The State Budgetary Institution “Migration Center” (ГБУ «Миграционный центр») reminded applicants that applications must be submitted in person and stated that it does not work with intermediaries. No new requirements, deadlines, or sanctions were announced in the clarification. However, employers should take this information into account in HR communications with foreign employees who process documents through the Moscow center.
The center’s clarification is a guide for HR communications
The notice from the State Budgetary Institution “Migration Center” (ГБУ «Миграционный центр») is addressed to applicants, but it also has practical significance for employers. If a company informs foreign employees about options for processing migration documents, it is important to use wording consistent with the center’s position: applications must be submitted in person, and the center does not work with intermediaries.
This does not mean that a new obligation has been introduced for the employer to accompany an employee to the center or monitor their every action. The published clarification contains no such requirements. The role of HR is not to create an incorrect expectation for the employee that anyone can interact with the center on their behalf as an official intermediary.
How to update guidance notes and internal instructions
It is useful to review existing guidance notes, onboarding emails, and HR responses to frequently asked questions. They may state directly that the State Budgetary Institution “Migration Center” (ГБУ «Миграционный центр») receives applicants in person and recommends using official channels. This information is particularly important for employees who are dealing for the first time with a patent, a temporary residence permit (РВП), a residence permit (ВНЖ), or citizenship matters.
Internal materials should be based on verifiable services rather than unofficial routes. The center’s official resources provide patent payment, patent readiness checks, receipt generation, and advance appointments. The employer should not supplement this list with services or rules that the center has not confirmed.
Official services help distinguish information from assistance
For an HR professional, the official resource is primarily a single point to which an employee can be directed for up-to-date procedural information. This reduces the risk that corporate correspondence will contain unconfirmed information about document submission procedures, deadlines, or actions by third parties.
The center’s notice does not specify what consequences may result from using intermediaries. Therefore, corporate notices should not claim that such contact may lead to fines, refusals, or other outcomes. It is sufficient to accurately convey the source’s position: the center does not work with intermediaries, and the applicant must apply in person.
What this reminder does not regulate
The clarification does not change the procedure for hiring a foreign national and does not establish new monitoring procedures for the employer. It also contains no new deadlines for patents, temporary residence permits (РВП), residence permits (ВНЖ), or citizenship. If a company needs information about a specific procedure, it should verify it against official materials rather than infer it from this notice.
The documents that an employee must submit in each possible case are also not described. Therefore, HR should not turn this news into a universal list of documents. The practical conclusion is limited to official application channels and the need for the applicant to visit the center in person.
An employee’s relocation requires a separate regional check
The center separately advises employees moving to another region to review in advance the rules of stay in force there. For an employer, this is a reason not to automatically apply Moscow guidance to another federal subject. Even if an employee has previously used the services of the Moscow center, the situation after relocation requires referring to the official information of the relevant region.
The internal process may be limited to timely notification: the employee is informed of the need to independently check regional rules, while HR does not replace them with its own assumptions. The center’s notice does not provide specific rules, deadlines, or documents for another region.
What to check
- Include information in guidance notes for foreign employees about applying in person to the State Budgetary Institution “Migration Center” (ГБУ «Миграционный центр»).
- Do not present intermediaries as a channel for interaction with the Moscow center.
- Direct employees to the center’s official contacts and online services for procedural clarifications.
- Remind employees about services available through official resources: patent payment, readiness checks, receipt generation, and advance appointments.
- If an employee relocates to another region, suggest that they check the official rules of stay in that region in advance.