American and British nationals are securing significantly more French residence permits than other non-EU nationalities, according to new Interior Ministry figures that reveal contrasting immigration patterns as France implements stricter entry requirements.

The United States ranked fifth among all nationalities for first-time residence permits in 2025, with 15,000 issued – a 14.3% increase from the previous year. Americans primarily obtained permits for student purposes (52.5% of all permits) and miscellaneous reasons including visitor status (21%), with economic and family reunification permits accounting for smaller shares.

British nationals, meanwhile, received 7,870 first-time permits in 2025, down 11.6% from 2024. The decline continues a steady decrease since the Brexit-related surge in 2021, when nearly 100,000 Britons already residing in France obtained residence documents following the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Distinct motivations between nationalities

The data reveals markedly different reasons why Americans and Britons seek French residency. While Americans predominantly arrive as students or for extended stays, British permit holders show an overwhelming majority in the miscellaneous category – 91.3% of all valid British permits fall into this classification, largely comprising the automatic renewals granted to long-term residents who secured their status during the Brexit transition.

Only 5.2% of British permits are for economic reasons, compared to 16.9% for Americans. Family reunification accounts for just 2.5% of British permits versus 9.5% for Americans.

Growing American presence in Talent visa scheme

Americans also feature prominently in France’s Talent visa programme, designed to attract highly skilled workers and entrepreneurs. US nationals secured a 26% increase in long-stay Talent visas in 2025, making them one of the fastest-growing nationalities in the scheme alongside Canada, which saw a 12% rise with nearly 600 visas issued.

The Talent visa programme overall declined 7.9% in 2025, marking three consecutive years of decreases. However, the strong American performance suggests continued appeal among US professionals and investors despite the broader downturn.

Long-term British settlement stabilises

By the end of 2025, 172,312 British nationals held valid residence permits or provisional documents in France, up just 1.4% from the previous year. This represents a stabilisation following the dramatic post-Brexit adjustment period.

Britain ranks as the fifth most represented nationality in France, behind Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey. The Interior Ministry data shows 35.2% of all valid residence permits are held by North African nationals, while Britons account for roughly 3.8% of the foreign presence.

Contrasting with broader immigration trends

The patterns for Americans and Britons diverge sharply from overall immigration trends in France. Total first-time residence permits rose 11.2% in 2025 to 384,000, driven primarily by a 65% surge in humanitarian permits – particularly for Ukrainian and Afghan nationals fleeing conflict.

While France issued 14,400 first-time permits to Ukrainians (up 306%) and 18,000 to Afghans (up 46%), the Anglo-American demographic represents a fundamentally different migration profile: typically educated, economically stable, and arriving through regular channels rather than humanitarian crises.

Tighter regularisation rules taking effect

The data also reflects the impact of France’s January 2025 ministerial circular tightening eligibility for exceptional stays. Regularisations through the exceptional admission to stay (AES) programme dropped 10% in 2025, affecting all categories including economic and family-based applications.

The stricter requirements, part of the government’s “Controlling immigration, improving integration” law, are unlikely to significantly affect American and British applicants, who typically qualify through standard visa categories rather than exceptional admission procedures.

As of 31st December 2025, France’s foreign resident population reached 4.5 million, representing 8.1% of the total population – though this masks significant regional variations, with Paris and its suburbs showing much higher concentrations of foreign residents.

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Photo credit: Antoine Contenseau, Unsplash