Russia is considering tightening requirements for labor migrants who bring family members into the country. A corresponding draft law has been reviewed by a government commission, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported.
According to the authors of the initiative, the proposed measures are intended to increase migrants’ social responsibility for supporting their spouses and children and to strengthen oversight of their financial situation.
Under the draft law, migrants would be allowed to bring family members and children to Russia only if their income ensures that each family member receives at least the minimum subsistence level, adjusted by a regional coefficient.
The bill also proposes requiring migrants to pay 50% of the base rate of the fixed advance personal income tax payment for each minor child residing in Russia.
Upon reaching the age of 18, migrants’ children would be required either to leave the country within 30 days or to obtain their own work patent and pay the full fee.
The proposed legislation further предусматривает regular data exchange between tax authorities and the Interior Ministry: information on migrants’ income would be transferred every three months. A lack of confirmed income would serve as grounds for refusing to issue or renew a work patent.
To confirm temporary or permanent residence, foreign nationals would be required to provide documents proving legal income, including income certificates, tax declarations, proof of payment of the fixed tax, or evidence of income from investment activities.
Temporary residence permits or residence permits could be revoked if a migrant worked fewer than 10 months in a year or if their income—or the amount of fixed tax paid—fell below the required level per family member.
The draft law also introduces a mechanism for shortening the permitted period of stay for foreign nationals working without proper authorization, as well as for their family members, if income is not confirmed or the fixed advance tax payment is not made. Overall, the changes aim to broaden the grounds for revoking temporary or permanent residence permits in Russia.
Over the past two years, Russian authorities have consistently tightened migration policy by introducing new requirements and restrictions for foreign workers. In particular, a registry of controlled persons has been created for migrants who violate the law, electronic pre-arrival notification requirements have been introduced, the cost of work patents has increased significantly in most regions, and the range of sectors open to migrant employment has been reduced.
