Russia's lower house of parliament, the state Duma, on Wednesday adopted a law simplifying the requirements regulating entrance of highly skilled foreign specialists and their families to Russia.
Skilled foreign professionals acquired the right to obtain work permits, renew their temporary residence and receive entrance permits for their families outside the job quotas established by the government.
The list of relatives of skilled foreign workers allowed to enter Russia under the new requirements includes the worker's spouse, children, adopted children, children's spouses, parents, grandparents and grandchildren.
Foreigner workers, however, are excluded from the new law for senior religious posts.
Earlier, Federal Migration Service head Konstantin Romodanovsky said that about 20,000 highly-skilled foreign professionals and researchers come to Russia annually, while the Kremlin needs some 46,000 skilled foreigners a year to implement its ambitious modernization plans, especially in the hi-tech hub center in Skolkovo outside Moscow.
MOSCOW, December 8 (RIA Novosti)
