Increase of the Salary Threshold for Highly Qualified Specialists and Migration State Fees

Senior Associate Vladimir Kwon has prepared a review of draft law No. 1158407-8 “On Amendments to the Federal Law ‘On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation’”, which, among other things, changes the salary requirements for highly qualified specialists. The draft law has been adopted in the first reading and is being prepared for the second reading. Draft laws No. 1222962-8 and No. 1222959-8 on increasing a number of migration-related state fees have also been adopted in the first reading.

What may change for highly qualified specialists

If draft law No. 1158407-8 is adopted in its current version, from September 1, 2026 the minimum salary for most highly qualified specialists will amount to RUB 717,000 per month.

Currently, the general threshold for most highly qualified specialists is RUB 750,000 per quarter, which is effectively about RUB 250,000 per month.

For certain categories of highly qualified specialists, the draft law provides for a reduced threshold of RUB 358,500 per month. In addition, annual indexation of these amounts is expected. The indexation coefficient is to be determined by the Ministry of Labour of Russia.

For employers, this means that the usual model for engaging foreign specialists under the highly qualified specialist status may become significantly more expensive. The change will be particularly sensitive for companies that used the highly qualified specialist regime not only for top management positions, but also for technical, project-based or operational specialists with salaries close to the current minimum threshold.

Which state fees may increase

The most significant changes to state fees are provided for by draft law No. 1222962-8. The new amounts are expected to apply from July 1, 2026, but not earlier than one month after the official publication of the law.

In particular, it is proposed to increase the state fee:

for issuing a residence permit — from RUB 6,000 to RUB 30,000;

for issuing a temporary residence permit — from RUB 1,920 to RUB 15,000;

for issuing a temporary residence permit for educational purposes — from RUB 1,920 to RUB 8,000;

for issuing an invitation to enter Russia — from RUB 960 to RUB 8,000 for each invited person.

The state fee may also increase:

for a multiple-entry visa — from RUB 1,920 to RUB 6,000;

for a work permit — from RUB 4,200 to RUB 5,000;

for an employer’s permit to engage foreign workers — from RUB 12,000 to RUB 15,000 for each employee.

The most notable increase is proposed in relation to citizenship matters: the state fee for admission to Russian citizenship or renunciation of Russian citizenship may increase from RUB 4,200 to RUB 50,000.

What should be done in advance

Until the draft laws are adopted in their final version, signed and officially published, the current requirements and current state fee amounts continue to apply. However, employers should already take the potential changes into account when planning migration procedures for the second half of 2026.

The practical risk is that the formalization of a foreign employee may become more expensive due to the need to revise the employment terms of highly qualified specialists. If the specialist’s salary does not meet the new minimum threshold, the employer may face difficulties in maintaining or extending the relevant status.

For foreign citizens, this also means that they should assess in advance the cost of migration procedures and the timing for filing documents. After the changes enter into force, the costs of obtaining or extending certain documents may increase severalfold.

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