Re-check UK-to-France postings and France-bound ICT transfers before the next filing window

The 90-day prefecture deadline resets the filing calendar

When the next UK-to-France posting or France-bound ICT transfer goes into the calendar, the first line to rewrite is the prefecture decision date. From 30 October 2026, France's rules on prefectural decision deadlines, implicit refusal, EU Blue Card refusal or withdrawal, and ICT/trainee-ICT salary conditions are modified. Decree n°2026-1001 was published in the Journal officiel on 29 October 2026 and applies the EU single-permit directive for non-European workers.

The decree cut the residence-card application processing deadline from four months to 90 days and allows a further 30 days for complex cases. The filing plan should assume the longer complex-case path, then work backward from the expected decision date. Put that date in the same calendar as the filing date. The deadline, not the assignment label, sets the first filing question.

Before the window opens, assemble the prior service evidence. Put the passport, contract, and role description in the same file. The evidence should be complete before the application is filed. If the file is missing prior service evidence, the deadline clock is not the only thing that will slow the filing.

The UK posting exemption is a narrow route, not a default

Article 13 of decree n°2026-1001 lets a foreign employee of a UK corporate entity be posted to France for contractual services without a work permit, for a limited period and only in certain sectors. The exemption covers a specific posting option, not every UK-to-France assignment.

For the UK posting exemption, the employee may work in France for no more than 12 months in total, must already have spent one year in the same role with the same employer before applying to enter France, and must have three years of sector experience, a degree or equivalent, and any required credentials. The exemption does not eliminate the long-stay visa requirement for employees who remain in France for more than 90 days. If the posting runs longer, the visa step still belongs in the filing plan.

Open the posting file and check the role title, start date, and prior service dates. A changed role can fail the one-year prior service gate. A sector outside the exemption brings back the work permit step. Short prior service with the same employer makes the exemption unavailable. Keep the standard work permit process in the timeline and mark the exemption as a secondary option.

The ICT salary floor and 6-month lock-in need a budget and timeline check

For France-bound ICT transfers, the salary conditions changed at the same date, so the budget needs a fresh check. The mobility team should compare the proposed salary against the current ICT or trainee-ICT condition set before the window opens. The condition set is part of the filing evidence, and a mismatch can force a rework before the prefecture decision. Run the salary check while the file is still being assembled.

The employer-change rule changed. A foreign worker's ban on changing employer after an initial work authorisation was reduced from 12 months to 6 months. The lock-in is shorter, but it still shapes when the employee can move to another employer. A permanent transfer needs a clean file while that lock-in runs.

The five-gate re-check belongs before the next filing window

Run the gates in order, because each one catches a different failure mode: a route that was never available, a skipped entry step, a pay mismatch, an invisible decision date, and an unrealistic employer-change plan.

• Confirm exemption eligibility against the sector, duration, service, experience, degree, and credential requirements.
• Trigger the long-stay visa if the France stay exceeds 90 days.
• Re-budget the ICT salary floor against the modified salary conditions effective 30 October 2026.
• Set the prefecture decision window at 90 days, with 30 extra days for complex cases.
• Plan the employer lock-in at 6 months after the initial work authorisation.

A missing credential, a missed visa, a low salary, a late prefecture file, or an early employer change can each break the plan. If one gate fails, move the file into the standard route and update the evidence dates. Keep the failed gate in the file note, because it will drive the next filing window.