The meeting was attended by Alexander Volchenko, Director of the Department for Interaction with Branches and Representative Offices of Foreign Legal Entities of the CCI of the Russian Federation, Executive Director of the Russian-German Chamber of Foreign Trade (VTP) Christian Harten, Member of the Management Board and Chairman of the Personnel Committee of the VTP Elena Balashova, Deputy Head of the Main Department for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Alexander Aksenov, Deputy Head of the Department for the Organization of Visa Work of the GUVM Armen Oganesyan, Head of the Department of Visa Processing and Migration Registration of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Moscow Galina Panfilova.
The business community was represented by such large international companies as Volkswagen Group Rus, BMW Group Russia, Metro Cash and Carry, REHAU, Knauf Gypsum, etc.
Representatives of the CCI of the Russian Federation and the Russian-German VTP outlined the problems faced by foreigners when registering for migration registration, and also voiced a number of proposals that could optimize this procedure. In particular, once again, a proposal was submitted to introduce a single migration registration for foreign citizens at their place of permanent residence or place of residence for the entire validity period of the visa or the entire duration of the residential lease agreement, regardless of the number of trips of a foreign citizen.
In addition, Elena Balashova touched upon the problem of the impossibility of attracting highly qualified employees to work in representative offices of non-profit organizations in Russia, and also drew the attention of representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the disproportionality of administrative fines for certain offenses in the field of migration of their severity and public danger.
In response to the proposal to provide all foreign citizens (not only the VKS) with the opportunity to register themselves and their family members in a residential premises owned by a foreign citizen, Armen Oganesyan spoke about the draft laws prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs aimed at eliminating gaps in migration legislation and simplifying migration registration procedures for foreigners who own residential premises.
In turn, Alexander Aksenov supported the opinion on the need to switch to the registration of foreign citizens for migration registration in electronic form (although he stressed that it would take quite a lot of time), and also noted that the proposals made at a similar meeting at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry last year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was taken into account in the work on improving the regulatory framework. In particular, it was said that a draft law has already been prepared, taking into account the possibility of migration registration on the basis of a certified power of attorney of the landlord. At the same time, the Internal Affairs Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia will offer territorial authorities a formulation that can be used to prepare such a power of attorney.
The meeting also touched upon an issue relevant to companies that are members of business associations. It was about the termination from April 05, 2019 registration of permits (RNR) for foreign citizens of the VKS at Boyarsky Lane, 4. As previously announced, now work permits in Moscow will be issued only in the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Moscow (Migration Center in "Sakharovo").
In conclusion, the meeting participants agreed to continue monitoring the law enforcement practice of migration legislation and expressed hope for further constructive cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.