Doctors, teachers, journalists, tractor drivers, and several other categories of workers have been excluded from the list of professions that allow qualified foreign specialists to obtain a residence permit (RP) in Russia under simplified procedures, Fergana news agency reports, citing a decree from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation.
The list has been reduced from 203 to 29 professions.
Among those still eligible are engineers and mechanics of various specializations, big data analysts, programmers, metal ship hull assemblers, hydraulic press operators, operators for applying transparent and protective coatings, contact welding machine welders, hull repairmen, ship pipeline installers, and ship electrical engineers.
When presenting the draft decree in March, the press service of the Ministry of Labor noted that the new list was based on a forecast of workforce demand, with input from relevant ministries, major state corporations, companies, and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. The draft version of the list included 31 professions.
The Ministry of Labor explained that in order for foreign specialists with eligible professions to benefit from the right to obtain a residence permit in simplified order in 2025, they must meet certain criteria. This includes having at least one year of continuous work experience in a profession on the list as of the date of application and complying with all requirements of Russian law.
From 2017 to 2023, foreigners with in-demand professions on the Russian labor market were allowed to obtain citizenship in a simplified manner. According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, less than 1% of foreigners who became Russian citizens took advantage of this right. In April 2023, this provision was abolished along with the Ministry of Labor decree that determined the list of professions qualifying for simplified citizenship.
In December 2024, amendments were made to the "Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation," granting foreigners and stateless persons with in-demand professions the right to simplified residence permit procedures. The responsibility for determining the list of such professions was assigned to the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation.
