The Government Commission on Legislative Activities has approved sweeping changes to Federal Law No. 115-FZ "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation." The document, developed in pursuance of Presidential Decree No. 738 "On the Concept of the State Migration Policy for 2026-2030," fundamentally changes the approach to monitoring the income of foreigners. The amendments will affect those working under a patent, holders of temporary residence permits and residence permits, as well as highly qualified specialists. It is expected that the innovations, aimed at reducing shadow employment, will come into force in stages starting January 1, 2027.
Revocation of patents, temporary residence, and permanent residence due to low income: how it will work
The key innovation is monitoring the financial self-sufficiency of migrants. Foreign citizens with temporary resident status in Russia will be required to independently submit information about their income to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Confirmation will require an income statement, a copy of a tax return, or other documents proving tax payment.
At the same time, the state plans to transition to an automated verification system. An automatic data exchange will be implemented between the Federal Tax Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The tax service will quarterly send data to the police on migrants' earnings and the amount of taxes paid. If it is found that information on legal income is missing or monthly income is below the regional subsistence minimum, this will become a direct ground for revoking the patent, temporary residence permit, or residence permit.
Taxes on migrants' children and new requirements for highly qualified specialists
The draft law introduces additional financial obligations for labor migrants with children. A foreigner will now be required to pay fixed advance personal income tax payments not only for themselves but also for each minor child. The payment amount will be 50% of the established sum. Upon reaching 18 years of age, migrants' children must either independently obtain a patent and pay taxes or leave Russia.
The rules for highly qualified specialists are also changing significantly. The draft law provides for an increase in the minimum salary threshold for classifying foreign workers as highly qualified specialists:
- For certain categories (medical workers, teachers, research staff), the minimum salary will be 358,500 rubles per month.
- For all other foreign citizens, the threshold will increase to 717,000 rubles per month.
Additionally, an annual indexation of salaries for highly qualified specialists is planned, which will depend on the growth rate of the average monthly salary in Russia. According to experts, such measures will reduce the number of fictitious migrant employments and whiten the labor market.
Confidence Group continues to monitor the progress of this draft law and will notify you of all upcoming changes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. From what date do the new rules for migrants come into force?
The innovations approved by the government commission will come into force gradually, starting from January 1, 2027. Earlier, from 2026, the new Concept of the State Migration Policy, within the framework of which these amendments were developed, has already begun to operate.
2. For what reasons could a patent, temporary residence permit, or permanent residence permit be revoked?
The main ground for revocation will be the lack of confirmed income or its amount being below the regional subsistence minimum. The Federal Tax Service will quarterly transfer data to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and if a migrant has no legal earnings, their permit documents may be revoked.
3. How will the new law affect migrants' children?
The bill introduces two key rules for children:
- Taxes: A labor migrant will be required to pay a fixed advance personal income tax payment not only for themselves but also for each minor child (amounting to 50% of the payment amount).
- Departure: Upon reaching 18 years of age, children of foreign citizens are obliged to either independently obtain a patent and pay for it in full, or leave the Russian Federation within 30 days.
4. What income requirements will be imposed on highly qualified specialists?
The salary threshold for classification as a highly qualified specialist is being significantly raised. For certain categories (medical workers, teachers, researchers), it will be 358,500 rubles per month. For all other foreign citizens, this threshold will increase to 717,000 rubles per month. An annual indexation of this threshold is also planned.
5. Will migrant incomes be checked, and how exactly?
Yes, an automatic information exchange will be implemented between the Federal Tax Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The tax service will send data on migrants' income levels and the amount of taxes paid to the police every quarter. Thus, the verification will become automatic, without additional requests from the migrant.
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For more information, please contact the consultants of the Confidence Group company.
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