Putin tightens migration rules with mandatory exit for migrants' adult children

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law requiring the adult children of labor migrants to leave Russia or obtain their own work permit within 30 days of turning 18, according to a document published on the country's official legal information portal.

Under the new law, the minor children of foreign workers may remain in Russia for the duration of their parent's work permit. Once they reach the age of 18, however, they must leave the country within 30 days unless they have another legal basis to stay or obtain their own work permit. In such cases, they will not be required to submit an education certificate, which is normally needed when applying for a work permit.

Putin also signed a separate law requiring foreign nationals to support themselves and their family members at a level no lower than the subsistence minimum established in the Russian region where they work. If a foreign worker is employed in more than one region, the highest applicable subsistence minimum will be used to determine compliance.

In addition, the president introduced a new mechanism for monitoring migrants' income. Russia's tax authorities will now provide the Interior Ministry with information on foreign nationals' earnings after three, six, nine and 12 months, while the Social Fund will report on their employment status.

If a migrant's income falls below the required threshold, their employment contract will be terminated and their permitted period of stay in Russia will be shortened.

By Jeyhun Aghazada