Estonian police to provide migration consultation service beginning in March
Early next year, the Estonian police is to begin providing a migration consultation service to foreigners and companies hiring foreign workforce.
Companies that hire foreign workforce as well as foreigners planning to move to or already living in Estonia need personal and trustworthy advice regarding living in Estonia and identification documents, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior told BNS. As this is the case, the ministry and the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) are working together to develop a migration consultation service.
To launch on March 1, 2017, the service will be offered in Estonian, Russian and English and be accessible via phone, email and Skype in addition to offering in-person consultations with an adviser.
In mid-December, the Riigikogu passed amendments lowering the minimum pay requirement for seasonal workers from third countries and excluding large investors from the immigration quota. The government-initiated bill of amendments to the Aliens Act and related other laws will transpose EU directives on seasonal workers and intra-corporate transferees into national law. The purpose of the directive is to ensure decent working and living conditions for seasonal workers as well as to offer them protection from abuse by employers through establishing common and transparent rules in the EU.
The bill broadens third-country citizens' opportunities for short-term employment in Estonia and changes the requirements concerning wages to be paid to aliens who work in the country. It also expands imported workers' right to labor market services and introduces additinal provisions concerning employers' responsibilities.
The government proposed in May to replace the requirement that a foreign national working in Estonia on a work permit be paid at least 1.24 times the national average wage with one according to which imported workers would be required to be paid at least the national average wage. This proposal was incorporated into the law.
The amendments to the Aliens Act, the Citizen of the European Union Act and the Identity Documents Act proposed by the government introduce a clause according to which aliens who are issued a temporary residence permit for enterprise as large investors are excluded from the annual immigration quota.
The purpose of the bill is to facilitate the temporary stay and living in Estonia of aliens who contribute to the development of the economic environment of Estonia. For example, the information and communication technology sector (ICT) will be excluded from the immigration quota, and settling in Estonia will be made easier for start-up entrepreneurship and those working for start-up companies.
The amendments to the law are to take effect on Jan. 17 and 18.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS