Grounds for cancelling temporary residence permits and residence permits for foreign nationals, and changes for highly qualified specialists

Federal Law No. 241-FZ of 26.07.2026 "On Amendments to the Federal Law 'On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation'", published on 26.07.2026, amended the grounds for cancelling temporary residence permits/residence permits, and also changed the income threshold for highly qualified specialists.

🔹The following ground for refusing to issue or cancelling a temporary residence permit/residence permit has been changed:

— during the next year from the date the temporary residence permit/residence permit was issued, the foreign national did NOT engage in employment/entrepreneurial activity in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Russian Federation 

OR

— the income from the relevant activity for the next year and/or income for the preceding calendar year amounted to less than the subsistence minimum multiplied by the regional coefficient, calculated for that foreign national and each family member dependent on them who is in the Russian Federation, on average per month during the reporting period and/or that foreign national engaged in employment and did not pay personal income tax as a fixed advance payment in accordance with the procedure, taking into account each family member dependent on them who is in the Russian Federation.

➖Does NOT apply to a foreign national:
— enrolled in full-time study at a professional educational organization in the Russian Federation
— enrolled in full-time study at a higher education institution in the Russian Federation
— enrolled in full-time study at a scientific organization in the Russian Federation
— who is a pensioner
— recognized as unable to work, as well as their children under the age of eighteen
— under the age of eighteen, or aged eighteen and recognized as legally incapacitated or partially incapacitated, who is dependent on a parent (adoptive parent, guardian, or trustee) who is a citizen of the Russian Federation
— who obtained a temporary residence permit under Presidential Decree No. 702
— who obtained a temporary residence permit/residence permit under Presidential Decree No. 883
— who is a citizen of a state party to the international treaty of the Russian Federation on the creation of a union state, as well as their family members (Republic of Belarus).

🔴The temporary residence permit/residence permit will NOT be cancelled, 
if the employment relationship was terminated during the reporting period and the foreign national obtains a job with a new employer within 3 months during the reporting period, provided that the income meets the requirements for the reporting period.

🔴The residence permit will not be cancelled:
— for a foreign national who has successfully completed in the Russian Federation a state-accredited full-time higher education program and received a diploma with honors, if they obtained employment within six months after the residence permit was issued and their income meets the established requirements, calculated based on the period of employment.

Employment
⚫️Foreign nationals holding a temporary residence permit/residence permit who work for individuals to meet personal, household, or other similar needs unrelated to business activity are required to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs within ten days 
— in person
— through a subordinate enterprise
— by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt
— as an electronic document through Gosuslugi, 
of their employment, attaching a copy of the employment contract or civil-law contract for work (services), or the notification must specify information about the civil-law contract for work (services) if it was concluded orally.

⚫️The Pension and Social Insurance Fund transfers to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or an authorized organization information on the employment of foreign nationals submitted by employers.

⚫️*The Federal Tax Service sends the Ministry of Internal Affairs information on the amount of income received as payments and other remuneration accrued to foreign nationals according to insurance contribution calculations, for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of the calendar year, no later than 45 calendar days after the end of the relevant calendar-year period, as well as information on the amount of income received by foreign nationals applying the special tax regime "Tax on Professional Income," as reported in the "My Tax" mobile application, for the calendar year, no later than 45 calendar days after the end of the calendar year.*

⚫️Migration registration authorities report to the tax authorities the registration at place of stay of foreign nationals who are not registered for tax purposes and who have been issued temporary residence permits/temporary residence permits with the right to reside, no later than the day following the date the relevant documents are issued.

Changes for highly qualified specialists
✔️** Changes to salary requirements for highly qualified specialists:
—  at least 358 thousand 500 rubles per calendar month, for foreign nationals recruited to work in the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, Skolkovo, or the Sirius territory, as well as researchers, medical workers, and teachers
— at least 717 thousand rubles per calendar month—for other highly qualified specialists.

✔️The salary amount is subject to annual indexation based on the growth rate of the average monthly accrued wages of employees of organizations in the previous year.**

A highly qualified specialist must have experience, knowledge, or skills, and the employer will have to confirm their qualifications with relevant documents.

✔️Highly qualified specialists who obtained work permits before 1 March 2027 may obtain a patent or work permit without leaving the Russian Federation. 
Foreign nationals who arrived in the Russian Federation under a visa-required procedure and obtained a work permit in this case will, at the employer's request, be issued an ordinary multiple-entry work visa valid for the term of the work permit.


Enters into force on 1 January 2027
*Enters into force on 24 October 2026
**Enters into force on 1 March 2027