A legislative initiative has been submitted to the State Duma that provides for a significant tightening of entry conditions into Russia for foreign citizens and stateless persons arriving in the country for the purpose of earning money. The authors of the draft propose amending a number of provisions of the current migration legislation.
The essence of the proposed changes
According to the initiative, foreign citizens and stateless persons are planned to be denied entry into the territory of Russia if they arrive as family members of a migrant temporarily residing in Russia on the basis of an employment or civil-law contract, and at the same time do not have other lawful grounds for staying in the country.
Thus, relatives of labor migrants who do not possess independent legal grounds for staying in Russia may face an entry ban.
Exception for highly qualified specialists
The draft law provides for an exception for close relatives of foreign citizens who are highly qualified specialists and carry out labor activity in accordance with Article 13.2 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ. For this category of migrants, the rules will remain the same.
Which laws are proposed to be amended
The amendments affect:
- Article 25.6 and Article 27 of Federal Law No. 114-FZ of August 15, 1996, "On the Procedure for Exit from Russia and Entry into Russia";
- Article 5 and Article 13 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ of July 25, 2002, "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russia."
Rationale for the initiative
The explanatory note emphasizes that the draft is aimed at improving the legal framework for countering illegal migration. The proposed mechanism will allow foreign citizens to stay in Russia on lawful grounds during the performance of labor functions without being accompanied by family members who do not have independent legal grounds for staying in the country.
According to the parliamentarians, the proposed changes will contribute to:
- increasing the overall effectiveness of state regulation of migration processes;
- reducing the burden on social infrastructure;
- reducing channels of illegal migration;
- reducing expenditures of the budget system that are currently directed toward supporting migrants' families in various areas.
Effective dates
If the draft law is adopted by the lower chamber of parliament, approved by the Federation Council, and signed by the President of Russia, the amendments will enter into force on January 1, 2027.
Frequently asked questions:
1. What does the new bill on migrants' families propose?
The draft law proposes denying entry into Russia to foreign citizens and stateless persons who arrive as family members of a labor migrant and do not have other lawful grounds for staying in the country. An exception will be made for close relatives of highly qualified specialists (HQS).
2. From what year may the ban on entry for migrants' families enter into force?
If the draft law is adopted, the amendments will enter into force on January 1, 2027.
3. Who will be affected by the entry ban – all migrants or only unskilled ones?
The ban will affect family members of labor migrants working under an employment or civil-law contract. An exception is made for the families of highly qualified specialists working in accordance with Article 13.2 of Law No. 115-FZ.
4. Why is an entry ban being introduced for labor migrants' families?
According to the authors of the initiative, the goal is to improve the legal basis for countering illegal migration, reduce the burden on social infrastructure, and cut off channels of illegal migration. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin supported the approach of "arrived, worked – go home."
5. Which laws are proposed to be changed?
The amendments affect Articles 25.6 and 27 of Federal Law No. 114-FZ "On the Procedure for Exit from Russia and Entry into Russia," as well as Articles 5 and 13 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russia."
Photo source: https://www.magnific.com/
For more information, please contact the consultants of the Confidence Group company.
* The texts of the newsletters are intellectual property of Confidence Group, protected by the copyright laws of Russia. The information may not be reproduced in any form whatsoever without linking to this web site or to pages of this website.
