Migrants May Have To Pass Russian Language, History, and Law Tests

On April 10, 2013, the State Duma passed in its first reading a law obligating all migrants arriving in Russia to take tests on Russian language, Russian history, and on the fundamental principles of Russian legislation. This was announced on the website of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament. The authors intend the amendments go into effect in January 2015. According to the new regulation, foreigners applying for Russian work visas will have to present a certificate showing that they have passed the exams. Migrants from non-visa countries will have to present the certificate when applying for a work permit. An exception was made for highly qualified specialists who will not be required to pass any tests. A similar law is already acting in Russia since December 2012 that requires testing of Russian language skills for migrants working in retail, consumer services and housing services and utilities sectors. However, as it was noted by the mass media, the new requirement is being largely ignored and during the first 10 days, only 200 migrants had passed the exams.