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Foreign solution: Russia has reduced the hiring of migrants from visa-free countries to a record
In Russia, in the first quarter of 2026, 22% fewer documents were issued allowing foreigners from visa-free countries to live and work in the country, about 475,000, Izvestia found out. This is a record drop in five years. And it is connected with the expansion of restrictions on the work of foreigners on patents in the regions. The bans affected taxis, retail and catering services. However, companies cannot just refuse to attract foreign specialists, experts are sure. Which countries do workers come from and how the reduction in their hiring is changing the structure of the labor market in Russia — in the Izvestia article.
Who is granted patents for work in the Russian Federation
Almost 475,000 patents were granted to foreigners in the first three months of 2026, according to EMISS statistics. Such a document is necessary for people from countries with which the Russian Federation has established a visa—free regime, such as Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It does not need to be issued to foreigners with a temporary residence permit, residence permit (residence permit), citizens of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU, which includes Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus), as well as people from other countries with a refugee or migrant certificate.
By comparison, the number of patents granted increased in the first quarter of last year. They were issued by 10.5% more than in the same period of 2024 - 606.1 thousand. The current drop turned out to be the most significant since the pandemic of 2021. Izvestia estimates that the largest number of patent migrants work in the Central Federal District — over 258,000 people. The North-Western Federal District (just over 60 thousand) and the Volga Federal District (39.1 thousand) also entered the top 3. Among the regions, Moscow (146.1 thousand), the Moscow Region (almost 84 thousand), St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region (51.7 thousand) took the lead separately.
The patent system historically covers the needs in industries with a high proportion of manual, seasonal and geographically distributed labor, said Sergey Nuzhdin, Chairman of the Opora Russia Committee for the development of the national labor market and monitoring migration processes. According to him, the construction industry remains the leader, with over a third of all patent foreigners working in it. Among them are handymen, finishers, bricklayers, and installation specialists. However, even with high demand, the share of migrants in construction rarely exceeds 13-15% of the total number of people employed in this field.
Also, foreigners from visa-free countries often work in the fields of housing and communal services and landscaping. Janitors, locksmiths, and gardening staff make up about 15-18% of all visitors with patents. Agriculture with pronounced seasonality consistently retains another 12-15%. Migrants are also employed in logistics (movers, couriers, drivers), retail trade and the service sector.
Izvestia appealed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a question about the reasons for the decrease in patent issuance this year.
Why are patent grants declining?
The decrease in the number of patents issued and issued was expected, said Yulia Florinskaya, a researcher at the Institute for Social Analysis and Forecasting at the IPEI Presidential Academy. The increase last year was due to the fact that by September it was possible for migrants who were in Russia to be legalized even with a violation of the terms of stay — this caused an increase in the number of patents issued, she explained. And as soon as the measure stopped working, there was a decrease.
In addition, the drop this year is due to the bans and restrictions imposed on the use of migrant labor in certain types of activities (taxi, delivery, retail, passenger transportation), said Farida Mirzabalayeva, Associate Professor of the Basic Department of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry "Human Resource Management" at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
Many regions introduced such restrictions in 2026. For example, in the Novosibirsk region, they affected retail trade, passenger and freight transport, social canteens and cafeterias (in educational institutions and hospitals), preschool education and sports activities. And in Primorsky Krai, migrants were banned from working in 88 sectors of the economy. Among them are medicine, education, chemical and pharmaceutical production, taxi and tourism.
The decrease in payments was also influenced by stricter tax requirements: an increase in personal income tax advance payments for a patent made work in Russia less profitable for low-skilled workers, especially in short-term employment, said Sergey Nuzhdin from Opora Russia. Patent prices themselves have increased — for example, in St. Petersburg they have increased by a third, added Olga Gogaladze, an expert on financial markets.
Foreigners from visa-free countries themselves have also become less interested in working in the Russian Federation. The weakening of the attractiveness of earnings in our country is due, among other things, to the ruble exchange rate and its high volatility. For a migrant, it is important not only the nominal income, but also how much it costs in dollars or in the currency of the country where he sends transfers to his family, explained Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global. If the ruble is weaker, and high inflation remains in Russia, the real attractiveness of work decreases, he added.
How migrants are changing the labor market in Russia
Reducing the issuance of patents can primarily lead to a shortage of workers in areas where massive staff is needed, Vladimir Chernov noted. There is already a shortage of personnel in some places, says Sergey Nuzhdin.
For example, in construction, the shortage of employees is estimated at 30%, and it is aggravated by the fact that patent workers, having gained mobility, often switch to more flexible segments — delivery, taxi, service, the expert believes. In addition, the regional aspect puts pressure on the situation, because Moscow, the Moscow region and St. Petersburg accumulate more than 60% of patent workers, while the Far East and the northern territories face a chronic shortage that is not compensated by either salary allowances or social packages, Sergey Nuzhdin added.
Nevertheless, businesses do not refuse to hire foreigners. Regional companies are currently considering other options for attracting them — for example, Tyumen and Kamchatka employers plan to invite workers from South and Southeast Asian countries under the visa regime, according to a report by the Bank of Russia on the regional economy.
The country needs both foreigners engaged in manual labor and highly qualified specialists, because they make it possible to close the personnel holes where there are not enough Russians, Olga Gogaladze is sure. Educated foreigners with experience, in turn, help develop technology, industry and science. However, they will not replace workers at the construction site, in the field or in the housing and communal services, the expert added.
According to Vladimir Chernov, without patent migrants, it is more difficult to support the daily work of many industries, and without highly qualified foreigners, it is more difficult to promote modernization and technological development.
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