Quota for foreign labor hire

To obtain a work permit for a foreign citizen, an employer who does not wish to hire a foreign worker as a highly qualified specialist and pay him a monthly salary more than 250,000 rubles must either apply for a work permit for a non-quota (quota-free) position or obtain a quota for foreign labor hire.

Please note that the list of non-quota positions is quite limited; it includes top management positions, cultural figures, engineers, tourism specialists, and a number of unskilled positions. Moreover, as of December 15, 2023, based on Order No. 459n of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation dated May 15, 2023, "On Approval of the List of Non-Quota Professions...", a quota is also required for the position of "General Director." 

Confidence Group draws employers' attention to the fact that the main problem in obtaining a work permit under the standard procedure is the mandatory provision of a certificate confirming the foreign citizen's proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history, and the basics of Russian legislation. If the employer is unsure whether the foreign citizen can pass the relevant exam or knows in advance that the foreign citizen does not speak Russian, it is pointless to start the work permit application process, including the quota application process. 

How to obtain a quota for foreign labor hire? 

Obtaining a quota for hiring foreign workers is possible within the framework of the annual quota campaign or the adjustment quota campaign. 

The annual quota campaign for the next year typically runs from the end of January of the current year to October of the current year. Documents are accepted according to a schedule published on the AIK Migration Quotas website or on the websites of authorized regional authorities, usually in December of the year preceding the application year. 

Applications are accepted on average 3-4 times a year. More details on the application schedule for Moscow can be found on our website. The commission responsible for reviewing quota applications meets on average 3-4 times a year. The decision to allocate a quota to an employer, with distribution by region, is usually issued no earlier than a few months after the commission meeting. If the decision to allocate a quota is positive, the next stage of obtaining work permits under the standard procedure can begin. 

Quota applications can also be submitted during the adjustment quota campaign, which allows employers to submit quota applications throughout the year on specific dates, also published on the AIK Migration Quotas website or on the websites of authorized regional authorities. Please note that quota adjustments can be made to either increase (in which case a quota application is submitted) or decrease a previously allocated quota, if the employer received a quota during the quota campaign but does not plan to use it. 

After the adjustment quota commission meeting, it takes a considerable amount of time before the adjustment order is issued. In total, from the submission of documents for quota adjustment to the actual receipt of the quota in case of a positive decision by the commission, it can take from 3 to 6 months. 

The quota application process 

The quota application process can be divided into several stages: 

Stage 1: posting the vacancy on the "Work in Russia" portal (website: https://trudvsem.ru/), i.e., electronically. Please note that the vacancy requires regular renewal by submitting confirmation electronically no later than 4-5 days before its expiration. Also, to submit an application for the need for foreign labor, the organization and its head must have verified personal accounts on the Gosuslugi and "Work in Russia" portals. Confidence Group assists employers in posting vacancies. 

Stage 2: registering the employer on the AIK Migration Quotas website (migrakvota.gov.ru) and filling out the application for the need for foreign labor. At this stage, the employer fills out the relevant application for the need to hire a certain number of foreign workers for the required positions and from specific countries. After filling out all the necessary information, an application for quota allocation/adjustment (increase/decrease) for the current/next year is generated, depending on the need. At this stage, the application is submitted electronically. 

Stage 3: submitting documents directly to the authority responsible for accepting applications for hiring and using foreign labor in paper form. Each region has a designated authority, information about which is available on the AIK Migration Quotas website when selecting the relevant region. In particular, in Moscow, this is the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population (DTSPN) of Moscow. Applications are accepted at: Moscow, Gorokhovy Lane, 5, room 6. In the Moscow Region, the Ministry of Social Development of the Moscow Region is responsible for accepting quota applications, and paper applications are submitted through the MFC of the Moscow Region. 

