Russia attaches great importance to addressing the issue of foreign immigration. According to a United Nations report released last September, Russia ranks second in the world in terms of the number of foreign immigrants. According to UN statistics, 11 million immigrants were living in Russia in 2013, while the number of foreign immigrants in the United States was 45.8 million. So, what is the immigration policy like in such a popular immigration destination? What conditions must be met to immigrate?
I. Requirements for applying for Russian immigration:
1. Spouses, parents, children, and siblings of Russian citizens;
2. Third-degree collateral relatives of Russian citizens;
3. Foreign technical personnel and special talents who can contribute to economic development.
II. Interpretation of Russian immigration policy:
1. Foreign immigrants are categorized based on their length of stay. According to Russian immigration policy, foreign immigrants coming to Russia are divided into four categories based on the duration of their stay: temporary stay, short-term residence, long-term residence, and illegal stay.
"Temporary stay" refers to foreigners who enter Russia with a visa or visa-free, have obtained a Russian immigration card but do not have a residence permit or temporary residence permit, and stay in Russia for three months (which can be extended to one year for special reasons).
"Short-term residence" refers to foreigners who have obtained a short-term residence permit and stay in Russia for no more than three years.
"Long-term residence" refers to foreigners who have obtained a long-term residence permit and stay in Russia for no more than five years.
"Illegal stay" refers to foreigners who do not have a stay permit or residence permit.
2. Introduction of a quota system for foreign labor, implementing a quota system for citizens of CIS countries coming to Russia for work for the first time.
The quota aims to reduce the number of foreign workers while ensuring the domestic employment environment, effectively attracting foreign labor. The foreign labor quota system refers to the Russian government's approval of the quota for foreign labor introduction applications for each federal subject. The specific allocation plan for labor indicators in each region will be jointly formulated by the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Enterprises and the private sector must obtain quota permits from the labor department before hiring foreign workers, register with the tax department, and are obligated to pay labor taxes and immigration taxes for foreign workers. In quota approval, the government prioritizes areas with labor shortages in the Russian economy, such as construction and agriculture.
3. Increase penalties for business owners who hire illegal workers and for foreign workers who violate immigration regulations, and crack down on illegal immigration.
According to data from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Migration Service, as of 2006, there were 12 million immigrants from CIS countries in Russia, 7 million of whom were illegal immigrants, mainly distributed in construction, industry, agriculture, commerce, and other fields.
According to the new law, foreign citizens who violate immigration registration regulations will be fined between 2,000 and 5,000 rubles. Those with serious circumstances will be handed over to the court for judgment and deportation.
Foreign citizens who stay illegally in Russia will be required to leave within a time limit and will be prohibited from re-entering for a certain number of years. Foreign citizens who have been penalized more than twice for violating immigration regulations in Russia will be refused visas and residence procedures. Business owners who illegally hire foreign immigrants can be fined up to 800,000 rubles.