The Russian Ministry of Labor has initiated a proposal to set a quota for the number of foreign workers employed on a visa basis for 2027. This requirement was formed based on requests from regional employers and the conclusions of territorial interdepartmental commissions.
According to the ministry, 92 percent of the demand expressed by employers accounts for qualified specialists. The remaining part covers the need for workers who can work without a language barrier, as well as those employed at facilities in remote areas with harsh climatic conditions. The quota system is primarily intended to attract citizens from China, India, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
Quotas are mainly requested for large infrastructure projects, including the Amur Gas Chemical Complex, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the cable car over the Amur River, the Moscow–Saint Petersburg high-speed railway, and the development of the Malmyzhskoye deposit. Providing employment primarily to Russian citizens is defined as a priority direction of state policy.
It should be noted that inclusion in the quota does not automatically mean permission to enter Russia. Every foreign specialist must obtain a work visa and a work permit in accordance with the established procedure. The ministry notes that in many cases, because the search for specialists in the local market continues even after the quota is approved, the actual number of workers arriving in Russia turns out to be lower than the established quota.
