The migration legislation is changing thanks to the proposed Russian "Silicon Valley" in Skolkovo. Foreign experts will be able to count on reduced immigration and tax regimes if they earn more than 2 million rubles ($67,700) per year. The corresponding amendments will be made on Friday in the State Duma.
The amendments are being made in accordance with President Dmitry Medvedev’s instructions on the development of innovative projects.
Qualified foreigners coming to work in Russia will receive permission to work outside the quota set by the Federal Migration Service. It will be enough to have a written request fr om a worker's host to the FMS, which must be considered within 14 days. Currently, the paperwork for foreigners takes from 12 months to 23 months.
The level of specialists’ qualifications will be determined by the level of their salary: It should be more than 2 million rubles per year. This amount may be reduced for professionals coming to work in Skolkovo innovation city.
The changes will also affect the Tax Code: For nonresidents who come to work as highly skilled professionals, the tax rate will be set at 13 percent, wh ereas now for nonresidents it is 30 percent for the first 6 months of their first calendar year in the country.
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