Russia seeks to attract foreign IT workers after wartime brain drain

Russia is simplifying its bureaucratic requirements for foreign IT professionals to live and work in the country, authorities say announcement Wednesday, in a reflection on how the country’s tech sector has been affected by the wartime exodus of Russian software engineers.

“Procedures for obtaining work and residence permits have been simplified for foreign citizens with computer skills,” Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said.

Foreign software engineers can now sign contracts with accredited Russian IT companies without having to obtain work permits, the Interior Ministry said.

Their family members have the right to apply for an indefinite residence permit through a simplified procedure after three months in Russia.

The new Interior Ministry rules also remove the requirement for Russian employers to obtain permission to hire foreign workers.

Russia’s latest moves to attract foreign talent follow efforts by both State And private companies to keep Russian workers in the country despite Western sanctions and political repression.

The Russian government estimates that 100,000 IT workers, or 10% of the country’s tech workforce, have left the country since the invasion of Ukraine.

According to officials, 80,000 of them continue to work for Russian companies from abroad.

Russian lawmakers proposed legislation earlier in 2023 that would ban workers in certain sectors from working remotely from abroad.