Rule changes

Japan: Scheduled: Employment for Skill Development starts; Technical Intern Training closes to new plans (trainees already in Japan may finish).

Latvia: Per Cobalt (secondary): employment residence permits up to 1 year (now up to 5); invitations refused for Major Group 9 roles via labour-supply providers/recruiters and for providers under 6 months old or with tax-compliance problems.

Russia: Russia completes ratification of the India–Russia labour mobility agreement (entry into force not confirmed).

Russia: MEA: 139 Indians discharged early; following up on 69 still with the Russian Army; 259 believed recruited.

Slovakia: Digital copy of residence documents in a mobile app (same amendment) (secondary).

Japan: Residence fees raised: extension or change of status JPY 10,000–75,000 by period granted (JPY 33,000 for 1 year at the counter); permanent residence JPY 200,000 (was JPY 10,000).

Croatia: HZZ: 111,198 requests for work-permit opinions received from 1 Jan to 30 Sep 2026 across 13,552 employers; 77,055 positive and 27,140 negative opinions.

Russia: MEA advisory: joining the Russian armed forces is 'a dangerous path'; do not be lured by job offers from unverified individuals or agents not registered with the MEA.

Romania: IGI: extension applications linked to a change of employer cannot be filed via WorkinRomania while the list is suspended; they will be reviewed individually once filing resumes.

Lithuania: Migration Department suspended new employment-and-entry applications at external service centres for citizens of Central Asian countries (temporary, no end date). India not named. Secondary source.

Czechia: Chamber of Deputies approved a new Act on Entry and Residence of Foreigners (ICAS digital system, employers as 'guarantors'); it goes to the Senate and is expected to take effect on 1 Jan 2029 (secondary).

Romania: Bucharest Court of Appeal suspended Order 1073/2026 (case 5633/2/2026, per employers' association). From 15 Sept 2026 the D/AM2 flows were disabled; Ministry of Labour said it would appeal. Still blocked on 12 Oct 2026.

Russia: Planned: MVD 'organised recruitment' pilot for foreign workers from 1 Jan 2027 to 31 Dec 2029 (all regions except Moscow and Moscow Region); business groups asked to delay to 2028; bill not yet in the Duma; coverage of visa nationals not confirmed.

Romania: WorkinRomania.gov.ro opened for employer registration and agency authorisation after about four months with no new applications. Secondary source.

Romania: Order 1073/2026 in force: list of 289 shortage occupations for D/AM2 (methodology: Order 987/2026 of 21 July 2026).

Lithuania: 2026 quota of 24,706 effectively exhausted by 30 July (about 4,100 slots left and 4,500 applications pending; Kun.uz reports it was reached in early September); above-quota salary thresholds EUR 2,893.68 (1.2x) and EUR 2,411.40 (1x, high value-added shortage jobs). Secondary source.

Russia: Federal Law 241-FZ: HQS salary to RUB 717,000 a month from 1 Mar 2027; income-based refusal/annulment of work permits; multiple-entry work visas for permit holders.

Bulgaria: Government approved a bill amending the Foreigners Act so single-permit holders who become unemployed can keep their residence right if they meet the conditions (bill, not yet confirmed as law). Secondary source.

Slovakia: Act No. 128/2026 Coll. amending the Act on Residence of Foreigners (signed 11 Jun 2026): single-permit holders who lose their job get 3 or 6 months to find new work; national visa validity extended from 90 to 120 days; a regional central visa authority created at the foreign ministry (secondary).

Bulgaria: Government amended the implementing regulations: seasonal-work registration (up to 90 days) cut from 10 to 3 working days, fast track for returning seasonal workers, no copies of personal documents. Secondary source.

Estonia: PBGB published an updated employee guide: processing about 90 days, unemployment allowance of 3 months (6 months after 2 years), Töötukassa permit not needed to change jobs after 12 consecutive months on a work permit.

