Can a foreigner with a work permit legally work for another employer?

In order for a foreigner from a visa-regime country to be officially employed in Russia, one of the authorisation documents must be obtained: a work permit, a temporary residence permit or a residence permit.

In this article, we will look at one of the issues related to the employment of a foreign employee on the basis of the work permit.

First of all, the company hiring the foreigner needs to be accredited to hire foreign workers and to issue a work permit and an entry invitation to the foreigner.

One of the most common questions is whether it is possible to transfer from one employer to another without re-issuing a work permit or other documents, or is possible to start work with a different employer and obtain a work permit from a different company.

The answer is: No, you cannot. The law stipulates that a foreigner is obliged to perform work for the employer for whom he obtained a work permit. Data on the employer of the foreigner is recorded in the permit itself.

When a foreign worker is dismissed, a notice of termination of the employment contract must be submitted to the migration authority. In order to employ a foreigner at a new location, the entire set of documents for the work permit will need to be prepared anew. It will also be necessary to leave the Russian Federation and return after receiving an invitation from the new employer.

Highly qualified specialists (HQS) are an exception. They do not need to leave Russia to have their work permit re-issued.

Because registering foreign nationals officially takes a lot of time and effort, many employers prefer not to hire them or do it without official employment, which threatens the employer with huge fines.

VALEN’s experts can simplify the task of employing foreign nationals and help with obtaining the necessary permits.