At this stage, the submitted documents are preliminarily checked, and the employer is checked for registration on the "Work in Russia" portal, absence of debt on reports for disabled persons and youth, if required, and the presence of a posted vacancy on this portal. It should be noted that some regions have additional reporting requirements. In Moscow, employers are also checked for registration with the KGU Quota Center of Moscow and submission of relevant reports to the KGU Quota Center. If the documents require revision or the employer has not completed all necessary actions, the specialist will inform about further steps. 

Stage 4: meeting of the interdepartmental commission, which makes decisions on quota allocation (full or partial) or refusal to issue a quota. The interdepartmental commission includes representatives from various departments, such as the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation (chairman of the commission), the Department of Employment of the Population of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, the Directorate for Permit and Visa Work, the Department for Work with Foreign Citizens, and others. 

As a rule, when applying for a quota for the next year, the interdepartmental commission meeting is held in closed session, and employers are notified of the results by sending the decision to the applicant's actual address, and the DTSPN updates the application status on the official website migrakvota.gov.ru. In fact, the employer has no opportunity to attend the commission and justify the need to hire foreign labor. 

Unlike applications for quota allocation for the next year, when applying for quota adjustment, employers in some regions, such as Moscow, have a chance to attend the working group (interdepartmental commission) meeting, which means they can justify the need to hire foreign labor, increasing the chances of a positive decision on quota allocation. Previously, this opportunity was also available to employers in the Moscow Region, but as of 2024, it is no longer possible to attend the interdepartmental commission meeting in the Moscow Region. 

Stage 5: receiving the quota allocation decision.

After the commission meeting, the status of the employer's application on the AIK Migration Quotas website changes to "Included in the proposal for quota formation." However, the presence of this status does not mean that the process of further work permit application under the standard procedure can begin, as it is necessary to wait for the formation of the order, which is usually published one to two months after the commission meeting. The order is an Excel table listing the employers who have been allocated a quota. Only after the official publication of the order in the documents section on the website of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation can the process of obtaining work permits continue. 

After the publication of the order and receiving a positive decision on quota allocation, the employer must apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Migration Issues to obtain a permit to hire foreign labor, after which work permits for foreign citizens can be issued. 

Factors affecting quota allocation for hiring foreign workers 

The decision of the Government of the Russian Federation to allocate quotas to employers for hiring foreign workers is influenced by a large number of factors, including the socio-economic situation in the country, regional labor market characteristics, the presence/absence of a sufficient number of labor resources from among Russian citizens, etc. 

Confidence Group notes that for 2025, the need to hire visa-requiring foreign workers has increased by almost 50% compared to the previous year, significantly increasing employers' chances of obtaining a quota if they apply for it. More details in our news. 

The following factors increase employers' chances of obtaining a quota:

Regarding the first point, one of the most important nuances that can significantly complicate the quota application process is the submission of reports on quota-covered jobs for disabled persons and youth. 

Although organizations with an average number of employees of more than 100 are required to report on quota-covered jobs, when applying for a quota, organizations with fewer than 100 employees must submit a zero report in free form (zero reporting) electronically (see Stage 3 in the quota application process). 

How to fill out a quota application correctly? 

To correctly fill out a quota application, it is necessary to:

When submitting a quota application, the employer must also consider the restrictions on the permissible share of foreign workers hired in various sectors of the economy, established annually by the Government of the Russian Federation. To maintain an optimal balance of labor resources, the Government of the Russian Federation annually publishes a Decree "On Establishing the Permissible Share of Foreign Workers Used by Economic Entities Carrying Out Certain Types of Economic Activities on the Territory of the Russian Federation." The established share for 2025 can be found in our news. 

In conclusion, it should be noted that following all recommendations for obtaining a quota does not guarantee 100% success, but significantly increases employers' chances, and turning to professionals such as Confidence Group ensures compliance with all requirements related to migration and labor legislation of the Russian Federation. 

Confidence Group provides assistance in preparing and submitting information on the need for a quota to hire foreign workers, as well as information on vacancies on the "Work in Russia" portal.

   The cost of services is listed below: