Work In Russia And Get Residency: New Skill Visa Opens Doors For Indians In 2026 | World News
Moscow: Russia is gearing up for a major change that will make it easier for skilled professionals from India to live and work in the country. Starting in April next year, Moscow will introduce a new Skills Visa, a program designed to bring skilled workers into the Russian workforce and offer them a path to long-term residence.
The move is expected to be welcome news for thousands of Indians already working there and many more dreaming of jobs abroad. India and Russia share strong ties spanning decades and the announcement is seen as another extension of this relationship.
Putin Announces New Visa Plan
Add Zee News as Preferred Source
According to a report in The Economic Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Skill Visa mandate shortly before his state visit to India for a bilateral summit. The aim of the initiative is to support the two mobility agreements signed by both countries at last week’s meeting.
Once implemented, the visa will allow foreign professionals in fields such as science, economy, industry, education, culture, business and sports to enter Russia without the need to fill an immigration quota or pass a Russian language test.
The visa offers the right to temporary residence for three years, and people working in certain priority categories will directly be granted permanent residence.
How the New Skills Visa Will Work
A person familiar with the framework described the plan as a two-step process. “In the first stage, the applicant must apply to a designated institution. If the institution finds the candidate suitable for the program, the second step involves applying for temporary or permanent residence to immigration authorities,” the person said.
The agency’s approval will be valid for one year. During this period, applicants must submit their residence requests to the immigration office.
Application to the agency can be made digitally from the applicant’s home country. Once approved, the applicant and their family members will be issued a one-year business visa allowing them to travel to Russia and present residence paperwork.
A relief for applicants is that they can work in Russia even while their residence request is pending and they do not need a separate work permit.
Officials say most applications are expected to be processed within 30 days.
