http://french.about.com/library/bl-liveworkinfrance.htm
I’m planning a move to Europe for 2007. Unfortunately, this article confirms my fears, and hammers a very Kafkaesque nail in the coffin of my “work in France” hopes:
Work permit – Receiving permission to work is also difficult. Theoretically, if you are hired by a French company, the company will do the paperwork for your work permit. In reality, it’s a Catch-22. I’ve never been able to find a company that is willing to do this – they all say that you have to have the work permit before they will hire you, but since having a job is a prerequisite for obtaining the work permit, it’s impossible. Therefore, there are really only two ways to get a work permit: (a) Prove that you are more qualified than anyone in Europe, or (b) Get hired by an international company that has branches in France and get transferred over, because their sponsorship will allow them to obtain the permit for you. Note that they will still have to demonstrate that a French person could not do the job you are being imported to do.