Czechia: Government Regulation 109/2026 Coll. resets embassy quotas: New Delhi stays at 1,560 (600 + 960); zero Qualified Worker quota for non-local nationals at Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, Riyadh, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Taipei and Tokyo.

Japan: Japanese visa fee for Indian nationals set at INR 500 (single or multiple); transit visas abolished.

Russia: Higher state duties: permission to attract foreign workers RUB 15,000 per worker, invitation RUB 8,000, work permit RUB 5,000, residence permit RUB 30,000 (Federal Laws 189-FZ/190-FZ).

Lithuania: President proposed a fixed-term work permit (up to 2 years, then 6 months outside Lithuania) and a Lithuanian language exam for a third TRP within ten years; quota cap stays at 1.4% of population. Proposal only. Secondary source.

Latvia: Saeima adopted a new Immigration Law; most provisions in force 1 Jan 2027: tighter supervision of employment and studies, more employer liability, wider refusal grounds, integration and state-language requirements.

Poland: Ministry figures (reported by Polskie Radio): 16,000 work visas issued in Q1 2026, down 87% from 123,000 in Q1 2022; 38,000 work permits in Q1 2026 vs 122,000 in Q1 2022.

Japan: First ESD Memoranda of Cooperation: Thailand (2 Jun 2026); Uzbekistan (in effect 29 Jun 2026, caps worker fees to sending organisations at 2 months' pay).

Romania: Senate adopted amendments to OUG 32/2026 (shortage list updated every 6 months; exception to the headcount cap for employers with EUR 500,000 financial capacity and at least 50% Romanian staff). Chamber of Deputies vote still pending in that report. Secondary source.

Lithuania: Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners in force: one of three hiring criteria suffices, 3-6 months to find a new job after a contract ends, more quota exemptions, Blue Card holders freer to change employer after 12 months. Further changes from 1 Nov 2026. Secondary source.

Czechia: Blue Card salary basis updated: 2025 average gross annual wage CZK 590,580 applies until 30 Apr 2027 (threshold 1.5 times; about CZK 73,823 a month per law firms).

Poland: New MOS online system for residence applications: PESEL and trusted profile needed; old MOS accounts do not carry over. Stamp duty is not refunded on refusal (date of that rule not confirmed).

Romania: Emergency Ordinance 32/2026 (Official Journal no. 335) in force: work permits (avize de muncă) under OG 25/2014 Title I abolished; one online 'single application' via WorkinRomania; D/AM1 and D/AM2 visa types; agencies may not charge workers; contracts must be in Romanian and a language the worker understands. Processing of new applications paused until the platform opened.

Latvia: New salary and means figures: national average EUR 1,815; EU Blue Card EUR 2,723 (1.5x) or EUR 2,178 (1.2x for shortage professions).

Czechia: Employer reports on foreign workers move to the electronic JMHZ monthly report; changes and terminations within 10 calendar days.

Estonia: Salary criterion updated: EUR 2,092 (1.0x), EUR 2,594 (1.24x), EUR 3,138 (1.5x), EUR 1,674 (0.8x), valid to March 2027.

Japan: Permanent-residence guidelines revised: from 1 Apr 2027 a 3-year period of stay no longer counts as the 'longest period of stay'.

Japan: Cabinet decision on field-specific policies: SSW (i) ceiling 805,700 and ESD 426,200 until end of Mar 2029 (1,231,900 total); 3 new fields (logistics warehousing, resource circulation, linen supply); 19 SSW fields and 17 ESD fields.

Russia: MVD data reported: 56,500 Indian citizens invited to work in 2025 (36,200 in 2024), a record since at least 2017.

Poland: Minimum wage PLN 4,806 gross a month and PLN 31.40 an hour (Council of Ministers regulation of 11 Sep 2025).

Czechia: Minimum wage CZK 22,400 a month (Qualified Worker programme pay floor 1.22 times this).

Bulgaria: Bulgaria adopted the euro (1.95583 lev = EUR 1). Fees and salaries are now in euro.

