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AEB discusses risks for foreign specialists in Russia under new salary rules

23.07.2026

On July 22, an open meeting of the AEB Migration Committee was held, dedicated to the Law "On Amendments to the Federal Law 'On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation'" (concerning the improvement of legal regulation in the sphere of labor activity of foreign citizens), including amendments related to the nearly 3 times threefold increase in the minimum salary for Highly Qualified Specialists (HQS) – from 750,000 RUB per quarter to 717,000 RUB per month. 


Meeting participants said many foreign professionals could lose their HQS status, forcing employers to review HR policies, tax burdens, and migration strategies.

During the webinar, experts from the AEB Migration Committee addressed the most pressing issues of the new regulation:

Overview of the Law: Income Level of Foreign Citizens (including dependents), Advance Payments (patent, temporary residence permit, permanent residence permit)
Maria Moskaleva, Junior Manager, HR Consulting Group, B1

Employment Law Aspects of Dismissal HQS (who do not meet the new salary threshold), Salary Indexation for HQS (from the perspective of the Russian Labor Code)
Andrey Slepov, Deputy Chairman of the AEB Migration Committee, Partner, ADVANT Beiten

Alternatives to HQS Status: Visa documents of Foreign Employees and Their Family Members
Alexey Filipenkov, Deputy Chairman of the AEB Migration Committee, Partner, Visa Delight

The AEB remains committed to tracking legal developments and providing timely updates on emerging risks.

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