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1) Hiring employees – Turkish nationals and visa regime with Turkey.

According to President’s Order № 583, from January 2016 work permits which allow Turkish nationals to work in the territory of the Russian Federation, are no longer issued by the Federal Migration service. As a result, Turkish citizens cannot be officially employed by companies which are registered and operate in Russia.

However, due to numerous applications and high demand from business for Turkish labor force, the Russian government has produced a list of companies, as of January 01.2016, stating legal entities which are still allowed to hire Turkish nationals for work and service performance in the Russian Federation. It contains 53 companies. Also organizations which operate under the jurisdiction of Turkey are prohibited to perform a series of operations in the Russian Federation.

The list is available following the link: http://www.garant.ru/hotlaw/federal/688367/

Starting from April 16, 2011, Turkish citizens were allowed to enter Russia and stay on its territory for up to 30 calendar days in without any visa. The number of entries was not limited however the total amount of days should not have exceeded 90 days within each 180 days period.

As of January 01, 2016, the visa-free regime with Turkey was suspended. Turkish nationals now require visa despite the purpose and duration of their stay in Russia. However Federal migration services have currently stopped receiving applications for invitations for any types of visas for Turkish nationals and at the moment it is not possible to submit an application for any type of invitation.

Those Turkish nationals, who have already obtained the permissive documents, are still allowed to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation, for the period of validity of the documents issued.

2) Citizens of Belorussia. Simplification of migration regime.

Due to the Federal Law 296, starting from 03.12.2015, Citizens of Belarus may stay in Russia without address registration up to 90 days, instead of 30 days as it was previously.

Also according to Federal Law 465 as of December 30, 2015, the procedure of obtaining the temporary residence permit and residence permit was simplified for the citizens of Belarus Republic. They are now exempt from the obligatory procedure of passing the exam of knowledge of Russian language, history and law.

Therefore the certificate of knowledge will not be required for application for a residence permit or temporary residence permit.

3) Simplification of visa regime for Georgian citizens.

As of December 23, 2015 the citizens of Georgia started to obtain  business, work, educational and humanitarian visas of any multiplicity, as well as private visas, despite the presence of kinship between the host and invited party, based on the original invitation, made through the Russian Federal Migration Service.

Previously only close relatives in Russian Federation could apply for letters of invitation for private visas for Georgians.

Therefore this simplification provides more opportunities for Georgian citizens who would like to visit Russia and makes it easier than it used to be previously.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation even consider the possibility to abolish visa regime with Georgia that may improve cooperation between two counties.

4) Reminder: Notification about hiring and dismissal of foreign assignees.

We would like to issue a reminder once again about the recent requirement for all employers to submit a notification about signing of a labor agreement with a foreign national or dismissal within 3 business days term. The notification, duly filled in, should be submitted to the local Federal migration authority on a paper or electronically on a portal of governmental services.

This regulation refers to Federal Law # 357 as of 24.11. 2014 and came into force staring from January 01, 2015.

It is important to submit a notification in a timely manner and keep the submission confirmation on file, as it may be required further on for different application/prolongation of permissive documents of foreign assignees. Also failure to notify migration authorities in time or lack of the notification may lead to serious fines and penalties.