After two Master’s degrees, the Paris prefecture deems this Moroccan woman’s studies insufficiently serious
A Moroccan student who had already obtained two Master’s degrees was refused renewal of her residence permit, with the prefecture deeming her studies insufficiently genuine and serious. The courts have just suspended that decision, ruling that her new course of study is consistent with her career plan.
Born on 21 August 1999, the young Moroccan woman arrived legally in France in 2023 to pursue her studies. She held a residence card bearing the designation “student.”
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Her academic background is already substantial. She obtained a Master’s degree in “translation and interpreting,” followed by a specialized Master’s degree in legal and economic English translation. She then decided to continue her education by enrolling in a law diploma program.
Her aim was to deepen her legal knowledge in order to strengthen her skills as a specialized translator. But the police prefecture was not convinced.
On 26 June 2026, it refused to renew her residence permit on the grounds that the student had not demonstrated the genuine and serious nature of her studies. The Moroccan woman then urgently brought the matter before the Paris Administrative Court.
The judge, on the contrary, sees continuity in her academic path
In its order of 6 August 2026, the interim relief judge specifically noted the sequence of the courses she had taken. After her two Master’s degrees in translation, enrolling in a law diploma program was intended to enable her to deepen her legal knowledge and strengthen her skills in her area of specialization.
For the court, “such a course of study is consistent with her career plan.” Under these circumstances, the argument that the prefecture had not conducted a full examination of her situation was sufficiently serious to raise doubts about the legality of the refusal.
The court also found that there was urgency. Since this concerns the refusal to renew a residence permit, urgency is in principle presumed. The police prefecture provided no evidence capable of overturning that presumption.
The courts therefore suspended the decision of 26 June pending a ruling on the merits. The prefecture must re-examine the student’s situation and issue her, within fifteen days, with a provisional residence authorization accompanied by authorization to work on an ancillary basis.
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The Moroccan woman had requested a penalty of €100 per day in the event of delay, but the judge did not grant that request. The State must, however, pay €1,000 to her lawyer under the conditions provided for legal aid.
