LexCase’s French Immigration team advises individuals and companies on French visas, residence permits, work authorisations, removal orders and French nationality. We work in English and in French, from our Paris office and with French consulates abroad.
We prepare residence permit and long-term resident card applications, both first applications and renewals, and follow them through with the relevant prefecture. We also step in when the process stalls: no appointment available, no answer on a file, a récépissé that is not renewed, an express or implied refusal, or a change of status.
Further reading: residence permit renewals in France, the 2026 increase in residence permit fees and remote work from France under visitor status.
Long-stay visas, spouse of a French national, parent of a French child, family reunification and dependent relatives: we prepare applications filed in France and with French consulates abroad, and we handle appeals against refusals. The firm works with French consular services worldwide.
Further reading: travelling with a foreign minor child (DCEM), ETIAS and entry into France and the entrepreneur and self-employed permit.
An obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) is challenged before the administrative court within short deadlines, which vary with the legal basis of the measure and with whether it comes with detention. The applicable deadline is stated on the decision served on you: that is the first thing to check. We act on the appeal, on the re-entry ban that often accompanies the measure, and on what can be done afterwards.
If a removal order has just been served on you, call +33 7 69 16 11 51 without delay.
We prepare naturalisation applications by decree and nationality declarations, follow the review of the file and act where an application is deferred or refused. We also handle French nationality certificates (CNF).
Further reading: what the decree of 15 July 2025 changes, the new civic exam and tighter naturalisation requirements. The firm also offers a preparation session for the nationality interview.
We advise companies and their foreign employees on work authorisations, the Talent Passport, changes of status, intra-group mobility and the checks an employer must carry out before hiring.
Further reading: the French Talent Passport and the administrative costs of hiring a foreign employee. See also our downloadable forms.
Many of our clients live outside France or do not speak French. A first consultation can be held by phone or video call, documents are exchanged by secure e-mail, and the file is handled in English throughout. Read more about how the team works and about our services.
LexCase advises and represents private-sector clients (employees and employers) in determining their business immigration strategy for France and helps ensure that an individual’s administrative status in France remains secure and lawful. Our team of lawyers and paralegals obtains the visas, work authorisations and residence permits required for any project involving foreign workers in France. Some of our services:
- Work authorisations for foreign employees and senior executives
- Applications for French residence permits, and French naturalisation for foreign employees and senior executives
LexCase advises private-sector clients on any personal immigration or residence project in France. We assist our clients from the choice of immigration procedure through to obtaining visas and residence permits for the whole family, and with settling into their new life in France. Some of our personal immigration services:
- Residence permit applications
- French naturalisation procedure
- Visa process and applications with French consulates abroad
- Talent Passport permit
- Family reunification and other family-unification programs in France
Our teams handle all types of naturalisation applications and advise foreign clients on French nationality matters.
- Preparation of naturalisation applications before the French authorities
- Monitoring of file review by the administrative authorities (police prefecture and ministries)
- Naturalisation disputes
- Appeals against naturalisation refusals
- Advisory services for all types of French naturalisation applications
A first conversation is there to set out the file, the deadlines and the strategy that is open to you. It takes place by phone, WhatsApp, Zoom, Teams or Skype, or at the office at 65 rue d’Anjou, Paris 8. Documents are sent by secure e-mail. Appointments and conference calls are held on Fridays.
The immigration team can be reached on +33 7 69 16 11 51 from Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 7 pm, and on +33 1 40 20 22 22. You can also fill in the form on this page or write to immigrationcontact@lexcase.com: the firm calls you back within 24 hours.
See the contact page for all details, and our services. The firm has offices in Paris, Lyon and Marseille.
LexCase’s French Immigration team is led by Raphaël Apelbaum, partner, admitted to the Paris and New York bars. More about the team.
I head the French Immigration Desk at LexCase and advise clients on all issues relating to French immigration and French nationality.
I head the French Labour Desk at LexCase. I assist our clients on all matters relating to French labour law, employee mobility and employment contracts for foreign employees in France.
I assist our clients on all matters relating to French and international tax law. We help secure your tax position in France.