The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation has prepared draft laws that will significantly impact the financial conditions for labor migrants from visa-free countries. According to the publication "Kommersant," one of the main proposals is related to the introduction of additional payments for family members of migrants.
The project stipulates that labor migrants will be required to pay for a patent not only for the right to work but also for each minor child or dependent accompanying them in Russia. The amount of this additional fee will be 50% of the cost of a standard work patent. Since the cost of the document varies by region, the final amounts will differ significantly: with a base rate of 1,200 rubles, the price of the patent currently ranges from 3,400 to 27,300 rubles per month in different regions of the Russian Federation. For example, in Moscow, this payment is about 10,000 rubles, which means that parents will have to pay an additional 5,000 rubles each month for each child.
Moreover, the new rules clarify the status of migrant children: upon reaching the age of 18, they will be required either to obtain a work patent independently or to leave the country if there are no other legal grounds for staying. The Ministry of Finance also plans to introduce mandatory advance payments for foreign citizens working for private individuals, providing care or household services.
For those planning to go abroad for work, such changes will pose a serious economic barrier when deciding to relocate the entire family. The patent system, which has been in place since 2015 and replaced quotas, will now be supplemented with measures aimed at enhancing financial control over the stay of foreign families. Currently, the draft laws are at the stage of interdepartmental discussion, and the exact timelines for their adoption have not yet been determined.
