Russia's Far East Adjusts Foreign Labor Restrictions to Ease Logistics Shortage

Primorsky Krai is reviewing a gubernatorial decree that would restrict foreign nationals holding work patents from 83 specific economic activities starting in 2027. Currently open for public consultation through November 23, the proposal does not establish a blanket ban on migration, but rather adjusts the specific professional roles accessible to patent-holding workers. The list of prohibited activities has contracted slightly, dropping from 88 positions last year to 83. The most significant shift occurs in the logistics sector: warehousing, storage, and freight handling are slated for removal from the restricted list. According to the official explanatory note, this adjustment responds to the physical expansion of regional infrastructure, specifically increased port throughput and the commissioning of new transport-logistics centers that require more labor to manage cargo flows. Conversely, the administration is tightening restrictions on business support services. The ban on administrative and household management activities has been expanded. Authorities noted a pattern of evasion where companies bypassed previous restrictions by hiring foreign workers through third-party outsourcing firms rather than as direct employees.