Opens up for Russian part-time workers
The Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion has changed the conditions for work permissions for Russian cross-border commuters, thus making it easier for Russians living in the Barents region to get part-time work in Norway.
The new rules apply for Russian citizens living in the Russian part of the Barents Region and commuting to part-time work in the three counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark. This will give Russians easier access to the Norwegian labor marked, since the previous rules only gave permission to employ Russians in full-time positions.
-This initiative follows up suggestions in the white paper on work immigration and the Government’s Strategy for the High North, says Ministry of Labor and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen in a press release.
The new rules are an exception from the main rule that states that persons from outside the European Economic Area only can get work permissions for full-time positions. The applicant has to live in Russia, not Norway, and the position has to be less than 80 percent.
Secretary General Rune Rafaelsen at the Norwegian Barents Secretariat calls the initiative “a very important step in the right direction”:
-The new rules open up for more flexible solutions for Russian workers on the Norwegian labor marked, and I believe they will contribute to make the labor marked in the Barents region more dynamic, Mr. Rafaelsen says to BarentsObserver.
