection.
For foreign employees, the hike may offer a net-pay bump but could also push some into higher income-tax brackets; HR should coordinate with tax advisers to model the offsetting impact of France’s expatriate tax regime.
Finally, mobility managers should note that minimum-salary announcements tend to trigger prefecture backlogs as applicants rush to file before thresholds rise. Booking ANEF slots well in advance and maintaining proof of timely submission is essential to avoid gaps in legal status.
