Migration services for highly qualified specialists

Adjustment stages

In accordance with the regulations, adjustments to work permits for highly qualified specialists are provided for in two cases: a change in the position of a HQS and a change in the details of the identity document of a foreign citizen.
In other cases, it is not possible to adjust the work permit and it is necessary to re-issue the work permit. First stage: Concluding an additional agreement with a highly qualified specialist in connection with a change in the details or position of a foreign highly qualified specialist.

In the event of a change in the surname, first name of a foreign citizen or details of his identity document on the territory of the Russian Federation, this foreign citizen within seven working days from the date of entry into the Russian Federation , or from the date of change of his surname, name, or details of his identity document a foreign citizen on the territory of the Russian Federation is obliged to contact the territorial body of the federal executive body in the field of migration that issued the work permit to make appropriate changes to the information contained in such a permit.

Second stage: You need to provide a package of documents necessary to adjust the work permit for the HQS. Our company prepares and then, after your company signs a set of documents, submits them to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Third stage: Review of documents. The Department of Internal Affairs of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs makes a decision on issuing a work permit within 14 working days (not taking into account weekends and public holidays).

Stage four: Issuance of a work permit. It is carried out personally to the employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Our company agrees with you on a date and time convenient for your HQS to obtain a work permit. Our employee arrives at the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in advance and gets in line so that it takes about 15 minutes to obtain a work permit.

Order an adjustment

Obtaining a work permit for HQS

The basic provisions for carrying out the labor activities of a foreign HQS can be studied in Article 13.2. Federal Law No. 115 “On the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation”, which was introduced by Federal Law No. 86-FZ of May 19, 2010. It specifies the procedure for processing and issuing a work permit for a highly qualified foreign specialist; the extension of the employment contract and work permit occurs in accordance with the current administrative regulations.

Advantages of working with a foreign HQS:

• the issuance of a work permit for a foreigner occurs regardless of quotas and is regulated by the list of positions in the relevant legislative act;
• there is no requirement to obtain a permit to attract foreign labor to the company;
• A work permit for a foreigner can be issued for several regions of the Russian Federation. The period of a work permit for a foreign specialist can be up to 3 years. The list of documents for registration has been shortened;
• the period for obtaining permission and invitation for a work visa is 14 working days;
• A multiple-entry work visa for a highly qualified foreign specialist is issued for the period of validity of the permit (up to 3 years) immediately, and not as when applying for a regular visa through a single-entry visa. When extending a work permit for a foreign citizen, the validity of a multiple work visa and a visa for accompanying family members can be extended without leaving the Russian Federation;
• Almost all relatives of HQS can enter the Russian Federation on a visa for an accompanying family member for the duration of the permit. Relatives of a highly qualified foreign specialist have the right to work on a visa for an accompanying family member, and can also obtain a work permit outside the quotas using a simplified procedure;
• if a foreign citizen is in the Russian Federation on a work visa from another legal entity or on a visa of a foreign employee, then such a visa can be reissued without leaving the Russian Federation;
• a foreign specialist has the right to work on business trips in any region of the Russian Federation;
• HQS and their family members have the opportunity to carry out migration registration within 90 days from the date of entry into the Russian Federation; after registering for migration when moving around the Russian Federation, they have the right not to register for migration for 30 days;
• the income of a foreign specialist at the place of work is taxed at 13%, the employer pays only a tax of 0.02% to the Social Insurance Fund;
• The HQS and his family members have the right to obtain a residence permit in a simplified regime for the period of validity of the work permit;
• A work permit for a foreign specialist can be issued on behalf of a representative office or branch of a foreign company.

Disadvantages of hiring a foreign specialist:

• obligation to pay wages of at least 2 million rubles per year and confirm payments quarterly;
• work permits can be issued only from a limited list of organizations;
• issuing a voluntary health insurance policy for a highly qualified foreign specialist and all members of his family is a mandatory condition.

Extension of work permit for HQS

In accordance with Federal Law No. 115-FZ “On the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation”, the validity period of a work permit can be repeatedly extended for the duration of the employment contract or civil contract for the performance of work (rendering services), but not more than for three years for each such extension.

To extend the validity period of a HQS work permit, the employer, no later than thirty days before the expiration of such a permit, submits to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs the package of documents necessary to extend the HQS work permit.

Extension of a HQS work permit consists of 4 (four) stages:

First stage: Concluding an additional agreement with a highly qualified specialist in connection with the extension of the term of employment by a highly qualified specialist.

Second stage: You need to provide the package of documents required to renew the HQS work permit. Our company prepares and then, after your company signs a set of documents, submits them to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Third stage: Review of documents. The Department of Internal Affairs of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs makes a decision on the extension and issuance of a work permit within 14 working days (not taking into account weekends and public holidays).

Stage four: Issuance of a work permit. It is carried out personally to the employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Our company agrees with you on a date and time convenient for your HQS to obtain a work permit. Our employee arrives at the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in advance and gets in line so that it takes about 15 minutes to obtain a work permit.

