Russia introduces new regulations for foreign employees

Russia

On 25 July 2008 a new Administrative Regulation came into force issuing conclusions with regard to attracting a foreign work force and issuing work permits for foreign citizens .

The new Regulation was approved by Order No 1 of the Federal Migration Service; Order No 4 of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation; Order No 1 of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation; and the State Fishery Committee of the Russian Federation on 11 January 2008 (registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on 9 April 2008 No 11480). The Regulation was officially published in the "Bulletin of normative acts of the federal executive bodies" No 28 on 14 July 2008.

The Regulation introduces a new approach for the process of obtaining conclusions with regard to attracting a foreign work force and issuing work permits for foreign citizens. According to the Regulation, the two-step procedure for obtaining conclusions with regard to attracting a foreign work force and obtaining work permits will be replaced by a "one-window" system. The Federal Migration Service, having received all the documents from the applicants, will internally send requests to the Federal Employment Service.

The term for obtaining work permits will remain the same and should not exceed 30 days.

The practical side of implementing the new Regulation might take some as there are a lot of internal changes to be applied to the Federal Migration Service.