Andrey Kikot, Russia’s First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and head of the Ministry’s Migration Service (Миграционная служба МВД России), reported that around 9 million foreign nationals enter Russia each year. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (Министерство внутренних дел России, МВД России) is the federal agency responsible for internal affairs and migration administration. For businesses, this is an indicator of the potential labor market’s scale, not a reason to change hiring rules. The statement does not say how many of those entering the country arrive specifically to engage in employment.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs Figure Measures the Flow, Not the Workforce
The estimate of 9 million covers all foreign nationals entering Russia over the course of a year. It does not distinguish between people by purpose of entry, profession, region, length of stay, or grounds for employment. Therefore, it cannot be used to estimate the number of candidates available to a particular company.
For a manager, this statistic is useful in another way: it confirms that working with foreign candidates remains a significant part of the hiring process. Recruitment, onboarding, and document management should be planned with the understanding that authorization to work is determined not by the scale of the flow, but by each individual’s data.
No New Employment Rules Have Been Announced
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs statement, no new requirements for hiring foreign nationals have been introduced, and no changes have been made to quotas, the procedure for migration registration, or notification deadlines. Companies do not need to revise their internal policies solely because the statistics were published.
At the same time, the publication may be a reason to conduct an internal review. It is useful to ensure that recruiters do not promise employment before documents have been checked, that the HR function understands the onboarding process, and that responsible employees know which information and deadlines must be monitored.
Candidate Verification Must Precede Authorization to Work
Before a candidate starts work, it is important to establish their legal status and the lawfulness of their stay. The passport, migration card (миграционная карта), registration at the place of stay (регистрация по месту пребывания), and validity periods of these documents are checked. The grounds on which the individual may work are determined separately—for example, a patent (патент), work permit (разрешение на работу), temporary residence permit (разрешение на временное проживание, РВП), permanent residence permit (вид на жительство, ВНЖ), or citizenship of an EAEU country.
The mere fact of entering the country cannot be treated as confirmation of the right to work. It is also necessary to verify whether employment by the particular employer, in the specific region, and in the intended profession is permitted. Restrictions may follow from the worker’s documents and applicable legislation, so there is no universal solution for all candidates.
HR Controls Reduce the Risk of Work Disruptions
Hiring checks should not remain a one-time procedure. Foreign workers’ documents have expiration dates, and the company needs a calendar for monitoring registration, patents, permits, and other applicable documents. A voluntary medical insurance policy (ДМС) must also be taken into account if it is required for the worker’s particular status.
A sensible allocation of responsibilities helps prevent gaps: the recruiter collects the initial information, the HR or migration function verifies the grounds for employment, and the department manager does not allow the person to perform tasks until the paperwork has been confirmed. This process is more important than filling a vacancy at any cost or speed.
Notifications and the Contract Require Separate Oversight
An employment contract or civil-law agreement should be executed after the foreign national’s right to work has been verified. After the contract is concluded or terminated, the employer must submit a notification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs within the period established by current legislation. The material does not specify a particular deadline because it depends on the applicable rules, not on the published estimate of the entry flow.
If a company treats the statistics as a signal to hire on a mass scale without checking the grounds for employment, it may allow a foreign national to work without the required documents. In cases provided for by law, this may result in administrative liability, fines, suspension of operations, and migration-related risks for the worker.
What to Check
- Do not treat the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ estimate of 9 million as an indication of the number of foreign nationals who have the right to work.
- Before the candidate starts work, check the passport, migration card, registration, and their expiration dates.
- Establish the foreign national’s status and grounds for employment: a patent, permit, temporary residence permit, permanent residence permit, citizenship of an EAEU country, or another applicable basis.
- Verify whether employment is permitted with the specific employer, in the region, and in the profession.
- Execute an employment contract or civil-law agreement after verifying the right to work.
- Submit notifications to the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the conclusion and termination of the contract within the applicable statutory deadline.
- Maintain a calendar of the deadlines for registration, patents, permits, voluntary medical insurance where required, and other documents.