Poland: EU Blue Card salary threshold for 2026 applications: PLN 13,355.34 gross a month (150% of the 2025 average wage) (secondary).

Croatia: Aliens Act amended (Narodne novine 55/26): positive HZZ opinion now needs at least one Croatian/EEA/Swiss indefinite full-time employee over the past year, account inflow of at least EUR 100,000 (company) or EUR 40,000 (sole trader) in 12 months, no account blocked over 30 days in 6 months, no listing for undeclared work, and domestic staff of at least 20% of the third-country workforce (10% for deficit occupations). Effective date not confirmed.

Hungary: EU Blue Card salary threshold rises to HUF 1,001,048 gross a month (HUF 800,838 for listed occupations), from HUF 883,671 in 2025.

Hungary: Employer sanctions published by OIF: HUF 5,000,000 fine if a guest worker does not leave after the job ends; 2-year hiring ban if reporting duties fail for 30% of guest workers; up to HUF 1,000,000 per worker for reporting failures (start dates not confirmed).

Russia: India and Russia sign agreements on Temporary Labour Activity and on Combating Irregular Migration (Putin's state visit).

Poland: Work permit fees raised: PLN 200 (up to 3 months, was 50), PLN 400 (over 3 months, was 100), PLN 800 for posting; seasonal permit PLN 100; declaration PLN 400 (Regulation of 20 Nov 2025, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1622).

Romania: Government approved a 2026 quota of 90,000 newly admitted non-EU workers, down from 100,000 in 2024 and 2025.

Russia: Government Resolution No. 1920 sets the 2026 quota at 278,940 visa-entry foreign workers (2025: 234,958).

Bulgaria: VFS Global began accepting Bulgarian D visa applications in New Delhi, then Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Lithuania: External service provider offices accept only citizens of the country where the office is (with listed exceptions); Dushanbe and other offices closed; visits booked only via MIGRIS. India restrictions remain; no national visas in India.

Lithuania: 2025 quota (24,830) nearly used: Migration Department stopped accepting new employment applications; above-quota permits only at 1.2x average (then EUR 2,667.60) or 1x for high value-added shortage jobs. Secondary source.

Czechia: Employers must report every foreign worker to the Labour Office before work starts; allowing 'unreported work' can be fined up to CZK 3,000,000.

Russia: MEA urges Indians to stay away from offers to join the Russian army ('fraught with danger').

Japan: India–Japan Action Plan for Human Resource Exchange: 500,000 people both ways in 5 years, including 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled personnel from India to Japan (Foreign Secretary briefing; MEA brief).

Russia: Russian law raises the deadline for non-quota visa workers to prove Russian language, history and law from 30 to 90 days; quota workers exempt.

Czechia: New Delhi quotas: 1,560 Employee Card applications a year (600 Qualified Worker, 960 Highly Qualified/Key and Scientific Personnel); none outside programmes.

Bulgaria: Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act amended (State Gazette No. 52/2025): Blue Card IT route for software engineers without a degree (3 years' experience in the last 7), health-insurance rules for single-permit holders; NACID recognition needed when relying on a foreign degree. Secondary source.

Poland: Act of 20 March 2025 on entrusting work to foreigners in force: labour market test abolished, starosta occupation lists and possible annual permit limits introduced, applications only electronic via praca.gov.pl, written contract required before work, new mandatory refusal grounds (e.g. tax/ZUS arrears, sham entities).

Poland: Single permit: starosta information no longer required; employer must notify the voivode within 15 days if the foreigner loses the job.

Poland: EU Blue Card reform (Directive 2021/1883): minimum contract 6 months instead of 12, experience route (3 or 5 years), card no longer tied to one employer (secondary sources).

Estonia: PBGB issued a new employer invitation form for employment residence permits.

Estonia: Salary criterion updated: average gross monthly salary EUR 1,981 (1.24x EUR 2,456; 1.5x EUR 2,972).

