Extension of periods of stay of foreign employees

LEGAL DIGEST, NEWS \ 26.01.2021

The President of the Russian Federation signed a Decree that simplifies the procedure for obtaining and extending work permits for foreign citizens performing job functions in the Russian Federation.

According to the Decree for the period from March 15, 2020 to June 15, 2021, in order to regulate the legal status of foreign citizens and persons without citizenship in Russia, the following terms will be suspended:

• Temporary stay.
• Temporary or permanent residence.
• Registration of foreign citizens at the place of their stay or registration at the place of residence.
• Residence outside of Russia of participants in the State Program to assist the voluntary relocation to the Russian Federation of Russian expatriates, their family members, persons who have received a temporary residence permit or a resident card.

In other words, the validity period of the following permits will not be counted for the specified period:

• Visa.
• Temporary residence permit (TRP).
• Resident card (RC).
• Arrival-departure record with marks of expiration dates.
• Certificate of the State Program participant.
• Wrk permit.
• Patent.
• Permit for the hiring and employment of foreign employees.

For the same period, the following decisions will be made in respect of foreign citizens:

• On the cancellation of previously issued visas, TRP, RC.
• On cancellation of work permits, patents, certificates of the participant of the state program of relocation of Russian expatriates.

In turn, until June 15, 2021, employers can obtain and extend work permits for foreign citizens who have arrived in the Russian Federation in a simplified manner, provided that the established restrictions and other measures aimed at ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological wellfare of the population are met. To obtain and extend permits, the employer has to apply to the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with an application made in any form.

Foreign citizens and persons without citizenship arrived in the Russian Federation in a procedure not requiring a visa are also entitled to apply for issuance or reissuance of a patent without taking into account the requirements to the established term for submitting documents. The purpose of the visit, in this case, does not matter.

Please note that the above-mentioned relaxations of the rules are not applied in the following cases:

• If, as of December 15, 2020, transport communication was resumed with the country of residence of a foreign citizen (with the exception of flights related to the exportation of foreign citizens to this foreign state). The established benefits will expire on March 16, 2021.
• If the transport communication was resumed after December 15, 2021. Benefits for foreign citizens in this case will be cancelled after 90 days from the date of the start of trips.

At the moment, Russia has resumed transport communication with the following countries: Tanzania, Turkey, Switzerland, Egypt, Maldives, UAE, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Korea, Cuba, Serbia, Japan, Seychelles, Ethiopia.

Please contact the Acsour’s Legal Department in the matters of the application of migration legislation, as well as the prolongation of terms of permits. Our specialists carefully monitor such changes and are ready to advise you on your questions.