Russia’s Interior Ministry proposes exam exemption for development-zone workers

Russia’s Interior Ministry proposed exempting foreign workers hired by residents of priority development territories from Russian language, history and legal knowledge exams. The measure is part of draft amendments, rather than an existing general exemption.

Kommersant reported on October 13 that amendments to the law on foreign citizens’ legal status had been published on the federal regulatory proposals portal. The ministry linked the initiative to attracting investment and accelerating development in those territories.

Russia has more than 90 priority development territories. Most are in single-industry towns, with some in the Far East. The newspaper said more than fifteen hundred resident businesses were registered there and jobs exceeded 140 thousand.

Olga Chudinovskikh, head of a population economics laboratory at Moscow State University, said the relaxation could increase worker inflows because language requirements were a significant barrier for many applicants. Her assessment concerns a possible effect. The report did not announce adoption of the amendments or an effective date for the exemption.