Russia: MEA: 126 Indians identified as having joined the Russian army; 96 discharged, 12 died, 16 missing.

Latvia: Stricter NVA rules (Cabinet Regulation 55 amended): employers must justify vacancies, assess NVA candidates and give reasons; NVA opinion in 10 working days, valid 1 month.

Latvia: New state fees: temporary residence permit EUR 160 / 280 / 560 by processing speed; long-stay visa EUR 90; invitation approval EUR 10 / 17.

Romania: Checks on persons at internal land borders with Bulgaria and Romania lifted: Romania fully in Schengen (Council Decision (EU) 2024/3212).

Bulgaria: Checks at internal land borders with Bulgaria and Romania lifted: Bulgaria fully in Schengen (Council Decision (EU) 2024/3212).

Hungary: Hungarian cultural knowledge exam (written, in Hungarian, in Budapest, HUF 20,000) required for national and EU residence card applications.

Croatia: Aliens Act amended (Narodne novine 40/25); the content of this amendment could not be confirmed from official pages.

Hungary: Government Decree 450/2024 (XII.23.) on employing guest workers: Annex 1 lists only Georgia, Armenia and the Philippines for the employment-purpose permit; OIF states no third country is currently designated for the guest-worker permit (in-force date not confirmed).

Lithuania: Ministry of Economy and Innovation Order 4-404: list of high value-added shortage occupations (lower above-quota salary threshold of 1x the average). Consolidated edition from 10 June 2026.

Slovakia: Labour Office confirmation within 15 working days; vacancy notice 20 working days ahead; 60-day decision for single permits and 30 days for shortage occupations (secondary).

Czechia: Citizens of selected countries, including the UK, get free access to the Czech labour market (no vacancy number or work permit needed for an Employee Card).

Lithuania: Amendments replaced the shortage list by sector with a single annual quota (cap 1.4% of population), removed the Employment Service labour-market decision for quota cases, and added refusal grounds tied to employer conduct. Secondary source.

Poland: Work visas at the Embassy in New Delhi and Consulate General in Mumbai must be registered on e-Konsulat; appointment dates allocated by electronic draw (first draw 1 Jul 2024).

Japan: Act No. 60 of 2024 promulgated: creates Employment for Skill Development to replace Technical Intern Training.

Slovakia: Fee for a temporary residence application rose from EUR 165.50 to EUR 250 (secondary; IOM 2026 confirms EUR 250).

Japan: SSW expanded to 16 fields (automobile transportation, railway, forestry and wood industry added) (MOFA notes '16 industrial fields since April 2024').

Slovakia: Embassy in New Delhi suspended regular monthly online appointments for national D visas for low- and medium-skilled jobs (no end date given).

Romania: Law 28/2024 changed work-permit and highly qualified rules (EU Blue Card salary threshold lowered to one average gross salary, per KPMG; Blue Card residence up to 3 years). Secondary source.

Russia: CBI busts a network that trafficked Indians to the Russia–Ukraine war zone on promises of jobs as security guards and helpers; searches in 7 cities.

Lithuania: TRP applications in India limited to family reunion, highly skilled work, approved study, ICT and research/teaching staff; Jordan, Lebanon and Sri Lanka VFS branches closed for TRPs.

Latvia: Cabinet Regulation 225 amended: third-country workers must be paid at least their sector's average gross wage (capped at the national average). Secondary source.

Slovakia: Shortage-occupation list (published quarterly by ÚPSVaR) applies in all districts, not only those with unemployment under 5% (secondary).

Russia: Fingerprinting, photograph and medical examination within 30 days of arrival made mandatory for foreign workers, including HQS (Federal Laws 274-FZ and 357-FZ).

Japan: Japan–India Memorandum of Cooperation on Specified Skilled Worker signed in New Delhi; aims include 'elimination of malicious intermediary organizations'.

Japan: Japan–India Memorandum of Cooperation on Technical Intern Training signed (India: MSDE; only listed sending organisations from 1 May 2018).