The French government has updated its list of “professions en tension” (professions experiencing labor shortages) to include dozens of jobs in sectors like agriculture, home care, and the restaurant industry. The updated list reflects the current labor market needs, taking into account regional variations. For example, only the Normandy region is seeking surveyors, while seven regions are looking for butchers. Some professions, such as farmworkers, home care aides, kitchen assistants, cooks, housekeepers, and market gardeners, are in demand across the entire country. The three regions with the highest number of professions in tension are Ile-de-France (41 professions), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (39), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (37 professions).
The French government list of “professions en tension” focuses on “professions experiencing labor shortages.” This list serves as a critical reference for authorities to grant residency permits to undocumented workers, particularly those in high-demand sectors like agriculture, home care, and the restaurant industry. The updated list was shared with social partners on February 21, 2025, before its official publication.
The previous version of this list dates back to 2021 and was based on 2008 data, highlighting a significant gap in addressing current labor market needs. The updated list reflects the current labor market needs, taking into account regional variations. For example, only the Normandy region is seeking surveyors, while seven regions are looking for butchers.
Some professions, such as farmworkers, home care aides, kitchen assistants, cooks, housekeepers, and market gardeners, are in demand across the entire country. The three regions with the highest number of professions in tension are Ile-de-France (41 professions), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (39), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (37 professions).
This initiative is a result of extensive consultations with various professional federations and government agencies, ensuring that the list accurately reflects the needs of the labor market and helps to address the shortage of workers in key sectors. The updated list is expected to make it easier for undocumented workers in these professions to obtain residency permits. This will help to fill labor shortages and boost the French economy.
The list was compiled with the involvement of the Ministry of the Interior, regions, and social partners. It was then sent to social partners for a final national consultation before its official publication in the Journal Officiel.
The law “immigration,” enacted in January 2024, stipulates that undocumented workers employed in professions en tension could apply for regularization with the prefect. In January 2025, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau issued a new directive to prefects, emphasizing that exceptional regularizations through work should be refocused on professions en tension.
The main professional organization in the hospitality and restaurant industry, UMIH, has highlighted the difficulties the sector faces in recruiting. They have expressed their desire that the new circular does not tighten the conditions for regularization and access to employment for foreign nationals already present on French soil and willing to work in these professions.
The updated list is expected to be published soon, replacing the order of April 1, 2021. It is planned that the lists of professions en tension will be revised annually. The new regulation will intervene in a legal context modified by the immigration law of January 2024, since for professions en tension, the worker will now be exempted from obtaining the agreement of his employer to make his request.
To be eligible for regularization under this scheme, undocumented workers need to meet specific conditions: they must have resided in France for at least three (3) years and possess a minimum of twelve months of salaried professional experience in one of the listed professions en tension within the last 24 months. This experience can be consecutive or non-consecutive. Successful applicants will be granted a one-year residence permit as a “temporary worker” or “employee.”
However, it’s important to note that meeting these criteria doesn’t guarantee automatic regularization. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has emphasized the “exceptional nature” of such regularizations, stating that there is “no automatic right nor any enforceable right.”
This initiative is a crucial step towards addressing the labor shortages in France while also providing a pathway for undocumented workers to gain legal status. The updated list of professions en tension is expected to have a positive impact on the French economy and society.
Preliminary list as of date of publication :
Here is a list of all the professions mentioned in the document as being “métiers en tension”:
- Agriculture:
- Agriculteurs salariés (farmworkers)
- Maraîchers/horticulteurs salariés (market gardeners)
- Bouchers (butchers)
- Géomètres (surveyors)
- Bucherons (lumberjacks)
- Home care:
- Aides à domicile et aides ménagères (home care aides)
- Employés de maison et personnels de ménage (housekeepers)
- Restaurant industry:
- Aides de cuisine (kitchen assistants)
- Cuisiniers (cooks)
- Employés de l’hôtellerie (hotel employees)
- Commis de cuisine, apprentis et employés polyvalents de la restauration (kitchen assistants, apprentices, and versatile restaurant employees)
- Serveurs (waiters/waitresses)
- Construction:
- Maçons (masons)
- Peintres en bâtiment (building painters)
- Ouvrier non qualifié du gros oeuvre (Unskilled laborer in structural work)
- Ouvrier non qualifié du second oeuvre (Unskilled laborer in finishing work)
- Couvreurs (roofers)
- Other:
- Ouvriers qualifiés des industries agroalimentaires (hors transformation des viandes) (Skilled workers in the food industry (excluding meat processing))
- Ouvrier non qualifié des industries agroalimentaires (Unskilled worker in the food industry)
- Ouvrier non qualifié de type industriel (Unskilled worker of industrial type)
- Soudeurs (welders)
- Interprètes (interpreters)
It is worth noting some regional particularities. There is a lack of lumberjacks in Centre Val de Loire, Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle Aquitaine and Occitanie. Interpreters are lacking in PACA, the only region concerned. Three regions also need roofers: Ile-de-France, Occitanie and PACA
This list reflects the diversity of professions experiencing labor shortages in France. The government’s initiative to update the list of “métiers en tension” is expected to facilitate the recruitment of foreign workers in these crucial sectors.
It’s important to highlight that this new list is more accurately aligned with the actual recruitment needs in France for 2025 compared to the previous one. The previous list, established in 2021, relied on outdated data from 2008 and did not reflect the significant changes in the labor market since then. For instance, the previous list did not include professions in the hospitality and restaurant sector, as these establishments were closed during the Covid crisis. The updated list rectifies this by including these professions, demonstrating a more accurate reflection of the current labor market demands.
It’s also important to emphasize that navigating the regularization process can be complex. Both the employer and the employee should seek guidance from qualified immigration lawyers to ensure their application is thoroughly prepared and complies with all requirements. Legal professionals can help gather the necessary documentation, prepare for interviews, and ensure a well-managed procedure with the authorities. This collaborative approach between employers, employees, and legal experts can significantly increase the chances of a successful regularization application.
To further assist with the regularization process, LexCase has established a dedicated team to handle all 2025 regularizations related to “métiers en tension” across all departments in France.
