Highly Qualified Specialist (HQS)

Procedure and terms of obtaining of documents for a highly qualified specialist (HQS) (for foreign citizens falling within visa regime).

 

No.

 

Name of the document/ step

Terms of the document/ step processing Note Cost State duty
Employment agreement shall be concluded with a foreign citizen, which shall stipulate as follows

No need to pass medical testing.

The quota for obtaining of work permits by foreign citizens shall not apply to highly qualified specialists and members of their families.

1) The documents for obtaining of a work permit shall be submitted to the Directorate of the Federal Migration Service of Russia for the city of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region.

At the same time, a set of documents for obtaining of an invitation for the HQS to enter the Russian Federation shall be submitted.

The invitation obtained from UFMS (Directorate of the Federal Migration Service) shall be sent to a foreign citizen. A foreign citizen shall apply on his/her own to the Consular office of the Russian Federation in the country of his/her permanent residence and obtain a multiple-entry working visa for a period of 3 years (The said term of validity of a work permit may be repeatedly renewed for a term of validity of the employment agreement, but not more than 3 years for each such renewal).

Foreign citizen shall enter the Russian Federation using the working visa obtained and shall personally obtain a work permit in UFMS. To obtain a work permit, such citizen shall provide the original passport with the visa pasted in to the inspector of UFMS and put his/her signature in the registration log of UFMS.

On the same day, a foreign citizen shall acquire the status of a highly qualified specialist (HQS) and shall be entitled to engage in labor activities in the Russian Federation.

An order concerning acceptance of the HQS for employment shall be executed.

 

 

 

14 business days

Shall be submitted for renewal not later than 30 days before the expiry date.  

 

Work permit

3500

 

 

Invitation

800

2) Migration registration for the validity term of the visa. HQS and members of the families of HQS shall be exempt from the obligation to implement migration registration at the place of stay for a term not exceeding 90 days from the date of their entry into the territory of the Russian Federation.

Highly qualified specialist and members of his/her family, arriving in the Russian Federation and being foreign citizens, shall have a voluntary health insurance agreement (policy) valid on the territory of the Russian Federation. Provision of medical care during the validity term of the employment agreement concluded with the highly qualified specialist shall constitute a prerequisite.

Highly qualified specialists, who own residential quarters in the Russian Federation, may act as host parties.

In case of their movement within the Russian Federation and upon arrival at the new place of stay for a term not exceeding 30 days, they shall be exempt from the obligation to implement migration registration at the new place of stay. After the expiry of such 90-day or 30-day term, they shall implement migration registration at the new place of stay, within a term not exceeding 3 business days.

Renewal of the term of temporary stay on the territory of the Russian Federation shall be carried out in case a foreign citizen obtains a new work permit and concludes the employment agreement with the employer for a new term not exceeding the validity term of the work permit.

Migration deregistration shall be carried out not by the employer itself, but by the migration registration authority after receiving the information from the border control authority in the relevant checkpoint on the State border of the Russian Federation about departure of a foreign citizen from the Russian Federation.

 

 

NOTICES.

1. UFMS of performance of obligations to pay salary to HQS on a quarterly basis not later than the last business day of the month following the reporting quarter
2. UFMS of conclusion/termination of employment agreement a term not exceeding three business days from the date of conclusion or termination (cancellation) of the relevant agreement (this day inclusive). According to the standard form of the employment agreement termination.