| All matters related to the arrival of a foreigner in | | | | employer, which on the one hand avoids additional |
| Russia are dealt with in Federal Law entitled - On the | | | | running around, but on the other hand, increases the |
| rights of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation, also | | | | time necessary for reviewing the documents. |
| known as the Law on Foreigners. Among the items | | | | 3. After receiving official permission and a conclusion, |
| this law covers is the one regarding an expatriate | | | | the employer must go to the territorial department of |
| working in the Russian Federation. Under this law, all | | | | the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). In Moscow, these |
| foreigners are free to exercise their capability to work, | | | | functions are fulfilled by the Moscow GUVD (municipal |
| choose their career and profession, and have the right | | | | militia, or police) Foreign Migration Department. The |
| to freely utilize their personal property in any enterprise | | | | employer will be subjected to more detailed scrutiny, |
| or economic undertaking not prohibited by law. Like | | | | and the list of documents he must present will be |
| many other Russian laws, this one certainly sounds | | | | substantially longer. In addition to the above documents, |
| appealing and democratic. | | | | the employer will also be asked for his last financial |
| The dilemma lies in the fact that this law can, at least | | | | statement with the stamp of the Tax Inspector, and a |
| for the time being, be considered Utopian, but in | | | | number of other documents that testify to the |
| practice, foreigners in Russia cannot use their means | | | | economic state of the Company. |
| freely, because back in 1993, a procedure was | | | | If all his documents are in order, and the GUVD is |
| established for employers to attract and use foreign | | | | ready to give its assent, the employer will have to pay |
| labor. This system is still in force, even with the | | | | a federal fee. |
| passage of the new law. In order for a company | | | | 4. With this permission, payment order, and the packet |
| registered in Russia to have the right to legally employ | | | | of documents the GUVD demanded in hand, the |
| a foreigner, it has to secure two permits. The first is | | | | employer next goes to the Federal Migration |
| the permission to invite and employ foreign labor; the | | | | Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID) of |
| second is a work permit for every foreign worker. | | | | the Russian Federation. This is the department that will |
| The permit procedure consists of five steps, and | | | | issue him a definitive permit to invite and hire a foreign |
| takes an average of five months with the help of a | | | | worker, or workers. |
| company that specializes in registering foreigners. This | | | | 5. Having secured this permit, the employer returns to |
| time period, it should be noted, is approximate, and | | | | the territorial department of the MVD, migration section, |
| comes from information garnered from the State | | | | to receive permission for a specific individual. It is at this |
| administration, which essentially means that it could | | | | stage that the foreign citizen whom the prospective |
| take much longer. If a company decides to seek a | | | | employer is trying to register is checked out. The |
| permit independently, without recourse to a | | | | company must have been in contact with the |
| professional company, the time may drag on | | | | prospective employee, and must have secured |
| indefinitely. | | | | several necessary documents from him, including his |
| The tour of the offices consists of the following: | | | | diplomas, and a physician certificate, including negative |
| 1. The first step for an employer who wants to hire a | | | | results of an HIV blood test, and must provide the |
| foreigner is to apply to the district employment office | | | | MDV with copies of these, along with copies of his |
| at the place where the company is registered, for a | | | | passport and visa. |
| permit to invite and employ foreign labor (IRS), a | | | | Only after successfully completing all these procedures |
| temporary document that allows him to receive the | | | | can an employer or company intending to hire a |
| actual permit at a later date. At the Office, it is | | | | foreigner, or the foreign employee, consider |
| necessary to explain in detail the reason for inviting a | | | | themselves invulnerable and protected from any |
| foreign employee, and to answer the question, why | | | | untoward incidents in case of a verification or check |
| can the company not hire a Russian citizen; to present | | | | by the authorities. |
| registration and charter documents for the Company; | | | | But they cannot rest easy very long, as a work permit |
| to fill out statistical forms on the Company need for | | | | is good for no more than one year, and as soon as a |
| foreign workers, and their future salary; and to provide | | | | foreigner receives his first permit, he must immediately |
| a copy of the proposed employment contract. The | | | | begin the procedure for obtaining the next one. |
| Company must also specify what country the worker | | | | Because of all the difficulties involved, qualified foreign |
| will be coming from, and what position he will occupy. | | | | experts frequently lose out to illegal immigrants from |
| This way, the employer is registering not some | | | | neighboring countries, illegally working in Russia. |
| theoretical worker, but rather a person he knows | | | | Obtaining a permit is so involved that employees are |
| personally and with whom he has already reached an | | | | not always able to complete the renewal process in |
| agreement about a specific position. | | | | time, and as a result, runs into the problem of being |
| 2. After receiving written permission at the center, the | | | | unable to continue working. |
| employer takes all the necessary documents to the | | | | Will the procedure for registering foreign workers on |
| appropriate department of the Federal Employment | | | | the Russian market be simplified? And to what extent |
| Administration, according to the Subject of the | | | | do the Russian authorities acknowledge the difficulties |
| Federation, for example, Moscow. Examination of the | | | | and inadequacies of the existing system? |
| documents takes place without the presence of the | | | | |