The Verdict: Clear Path
You qualify for the talent card for researchers. Apply for a long-stay talent visa on france-visas.gouv.fr with your hosting agreement.
The card is for holders of a master's-level degree who come to do research or teach at university level under a hosting agreement (convention d'accueil) with an approved French body. There is no labour market test, and the decision is due within 60 days. Service-public cites minimum resources of €2,200 a month; we found no legal text setting that figure, so check it with your host.
Once in France, apply for the card on the Interior Ministry's portal (ANEF) within two months. It can run up to four years. Your spouse and children receive a family talent card, which lets your spouse work.
Talent card holders do not take the A2 French test or civic exam that apply to ordinary permits. After five years, the ten-year resident card needs French at B1 and the civic exam. Naturalisation can follow after five years, with French at B2.