The AEB is pleased to inform you that after several intensive discussions with the Russian state authorities, the migration legislation has been finally liberalized. The AEB was at the forefront of these changes; working continuously on issues related to the work of expatriates in the Russian Federation. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that we inform you that most of the burning issues in the sphere of migration legislation have been at the very least addressed in the recent amendments.
The Federal Law amending the Law on the legal status of a foreigner in the Russian Federation and Budgetary and Tax Codes has brought a lot changes to the existing system of working conditions of foreigners in the RF. We would like to draw your attention to the most significant changes that most likely will affect the vast majority of foreign employees in Russia.
1) Work permits and permissions to employ foreign workers – based on the new system, highly qualified foreign workers shall be exempt from the quota application procedure. The new system would just require an employer to submit an application to the respective state body for such highly qualified workers. Such an application must be considered within 14 days. High qualification shall be determined based on the salary threshold (starting from 2 mln. RUR per year) and documents proving it (diploma, reference letters, etc.). It should be especially noted that the 2 mln. RUR should be received from Russian sources only.
2) The duration of the work permits is extended to 3 years for the highly qualified workers, in accordance with the period of the labor agreement’s duration.
3) The registration procedure has been substantially simplified. An employer no longer has to notify the migration service every time its foreign worker leaves the city he is working in.
4) The list of professions (positions) that are exempt from the quota system will not be subject to change.
5) Highly qualified workers will have the right to obtain residence permits for themselves and their family members for the period of labor agreement’s duration.
6) Work visas for highly qualified specialists are issued for the period of validity of work permits (3 years maximum).
The AEB has actively participated in the preparation of these amendments by providing the necessary expertise and information. The AEB continues to interact with the Ministry of Economic Development, the Federal Migration Service and all other relevant bodies on issues pertaining to migration.
We have organized a meeting with the Head of the investment policy and public private partnerships department of the Ministry of Economic Development, Mr. Sergey Belyakov, who provided us with information that helped better understand these modifications and invited the AEB to assist in the preparation a number of bylaws that should accompany the above mentioned amendments.
In line with the AEB active involvement in the ongoing modification of the Russian legislation on migration, the AEB also held a meeting where Ms. Ekaterina Egorova, Deputy Head of the Federal Migration Service (FMS), was a guest of honour. She briefed the audience on the main aspects of the Law concerning highly qualified specialists, the bylaws and other legal acts related to the law, which are being prepared by the Federal Migration Service, at the moment.
Should you have any specific questions on the above mentioned changes or need more information, please contact Elena Kuznetsova at Elena.Kuznetsova@aebrus.ru.
