Employment for International Students: What the Law Says and What Documentation You Need

What does the law say?

Amendments to the law came into effect on August 5, 2020, excluding   foreign students from the requirement to obtain a work permit in Russia.   The link to the announcement is on the State Duma website:  http://duma.gov.ru/news/49275/ .

However, there are   several restrictions on specific positions  . First, foreigners are prohibited from holding the position of chief accountant or any other position related to accounting for a Russian company. Only foreigners with a permanent residence permit or temporary residence permit may manage the company's accounting department. Second, foreigners are prohibited from being employed in municipal or government service or in positions related to ensuring Russia's security.

What are the employment conditions for international students enrolled in the university's preparatory departments?

The same as for other international students. Students in preparatory programs are considered students of a higher education institution, and therefore benefit from a simplified employment procedure, meaning they do not need any permits.

Justification: According to Article 2 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ of December 29, 2012, "On Education in the Russian Federation," a student is defined as an individual completing an educational program. Depending on the level of the educational program being completed, the mode of instruction, and the mode of residence at the educational institution, students include, among others, listeners—individuals enrolled in preparatory departments of higher education institutions (Article 33 of the Law).

What documents are usually required when applying for a job?

• a certificate from the university stating that you are a student in the program;
• passport or other identity document and a copy of it with translation;
• work record book (if this is your first job, your employer will create one for you);
• compulsory pension insurance certificate SNILS (this can also be issued by the employer);
• TIN, registration and migration card;
• a voluntary medical insurance contract (policy) valid on the territory of the Russian Federation;
• other documents at the employer’s request (an educational document or a certificate of no criminal record, for example).

It's important to understand that because work permits for international students have been cancelled, employers may be even more cautious and require additional certificates and documents.

There are two options: find a job at HSE itself or at a third-party company.

Working at HSE University

Where to look for vacancies at HSE?

1. Website:  Vacancies and Internships of the Higher School of Economics

2. The HSE page on  HeadHunter . However, it's more effective to search directly on the websites of HSE's specialized institutes, for example:

• Center for Neuroeconomics and Cognitive Research
• International Laboratory for Population and Health Research
• Scientific and educational laboratory of political research
• Research and Educational Laboratory of Big Data Analysis Methods
• Internet Research Laboratory  , etc.

List of all international laboratories (Centers of Excellence) -  interlabs , and all scientific centers  centers .

3. As a teaching assistant at a faculty level. If you excel in your subject, you can become a teaching assistant. Requirements and pay vary depending on the faculty. For more information, visit  www.hse.ru/studyspravka/uchassistant .

4. The HSE digest for its own, which is published every two weeks —  https://www.hse.ru/our/news/vacancy/

Work in external organizations

Where to look for vacancies?

1. The same place as everyone else—on HeadHunter, in our HSE Career groups, on LinkedIn, etc. Here's a selection of job search resources in various fields—career.hse.ru/jobsites  .

2. International corporations like  KEPT or  P&G . They have experience working with expats, so they're not afraid to hire international students.

3. Special websites for expats:  ExpatRu ,  Expatica ,  XpatJobs ,  AntalRussia ,  JobsInMoscow ,  Learn4Good .

4. Embassies and consulates of your country - you already have knowledge of the language and specifics.

5. Language centers and tutoring, especially if there are language certificates confirming knowledge.

HSE also has  a Support and Career Center for International Students and Alumni , available for assistance with translation, support, or other questions.

This is a useful portal for finding answers to employment questions.