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- The 2025 shortage occupation list enables HR to bypass the traditional labour market test for listed roles, streamlining and accelerating the process of sponsoring non-EU talent for in-demand jobs in sectors like construction, agriculture, hospitality, logistics, and care.
- Employers can strategically align hiring plans and job descriptions with the updated shortage list by region, unlocking predictable, “fast-track” pathways with fewer regulatory obstacles and lower risk of application rejection.
- Many engineering and technician roles have been removed from most regional shortage lists, making it crucial for HR teams to identify the best permit route (regular, Talent Passport, or EU Blue Card) for each vacancy.
- Leveraging the shortage list improves hiring lead times and supports de-risked international recruitment—helping mid-sized companies fill hard-to-staff positions more efficiently within France’s reformed immigration framework.
What is France’s 2025 shortage occupation list?
France maintains an official list of “professions en tension” – roles where local recruitment is structurally difficult and vacancies persist. The latest version was updated in May 2025 under the 2024 immigration law to better align foreign hiring with real labour market needs by region.
For employers, jobs on this list unlock a simplified work authorisation process when recruiting non‑EU nationals. In practice, that means fewer pre‑hire obligations, fewer rejections on labour‑market grounds, and a clearer business case for relocating talent into France.
Key sectors and example roles in 2025
The updated 2025 list mainly benefits operational and service-heavy sectors facing structural understaffing. Typical sectors and role types that appear (with regional variations) include:
- Construction and public works: site workers, machine and plant operators, civil engineering labourers.
- Agriculture and agri‑food: salaried farmers, market gardeners, aquaculture workers, mobile farm machinery operators.
- Hospitality and catering: cooks, kitchen helpers, hotel and restaurant service staff.
- Transportation and logistics: heavy truck, bus and tram drivers, logistics support roles.
- Domestic support and care: home helpers, domestic workers, cleaners and home care providers.
At the same time, many engineering and technician occupations have been removed from the shortage list outside a few regions, meaning they no longer benefit from the same shortcuts unless they qualify under talent or Blue Card routes.
Why this list matters for HR and global mobility
For standard employee permits, France usually requires a labour market test – for example, advertising the role locally and proving a lack of suitable candidates. When a role is on the shortage occupation list, employers can bypass this step and submit work authorisation directly, avoiding weeks or months of extra lead time.
This exemption reduces the risk that an application is refused because authorities believe the position could be filled locally. For HR and global mobility teams, it turns shortage roles into more “policy‑friendly” positions for international hiring, making it easier to secure internal approval for relocation budgets and timelines.
How the shortage list interacts with France’s work permits
France uses multiple work and residence permit types, and the shortage list interacts differently depending on the route. Broadly, it is most relevant where you are using the standard employee route rather than high‑salary talent tracks.
- Standard employee permits (“Salarié” type): For roles on the shortage list, authorities waive labour market testing, which significantly streamlines employer applications for non‑EU hires.
- Talent and EU Blue Card routes: High‑skilled permits such as Talent Passport or EU Blue Card rely mostly on salary, skills and qualification thresholds rather than the shortage list, though they sit within the same pro‑talent reform framework.
- “Shortage work” regularisation: Recent reforms also use shortage occupations as a basis to regularise certain undocumented workers already employed in sectors like hospitality, healthcare, construction and agri‑food, which further acknowledges persistent gaps.
Understanding these distinctions helps HR select the right pathway per role instead of defaulting to one permit category for all foreign hires.
Practical steps for employers using the 2025 list
HR and mobility leaders can treat the 2025 shortage occupation list as a planning tool rather than just a legal annex. The following actions help turn it into a fast‑track hiring lever:
- Map your French headcount plan against the 2025 shortage list by region to understand which roles qualify for a waived labour market test.
- Prioritise international recruitment for listed roles in construction, hospitality, care, agriculture and logistics, where immigration pathways are more predictable and visa reforms are explicitly designed to ease hiring.
- Align job descriptions and titles with the official nomenclature used in the French shortage list so that applications clearly match recognised shortage categories.
- Coordinate early with immigration counsel or a tech‑enabled relocation partner to confirm the best permit route (shortage‑based employee permit versus Talent Passport or EU Blue Card) for each profile.
- Build realistic timelines into your hiring plan, noting that shortage roles typically move faster due to the waived labour market test and, in some cases, reduced processing times under the 2025 reforms.
By incorporating the 2025 shortage occupation list into workforce planning, employers in France can de‑risk foreign hiring, shorten time‑to‑hire and more confidently commit to international recruitment in hard‑to‑fill roles.
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