On 10 September 2026, Andrey Kikot, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, reported an increase in the number of migrant workers lawfully present in Russia. For businesses, this may mean a broader pool of legally available workers. However, the statement itself does not introduce new employment rules, provide information about quotas or change employers’ liability.
Growth in the legal labor market does not replace candidate verification
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД России), the federal agency responsible for migration oversight, was referring to the general situation: the number of migrant workers legally present in Russia is growing. An employer may regard this as an indication that searching for employees among foreign nationals is not necessarily associated with a higher proportion of candidates without proper status. However, the agency’s assessment does not confirm the documents of any particular person.
In the hiring process, candidates must not be allowed to work based on their statements or the general information environment. Before employment begins, the foreign national’s migration status and right to work must be verified. This approach is important both for direct hiring and for engaging personnel through a staffing service or outsourcing company.
What checkpoints are needed when hiring
Practical verification begins with documents confirming identity and lawful presence in the country. The employer should verify the validity of the passport, migration card (a document recording a foreign national’s entry and migration status) and documents confirming lawful presence. The current address of stay and migration registration details should also be checked.
A separate checkpoint is the document granting the right to work in Russia, if one is required for the particular employee. It is important to verify not only that the document exists but also its validity period. The material reviewed does not specify which documents are required for different categories of foreign nationals: this must be assessed for each specific candidate.
How to integrate migration compliance into the HR process
It is better to make verification part of the candidate’s standard process rather than a one-off procedure before the person starts work. The HR department should record which documents were submitted, which details were checked and which expiration dates require subsequent monitoring. This helps prevent documents from being overlooked when they expire after hiring.
Monitoring should not be limited to the hiring stage. The employer should set up tracking of migration and work authorization document expiration dates before they expire, and also check whether mandatory notifications concerning employment contracts with foreign nationals have been filed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statement does not establish new notification or document deadlines: the requirements already in force apply.
Risks for the company and its talent pool
Properly documenting an employee’s employment reduces the risk of fines and other sanctions for breaches of migration law. If status and documents are not checked, the company may allow a person to work without proper grounds or miss mandatory HR and migration procedures. This creates grounds for claims by regulatory authorities and liability under the applicable rules.
For a manager, the issue is not only the risk of an individual violation but also the overall manageability of hiring. A standardized verification process allows the HR department to understand which candidates can proceed, which details need clarification and which employees require date monitoring. The growing number of legal migrants expands search opportunities but does not eliminate the need to verify each case individually.
What to check
- Verify the candidate’s passport validity.
- Check the migration card and documents confirming lawful presence.
- Confirm that the address of stay and migration registration details are up to date.
- Make sure the document granting the right to work in Russia exists and is valid, if it is required for the particular employee.
- Check whether the mandatory notifications concerning the employment contract with the foreign national have been filed.
- Set up monitoring of migration and work authorization document expiration dates before they expire.
- Do not allow a candidate to work solely on the basis of verbal assurances about lawful status.