Can international students work and stay on after studying in France?

France makes it realistic for international graduates to stay on. After completing your studies on a student (Etudiant) permit, you can move to the one-year job-search or business-creation permit (recherche d'emploi ou creation d'entreprise), which gives recent graduates with a French master's up to a year to find qualifying work or start a business.

In most cases you can also change status (changement de statut) directly at your prefecture without returning home. Common transitions are into a Talent card or EU Blue Card if you have a qualifying job offer at the required salary, or into a standard salarie permit with employer work authorisation. This in-country flexibility is one of the more attractive features of studying in France.

Two points worth noting: Algerian nationals are governed by a separate bilateral agreement, and the post-study route does not apply to them in the same way; and you can manage many of these steps via the ANEF online portal. Rules and thresholds change periodically, so confirm your eligibility on service-public.gouv.fr or with your prefecture — and ACME can help you plan the path from studies into work.