Quotas for foreign workers arriving in Russia in 2026 and the sectors in which they will be employed

Amid significant demographic and economic changes in Russia, the issue of attracting foreign workers is becoming increasingly relevant.

In 2026, Russia plans to open its doors to 278 940 foreign nationals from visa-required countries, who will be able to obtain work permits in our country.

This decision will help meet the needs of various sectors of the economy, which will undoubtedly be an important step toward strengthening the labor force.

The quotas have been distributed among priority occupational and qualification groups, which seemingly makes it possible to attract specialists purposefully to the sectors most in demand. For example, 71 088 places have been allocated to workers in the food, woodworking, textile, and clothing industries. 
These figures indicate that these sectors need qualified personnel to maintain and increase production volumes.

The construction industry has not been overlooked either: 55 312 quotas have been allocated for workers. Attracting foreign specialists to this sector will likely be able to significantly accelerate the implementation of some major projects.

45 391 quotas are intended for workers in metalworking and machine-building industries, and these figures underscore the importance of high technology and mechanics to the Russian economy.

Technical specialists in science and engineering will also find a place, receiving 12 123 invitations.

Entry invitations for foreign workers in 2026 are aimed at making up for labor shortages. And, undoubtedly, it is important that this process of attracting and employing foreign labor takes the interests of Russian society into account.

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