Step by step procedure for renewing a work permit for a HQS

Despite the fact that the VKS RNR can be renewed many times, this procedure still requires a large number of documents and the attention of the employer. The fact is that you need to submit papers to renew your permit at least 30 days before the end of the current document. In addition, the migration service requires 14 days to consider the application from the employer.

The extension of the RNR occurs in several stages:

1. To renew a work permit for a HQS, you need to draw up an additional work agreement with a foreign employee for a new period.
2. Then, within 3 days from the date of concluding a new employment contract, the employer must collect an extensive package of documents and send it to the migration service. A detailed list will be given in the next paragraph of the article. This is the most difficult stage: documents are carefully checked, so the slightest mistake can cause refusal. It is worth starting the collection and preparation of documents long before the expiration date of the PNR.
3. Within 14 days, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will examine the submitted documents, and if there are no errors in them, the HQS will receive a new permit.

Documents that must be provided to obtain a new PNR include the following:

• application for renewal of a work permit for a foreign specialist;
• a letter of guarantee from the employer regarding material support and medical insurance for the HQS during his stay in the Russian Federation;
• certificate of state registration of the company (copy);
• certificate of tax registration of the company (copy);
• HQS passport translated into Russian (copy);
• employment contract and additional agreements (copies with the company seal and the director’s signature);
• certificate of tax registration of a foreign specialist;
• an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities for the company - it must be received no more than 30 days in advance at the time of submission of documents (copy);
• photograph of a foreign VKS (2 pieces, 30*40, color, matte);
• certificate 2-NDFL for all years of validity of the RNR VKS;
• voluntary medical insurance agreement for the entire period of validity of the PNR;
• original of the previous work permit for the HQS.

All copies must be certified by a notary.

Is personal presence required?

A work permit for a HQS on the territory of the Russian Federation is issued upon presentation of a document confirming the identity of a foreign citizen. Therefore, in accordance with paragraph 15 of Article 13.2 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 115, the HQS is obliged to be present in person when receiving the RNR.

The coronavirus pandemic has repeatedly made changes to the procedure for attracting foreign HQS to the territory of the Russian Federation. At the time of writing (December 2020), another decree of the President of the Russian Federation and clarifications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to it were issued. According to these documents, work permits for HQS that expired after June 15, 2021 are not automatically renewed. They need to be renewed in the standard manner at the migration services at the place of registration of the foreign citizen, but this can be done without a stated purpose of entry. The extension is valid until June 15, 2021.

If, on December 15, 2021, the country from which a foreign specialist arrived resumed transport links with Russia, the validity of both the RPR and the visa is extended by 90 days from the moment the borders open. In other words, if the message resumed on December 15, then the PNR is processed until March 15, 2021. If the borders were opened between December 15 and June 15, 2021, then all documents are automatically extended from the day the transport connection opens.

If you haven’t managed to renew your PNR

If for some reason you were unable to renew your work permit and visa on time, the foreign specialist faces dismissal and return to his homeland. There he will have to re-issue a work visa, and the employer in the Russian Federation will have to draw up an invitation and collect documents to obtain a work permit for the HQS. Among other things, this can result in serious financial costs for flights and visas for a foreign citizen, and for the company that invited him to work - suspension of activities if the HQS held a management position.

We will help you resolve issues with extending your HQS work visa and work permit. Our employees provide legal services and advise on issues related to the stay of citizens of near and far abroad, including highly qualified specialists, on the territory of the Russian Federation. Since 1993, we have been helping to obtain work visas, work permits, foreign work visas, residence permits in the Russian Federation and much more. Entrust the renewal of work permit for your employees to avoid time costs or errors in documents. You can view the full list of services and leave a request on our website.

Cost of services for adjusting and extending a HQS work permit

Prices for services for obtaining a work permit for HQS

The employer must notify the territorial Directorate for Migration Issues of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the conclusion of an employment contract with a foreign HQS within three working days from the date of conclusion of the employment contract. It is also necessary to notify quarterly of the fulfillment of obligations to pay wages to the HQS in the established amount and of granting a highly qualified specialist leave without pay if the leave is more than one calendar month. The validity of a work visa for a HQS is three years.

The procedure for obtaining a permit for a foreign HQS can be used by:

1. Russian commercial organizations;
2. Russian scientific organizations and institutions of professional education and healthcare;
3. organizations carrying out scientific, scientific-technical and innovative activities, experimental developments, tests, personnel training accredited in the Russian Federation;
4. branches of foreign legal entities accredited in the Russian Federation;
5. organizations that, within 2 years before the date of filing the petition, were not subject to administrative punishment for illegally recruiting foreign citizens or stateless persons to work in the Russian Federation, and also did not have, at the time of filing such a petition, outstanding decisions imposing an administrative penalty for committing specified administrative offenses.

Highly qualified foreign specialists can be recruited by Russian companies: upon a petition to attract a highly qualified employee, which is submitted by the employer or customer of work (services) to the territorial department of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, or the specialist can independently declare himself. In this case, he submits an application to the representative office of the Directorate for Migration Issues of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs abroad, or to a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation.

