MOSCOW, March 18 (RAPSI) – A Russian governmental commission has signed off on a draft law to lower the salary threshold for foreign IT professionals to qualify for special visa treatment in a bid to boost the sector, the cabinet announced on its website on Tuesday.
“The bill proposes to establish a minimum threshold salary for highly-qualified foreigners at 1 million rubles ($27,285) to facilitate their employment at IT companies,” the statement said. “The current figure of 2 million rubles a year … is too high for IT companies.”
The so-called highly qualified specialist visas offer companies a streamlined process for employing foreigners if their salaries are above the minimum threshold.
The measure, approved on Tuesday by the Commission on Lawmaking, is intended to help reduce the shortage of IT professionals in the country.
According to the statement, the law was drafted by the Communications Ministry within the framework of the Russian IT sector’s development strategy through 2025.
