Le Pen wants freeze on visas, then a tax for foreign workers in France

French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is promising a freeze on long-term visas as soon as she takes office, followed by a tax on any company that hires foreign workers.

Far-right leader presidential candidate Marine Le Pen waves to supporters as she stands among her party officials at the end of a conference in Lyon, France, Sunday Feb 5, 2017. (Photo |AP)

PARIS: French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is promising a freeze on long-term visas as soon as she takes office, followed by a tax on any company that hires foreign workers.

Ahead of Sunday's first-round election, Le Pen told RTL radio on Tuesday she would issue an order to immediately stop issuing long-term visas so the government can verify that they are not taking jobs away from French citizens.

Le Pen, who has campaigned against immigration and Europe's open borders, also wants to impose a 10 percent tax on labour contracts that go to foreigners and seize back control of France's borders.

Polls show Le Pen is among four leading French candidates, with no clear front-runner. The top two candidates advance to a May 7 runoff.