Documents required for obtaining a work permit for HQS

We will provide detailed advice on the required package of documents, which includes:

• Questionnaire for a foreign highly qualified specialist ().
• Translation into Russian of the first page of the passport of a foreign citizen applying for a work permit as a highly qualified foreign employee.
• Translation of a diploma with an apostille – for citizens of migration-risk countries.
• IIN of a foreign citizen – 2 copies.
• OGRN of the employer's company - 2 copies.
• Voluntary health insurance policy (VHI) for a foreign citizen (highly qualified employee) - original and copy (certified by the employer).
• Photo size 3.5x4.5 – color, matte, on a gray or blue background;
• A recent extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities no more than 30 days from the date of submission of documents - 2 copies,
• Confirmation of payment of the state fee for issuing a work permit to a foreign citizen or stateless person - 3,500 rubles.

After submitting documents for obtaining a permit, you must begin processing an invitation for a work visa. The period for issuing an invitation to enter for a HQS is 14 days. It is important to consider that the invitation is issued almost simultaneously with the work permit.

If a citizen of another state is appointed to the position of general director, then in addition to the contract it is necessary to provide an order, decision or protocol from the founder on the appointment of the HQS to the corresponding position from the moment the permission is received.

When a foreigner is already working in Russia, it is required to provide the original IIN of the foreign citizen and a copy certified by the employer, as well as copies of the entry visa to the Russian Federation, work permit and migration card. No invitation required.

Copies of documents specified from the second to fifth (2-5) points must be notarized.

Travelmart will help you understand all the issues that arise in the area of ​​migration and visa consulting. We have extensive experience in the field of legalization of foreign citizens, therefore all procedures established by the legislation of the Russian Federation are strictly observed. This approach eliminates problems in the future and reduces the time for obtaining invitations and work visas. All necessary notifications regarding wages, contract changes, entry and exit of a citizen of another state, invitations of his relatives are sent to the appropriate authorities without violations or fines.

Cancellation of work permit for HQS

The issue of canceling a work permit granted to a foreign citizen is decided by the territorial division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation only if there are grounds provided for by law.

Cancellation of a work permit for a HQS is permissible in cases where a foreign person:

• threatens the security of the Russian Federation or citizens of the country;
• associated with terrorist activities;
• convicted of a crime;
• provided false documents or information about himself;
• left the Russian Federation for permanent residence;
• suffers from drug addiction or does not have confirmation of the absence of HIV;
• is outside the Russian Federation for more than 6 months;
• was subjected to deportation or expulsion from the Russian Federation no more than 5 years ago;
• two or more times during the year was brought to administrative responsibility for violating the rules of the stay of foreigners in the Russian Federation.

In case of cancellation, the foreign citizen has the right to enter into a new contract with another employer for the remaining period of validity of the PNR, if the expiration period is more than 3 months.

List of documents for registration for a HQS job

• Employer's petition (2 copies);
• An employment contract or civil contract for the performance of work (provision of services) with a highly qualified specialist, concluded and formalized in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. The original, signed by both parties and a copy certified by the seal and signature of an official of the organization;
• Letter of guarantee for the return of a citizen at the first request of the executive body in the field of migration;
• Letter of guarantee to invite a HQS (if required);
• Photo 3x4 (color, matte, 1 pc.);
• Receipt of payment of the state fee in the amount of 3,500 rubles for a work permit;
• Receipt of payment of the state fee in the amount of 800 rubles for the invitation (if required);
• Power of attorney for the employer's representative (1 copy);
• A notarized copy of the certificate of making an entry in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (OGRN) (1 copy);
• A notarized copy of the tax registration certificate (TIN) (1 copy);
• Notarized translation of a foreign citizen’s passport (main page) (1 copy);
• Voluntary health insurance policy for the duration of the contract.

Amendments to the HQS work permit

How to renew a work permit for a HQS

Despite the fact that the VKS RNR can be renewed many times, this procedure still requires a large number of documents and the attention of the employer. The fact is that you need to submit papers to renew your permit at least 30 days before the end of the current document. In addition, the migration service requires 14 days to consider the application from the employer.

The process of renewing a work permit for HQS step by step

Work permit for HQS

A highly qualified employee can obtain a work permit in one or more regions of the Russian Federation. The document is provided to a foreign citizen for the duration of the employment contract concluded with the employer. For long-term cooperation, the permit must be renewed every 3 years.

The employer must notify the territorial Directorate for Migration Issues of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the conclusion of an employment contract. The period for notifying authorities is 3 working days from the date of official registration.

To obtain a work permit for a HQS, the following documents are required:

• petition to involve an employee;
• employment contract;
• a written obligation to compensate for the expenses of the Russian Federation in the event of the need to deport the specialist involved;
• a copy of the certificate of state registration of a legal entity;
• a receipt confirming payment of the state fee for obtaining a work permit;
• a copy of the foreigner’s identity document.

The decision to grant a work permit to a highly qualified specialist will be made within two weeks from the date of submission of the package of documents.

Legal services will speed up the registration procedure and eliminate the possibility of adverse legal consequences. Comprehensive support for obtaining a work permit for VKS is provided by the company Consul.