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IMPACT – MEDIUM
What is the change? Authorities have amended foreign registration rules that will be in effect from May 25 through July 25 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.
What does the change mean? Foreign nationals will have three days, rather than one day as previously announced, to register with authorities upon arriving in cities that are hosing World Cup matches. Those who stay in hotels, sanatoriums, hospitals and similar institutions, however, will need to complete their registration within 24 hours of arrival. Other previously announced registration procedures will remain the same for foreign and Russian nationals.
Background: Russian authorities recently announced that they would impose additional registration requirements during the World Cup, just as they did last year when the country hosted the Confederations Cup. Authorities then announced last week that they would ease requirements for foreign nationals, so that in most cases they will have three days to register rather than one.
BAL Analysis: Those planning to travel to cities hosting World Cup soccer matches are urged to follow the requirements listed above. Failing to do so could lead to administrative penalties, including fines of up to 7,000 rubles (about US$113) for visitors and up to 500,000 rubles for hosting companies and 50,000 rubles for hosting company officials. Foreign nationals who fail to register risk not only fines but expulsion from Russia.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Russia. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
Copyright © 2018 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.
What is the change? Last year, Russia tightened registration rules for Russian and foreign nationals ahead of the FIFA Confederations Cup soccer tournament. The rules will be in effect again from May 25 through July 25 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will take place June 14 to July 15.
What does the change mean? When the tightened registration rules are in place, foreign nationals arriving in areas hosting soccer matches must notify relevant immigration authorities of where they are staying within one day of their arrival, whether coming from abroad or from other areas of Russia. Russian nationals arriving from other parts of Russia must register with the relevant authorities within three calendar days of their arrival. The requirements for both foreign and Russian nationals apply regardless of whether their stay is temporary or permanent. Those participating in soccer matches or representing FIFA, FIFA subsidiaries or national soccer organizations are exempt.
Background: Russia hosted the Confederations Cup, an eight-country international soccer tournament, last year, and officials increased security measures, including the registration requirement listed above, during the tournament. The increased security measures and registration requirement will be in place once again when Russia hosts the World Cup, soccer’s top international tournament, this year.
BAL Analysis: Those planning travel to cities hosting World Cup soccer matches are urged to follow the requirements listed above. Failing to do so could lead to administrative penalties, including fines for visitors and hosting entities alike. Foreign nationals who fail to register risk not only fines but expulsion from Russia.
Based on the implementation of similar registration rules in 2017, foreign nationals are encouraged to avoid traveling to the specified cities and, if travel is necessary, to particularly avoid entering the specified cities on Fridays or Saturdays so that registration does not fall on the weekend. If foreign nationals arrive at the specified cities before May 25, they must be registered by that date in accordance with unofficial recommendations by government representatives. Those planning travel to Russia during relevant time periods should consult with BAL to ensure that they follow proper procedures.
What is the change? The government has released new forms to be filed by companies in reporting certain uses of foreign labor.
What does the change mean? The new forms, which take effect April 20, should be used when reporting quarterly Highly Qualified Specialist salaries, signing of new labor contracts with foreign employees and termination of labor contracts with foreign employees. Additionally, authorities have clarified that companies must report the signing or termination of a labor contract with a foreign employee within three business days, and that the three-day period begins on the day following the signing or termination.
BAL Analysis: The forms have undergone minor changes. To avoid penalties for using invalid forms, employers should use the new ones beginning April 20.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in the Russian Federation. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
IMPACT – HIGH
Russian authorities announced Thursday that they will expel U.S. diplomats and close the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg.
Key points:
BAL Analysis: Applicants should anticipate delays as a result of the closure and the loss of diplomatic staff in Russia. The U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg has not announced how it will handle pending applications, but when it suspended nonimmigrant visas services in August 2017, pending applicants with scheduled interviews were contacted to reschedule at another location. BAL is following developments and will report additional information as it becomes available.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global and U.S. practice groups. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.
What is the change? Reports on the salaries paid to highly qualified specialists during the first quarter of 2018 (January through March) must be submitted in April.
What does the change mean? The reports, which employers must complete to show that they have met minimum salary payment levels, are required quarterly. Employers are now required to including copies of their HQS salary reports during the work permit renewal process.
BAL Analysis: Companies should ensure that they submit their quarterly reports on time and that the salaries comply with wage thresholds for HQS workers. While companies typically have until the end of the first month of a new quarter to complete filing, filing for this quarter must be completed by April 28 because of Russian bank holidays at the end of April and beginning of May.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
What is the change? Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has introduced changes to its work permit application procedures, including those for obtaining Highly Qualified Specialist work permits.
What does the change mean? The changes will require applicants to have passports that are valid for at least 1 ½ years at the time of their application and meet strict photograph standards. The changes also limit who can sign paperwork for a company and increase the standard processing time for non-HQS permits to 15 business days. Finally, a provision that fees will not be charged for work permit renewal applications or correction applications has been removed.
Additional information: The new regulations were introduced in January and took effect Feb. 4. Among key changes:
BAL Analysis: Employers should take note of the changes and be prepared to follow the new procedures. Applications that do not adhere to the new rules may be unnecessarily delayed or rejected.
What is the change? The Russian Federal Migration Service has resumed the issuance of paper invitation letters after a shortage of forms left the agency unable to do so last month. Telex invitation letters are also available.
What does the change mean? Visa applications may now be completed with either hard-copy or telex invitation letters.
Background: As BAL reported in December, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that it would switch to telex invitation letters for all applications due to a shortage of hard-copy forms for the letters of invitation. Authorities have since confirmed that paper invitation letters are available once again and that visa applications may be completed with either telex or hard-copy letters of invitation.
BAL Analysis: Even though hard-copy invitation letters are again available, the telex option may save time in some cases because telex invitation letters are sent directly to the relevant Russian consulate electronically, rather than included in hard-copy form with visa applications. Visa applicants may wish to consult with BAL about what option is best for them.
What is the change? Russia’s Federal Migration Service will switch exclusively to electronic letters of invitation for business and technical visa applications, halting the use of hard-copy letters until further notice.
What does the change mean? Russian authorities will soon issue telex invitation letters for all visa applications that require letters The change will save time in the visa preparation process because invitation letters will be sent directly to the relevant Russian consulate electronically, rather than included in hard-copy form with visa applications.
Background: Russia’s Minstry of Internal Affairs announced that it would switch to telex invitation letters for all applications because of a shortage of hard-copy forms for the letters of invitation. It is not clear how long the Federal Migration Service will issue telex invitation letters exclusively.
BAL Analysis: The service will only issue telex invitation letters until further notice, a change that will save time in the visa application process. BAL will continue to follow this issue and will alert clients to any additional changes, including the possibility that authorities will revert to the use of hard-copy invitation letters in the future.
Copyright © 2017 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.
What is the change? Russia will begin issuing e-visas to nationals of 18 countries arriving in Russia through the city of Vladivostok.
What does the change mean? Nationals of 18 countries – including India, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Japan – will be eligible for the e-visa program. Tourist and business travel will be permitted on the visas, which will have a 30-day validity period and allow for stays of up to eight days.
Background: Nationals of the following 18 countries will be eligible for e-visas:
E-visa applicants must submit an application online no more than 20 days and no fewer than four days before arriving in Vladivostok. E-visas may be used for business, tourism or humanitarian purposes, are good for a single visit and are not renewable. E-visa holders must arrive in Vladivostok, a port city on Russia’s Pacific Coast near Russia’s borders with China and North Korea, and must remain in the province of Primorsky Krai during their visits. Travelers using the e-visa program must arrive through the Vladivostok airport or the Vladivostok maritime checkpoint. More information is available on this Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
BAL Analysis: The change will significantly reduce processing times for eligible travelers and could provide a business and trade boost to Vladivostok and surrounding areas.
What is the change? Russian immigration authorities in Moscow have added new registration requirements for foreign nationals registering in Moscow during the FIFA Confederations Cup soccer tournament.
What does the change mean? The new documentation requirements come after Russia announced in May that it would tighten registration rules during the Confederations Cup by requiring foreign nationals to register with immigration authorities within one day of their arrival in a city that is hosting the soccer matches. In practice, immigration authorities in Moscow may request different documentation, depending on the office. Some offices are requesting copies of passport pages, while others are going even further and requesting marriage certificates or birth certificates. Affected foreign nationals should familiarize themselves with the chart below and be prepared to provide the appropriate documentation.
Background: Additional documentation has been requested from foreign nationals registering in different parts of Moscow as follows:
BAL Analysis: Those planning travel to Moscow during the Confederations Cup are urged to follow registration rules and adhere to the documentation requirements listed above. Failing to follow registration procedures could lead to administrative penalties, including fines for visitors and hosting entities alike, as well as possible expulsion from Russia for visitors. Those planning travel to Russia should consult with BAL to ensure that they follow proper registration procedures and should note that changes may remain in place even after the soccer tournament ends.