Organized Recruitment as an Alternative to the Patent System in the Regulation of Labor Migration: the Russian Context and International Experience

Starting in 2027, Russia will launch a reform of the regulation of foreign labor migration, which envisages a transition to a model of attracting foreign workers at the invitation of an employer and the closure of the channel for independent labor migration based on a patent. The authors examine the main provisions of the draft legislation on organized recruitment, the current regimes governing foreign nationals’ access to the Russian labor market, and examples of international experience with employer-sponsored labor migration, including its advantages and disadvantages. The paper identifies logical gaps in the proposed legislation and possible negative consequences of an accelerated transition away from the model currently in place. It concludes that, under current conditions, an abrupt change in the mechanism for attracting foreign labor could create problems in the labor market, particularly in regions and sectors that depend on foreign workers. 

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