Technical problems causing delays at migration office

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The Moscow Migration Department in Sakharovo has been experiencing technical difficulties and may reject work permit applications without notice.

What does the change mean? Employers and foreign nationals should expect delays when applying for work permits at the Moscow Migration Department in Sakharovo. Foreign nationals attempting to complete address registration at local migration offices on the basis of a work permit issued by the migration department in Sakharovo may also face delays because records of the issuance of their work permit may not appear in the immigration database.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Work permits; address registration.
• Who is affected: Employers and foreign nationals applying for work permits at the Moscow Migration Department in Sakharovo; foreign nationals trying to complete address registration processes on the basis of a work permit issued by the Moscow Migration Department in Sakharovo.
• Impact on processing times: Applicants should expect delays when attempting to file work permits. Even those who are able to successfully lodge work permit applications may face processing delays because of the technical problems. In addition, local migration offices may reject address registration applications due to unavailability of the work permits information in the database.
• Business impact: Businesses may need to adjust schedules or start dates if employees are affected by delays.

Background: The problems are related to malfunctioning software. Russian authorities say they are aware of the issue and are working to resolve it, but have not said when services might return to normal.

BAL Analysis: Affected work permit applicants and registrants should anticipate delays. BAL will attempt to submit work permit applications multiple times if necessary, but because applications may be turned away without notice it is hard to predict how serious delays will be in any given case. Those attempting to register based on a work permit issued by the migration department in Sakharovo should obtain a certificate confirming work permit issuance, a process that can take several days. Employers with case-specific questions or concerns should contact BAL.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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