Changes to Russian Migration Laws for Highly Qualified Specialists
A new draft law[1] on changes to Russian migration laws is about to be adopted.
Who will these changes affect?
The key changes will affect highly qualified specialists (HQSs). The following changes are planned to be made:
- the minimum salary requirement for an HQS as a general rule will be RUB 250,000 (instead of RUB 167,000 now);
- An HQS will be required to obtain a work permit after it was initially issued or extended within 30 calendar days after the date of the decision to issue/extend it. If there is good reason, this period may be increased by 30 calendar days. Upon the expiration of this period, the work permit will be cancelled (there is no such time limit set now).
It should be taken into account that in practice, it is impossible to track down the exact date of “the decision to issue/extend a work permit”. At the moment there is no information what the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs will consider as good reason for an HQS to obtain a work permit at a later date. In this respect, we recommend that you should be guided by the time limit, within which the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is obligated to issue a work permit, and after the expiration of these deadlines, do not delay obtaining a work permit.
- An HQS will be able to obtain a residence permit for an indefinite term, subject to certain conditions (it is now possible to obtain a residence permit only for the duration of the work permit);
- the accompanying members of the family of an HQS will be required to undergo repeated medical examinations when the HQS applies for an extension of his work permit (now annually).
When will this law take effect?
On July 5, 2023, the draft law was approved by the Russian Federation Council and sent to the Russian President for signature. Once signed, the law will be published.
As set forth in the draft law:
- Some provisions of the law will take effect when published (e.g., those concerning repeated medical examinations for members of the family of an HQS);
- The key provisions of the law will take effect in 180 days after being published;
- The provisions concerning the minimum salary requirement for an HQS will take effect on March 1, 2024.
If you have any questions or you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to email Alexandra Yudina or Mika Kokkonen.
Truly yours,
[1] Draft Federal Law No. 99721-8 On Amendments to the Federal Law On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation