Uzbekistan Quality Job Creation as a Cornerstone for Sustainable Economic Growth

the Russian Federation
On 24 November 2014, the Russian government amended Federal Law No. 
115-FZ of 25 July 2002 (
On the Legal Status of Foreign Nationals in the Russian 
Federation
). Under the revised policy, employers are no longer required to obtain 
quotas for employing visa-free foreign nationals.
a
Instead of applying for work 
permits, migrant workers buy “patents,” which are valid for 1–12 months. 
Unlike a work permit, a patent allows workers to move from one employer to 
another if the work falls within the position, specialization, and type of labor 
activity specified in the patent, and within the specified region only. Workers who 
intend to move to another region must secure another patent that will allow them 
to do so. A patent costs at least P1,200 ($18.40), but the actual cost varies across 
regions, depending on a region’s demand for foreign workers.
b
Applicants must (i) provide a medical insurance policy contract valid in the 
Russian Federation for the period of their labor activity or a copy of an agreement 
on the provision of paid medical services signed with an insurance company or a 
medical institution; (ii) prove that they are fit for work by submitting documents 
showing they are not addicted to illegal substances and they have not contracted 
any contagious diseases that may pose a threat to the public, including HIV, 
skin diseases, and tuberculosis; and (iii) submit a document certifying their 
command of the Russian language and knowledge of Russian history and basic
legislative principles.
c
In addition to the Uzbekistan consulates in Moscow, Uzbekistan is planning to 
open consular offices in five major Russian cities: Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Roston-
on-Don, Saint-Petersburg, and Vladivostok, as well as another consular office in 
Almaty, Kazakhstan. 
a
Nonvisa countries, or visa-free foreign nationals include citizens of most Commonwealth of 
Independent States, in particular Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan, the 
Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. 
b 
P1 = $0.015 as of 10 August 2019.
c
Passing the Russian language test became a requirement for applying for a work visa starting in 2012, 
as mandated by Federal Law No. 185 (amended). 
Sources: PwC (2014) and 
Gazeta.u
z (2017b).

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