On October 22, 2026, the Russian State Duma reviewed and rejected a series of bills aimed at further tightening migration rules. These initiatives were put forward by certain parliamentary factions and concerned the labor activities of foreign workers, remittances, and citizenship issues.
Among the rejected proposals was a plan to completely abolish the patent system and transition foreign workers arriving under visa-free regimes to an organized recruitment system tied to specific employers. Also rejected were proposals to limit remittances abroad to the amount of officially confirmed wages, introduce mandatory deportation for primary violations of migration registration, and expand the grounds for stripping individuals of Russian citizenship.
The relevant committee deemed these proposals redundant and emphasized that existing control mechanisms, including the registry of controlled persons and biometric registration systems, are sufficient. As a result of this decision, the patent system remains in effect, and the practice of imposing fines instead of mandatory expulsion for certain migration registration violations will continue.
It should be kept in mind that this decision does not mean a softening of Russia's general migration policy. All existing restrictions remain in force. Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that Russian regions have the authority to prohibit the employment of foreigners in specific sectors or to revise the cost of work patents.
