With Order Nr. 800 of September 12, 2013, the Russian Government approved new rules (workflow, deadlines and responsible state entities) for determining the need to attract foreign workers, correcting the pre-determined foreign workers quota through the year, and shortening the deadline for preparation by the state of lists of employment positions to be occupied by foreigners.
In the explanatory note to the legal act is stated that this state initiative has the aim to improve the mechanism of attracting foreign workers as well as to increase its flexibility and operational effectiveness. These changes are part of an effort by the Russian Government to reverse the prevailing regime in which the migrants flows were differentiated according to a geographical criterion (leading as a consequence to a pronounced inflow of often low-skilled CIS immigrants) and to attract highly qualified workers (see the related GTA measures below).