Foreign labor hire permit

The process of hiring foreign citizens in Russia involves numerous bureaucratic stages and can be complex, time-consuming, and financially demanding.

To obtain a work permit for a foreign citizen, an employer who does not wish to hire the foreign worker as a highly qualified specialist (with a monthly salary exceeding 250,000 rubles) must either obtain a work permit for a non-quota (quota-free) position or obtain a quota for hiring foreign labor.

One of the stages in obtaining the above mentioned work permit under the standard procedure is receiving a permit for foreign labor, which is obtained directly by the employer planning to hire foreign citizens.

Process of obtaining a permit for foreign labor hire

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

Stage 2: submitting an application for a quota and obtaining it. This stage is required if the employer plans to hire a foreign citizen for a quota-based position. Learn more about quotas.

Stage 3: obtaining a permit for foreign labor hire. This permit contains information about the profession (specialty, position) for which the employer intends to hire a foreign worker, as well as the worker's country of citizenship and the number of workers.

After receiving the documents from the employer for foreign labor hire application, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sends a request to "Work in Russia," which, within 10 working days from the date of receiving the request, issues a conclusion on the feasibility of hiring foreign workers based on two criteria:

·  the presence of the vacancy in the database and the employer's compliance with the 30-day posting period;

·  the employer's possession of a quota for hiring foreign workers for the specified position and citizenship (if the employer claims a quota-free position, the quota is not checked).

"Work in Russia" may also deny the issuance of foreign labor hire under certain circumstances.

If the above conditions are met and a positive decision is made to issue foreign labor hire, the permit is processed within 30 calendar days. Foreign labor hire is issued for only one region. Consequently, a work permit for a foreign citizen can also be issued for only one region. If the work is to be performed in several regions, a foreign labor hire permit and work permit must be obtained for each region.

Only after the employer has received foreign labor hire permit, the vacancy posted on the "Work in Russia" portal (Stage 1) can be removed, and documents for the foreign citizen's work permit can be submitted.

Reasons for denial of foreign labor hire permit issuing:

The most common reasons for denial of a permit to attract and use foreign workers are:

1. Absence of information in the register of recipients of state employment services about the employer's need for workers to fill vacant positions.

2. If the period of providing information about the employer's need for workers to fill vacant positions to the state employment service is less than 1 calendar month on the date of receiving the request from the Ministry of Internal Affairs or its territorial body for a conclusion on hiring foreign workers.

3. The presence of Russian citizens with the necessary professional qualifications or training registered with state employment services seeking suitable work (unemployed citizens). The commission is guided by principles of national security, maintaining labor resource balance, and prioritizing employment for Russian citizens.

4. The employer's refusal to hire Russian citizens with the necessary professional qualifications or training, including those residing in other locations.

5. The employer's refusal to hire Russian citizens residing in labor-surplus regions (municipalities, settlements) with the necessary professional qualifications or training.

6.  Absence of information in the register of recipients of state employment services about the employer's application for the need for foreign workers to fill vacant or newly created positions for the current year.

Appealing a denial of a permit to attract foreign workers or finding alternative solutions is a complex process.

The state fee for issuing foreign labor hire permit is 12,000 rubles per foreign worker. Thus, if an employer submits documents for several permits for foreign workers and is receives denial, the total costs can be significant.

Seeking professional assistance can help minimize the risks of denial. Confidence Group is ready to assist you in resolving issues related to hiring foreign workers as quickly as possible.

Service costs are listed below: