Russia is further tightening regulations on labor migrants, with restrictions now in place in 52 regions. Businesses are facing rising costs and labor shortages as authorities prepare to shift to a new system of organized recruitment of foreign workers.
Vasily Kuznetsov, director of the department for work with branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reported that St. Petersburg has extended a ban on patent-based migrants working in taxi and delivery services until the end of 2026.
Krasnodar Krai has almost completely restricted the hiring of foreigners under patents since the beginning of 2025. Pskov Oblast will introduce bans for migrants in taxi, bus transportation, courier delivery, restaurants, cafes, and alcohol and tobacco trade from July 1, 2026.
Kuznetsov noted that while authorities consider the labor market stable, businesses are experiencing rising service costs and a shortage of personnel. He highlighted the transition to targeted organized recruitment of foreign workers as a key change.
From 2027 to 2032, an experiment is planned: foreigners will be hired for a specific employer and workplace. Electronic registries of workers and employers will be created, a single state operator under the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be introduced, advance personal income tax payments will be required, and traditional patents and permits will be abandoned.
Another notable trend is the rising cost of legal hiring and expanded employer liability. The State Duma previously passed a bill increasing the state fee for an entry invitation from 960 to 8,000 rubles, and for a multiple-entry visa from 1,900 to 6,000 rubles.
The expert also pointed to an initiative to raise the salary threshold for highly qualified foreign specialists. Previously set at 750,000 rubles per quarter, it is now proposed to increase it to 717,000 rubles per month. According to Kuznetsov, this could create additional risks for employers: if a company cannot provide such pay, it faces fines, while terminating the contract is hindered by Labor Code norms.
Among large-scale changes, the expert cited the digitalization of accounting and control. He reminded that since February 2025, a registry of controlled persons has been in operation at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which includes foreigners without legal grounds for staying in Russia.
Source: podrobno.uz