Annual work permit quotas remain constant

IMPACT – LOW

What is the change? The number of available work permits in Romania for non-EU/EEA and non-Swiss nationals will remain set at 5,500 this year, the same as 2014.

What does the change mean? Neither the overall cap nor the caps on high-skilled workers and assignees will change compared with last year, though Romanian officials made small adjustments in other categories.

• Implementation timeframe: The new quotas went into effect Feb. 2.
• Visas/permits affected: Work permits.
• Who is affected: Employers and foreign nationals applying for work permits.
• Business impact: Businesses will have to plan recruitment of foreign workers around the quota numbers.
• Next steps: Work permit applications must be supported by a quota number. Work permits will not be issued once the quota caps are reached.

Background: The Romanian government’s 2015 quotas were published in the Official Gazette of Romania with the following breakdown:

The biggest change is in the local hire/permanent category, which rose by 300 compared with last year because a stand-alone category for athletes was eliminated and combined with this category. Quotas for seasonal workers rose by 100. This reorganization does not affect the number of permits available for EU Blue Cards or for assignees from non-Romanian employers.

BAL Analysis: Employers will not see major changes to quotas compared with last year and can plan recruitment strategies similar to last year.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Romania. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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