2019 Quotas Available

The situation

The Croatian government has released the 2019 work authorization quota numbers.

A closer look

Details of the quota are as follows:

• Overall quota number. For 2019, 65,100 stay and work permits can be granted to foreign workers, an increase of 26,331 spots when compared to 2018. The general quota is broken down into numerous categories of workers, focused on shortage industries and occupations.
• Quota for intracompany transfers unchanged. The quota allocation for intracompany transfer applications remains unchanged at 250 spots.
• Renewal applications. 15,000 quota spots are available for the renewal of current stay and work permits, an increase of 6,000 spots when compared to 2018.
• Exempt categories. More than 30 categories of applicants are exempt from quota restrictions, including highly-skilled professionals, key personnel, employees providing services on behalf of non-EU employers, self-employed foreign nationals and foreign nationals with long-term residence in other EU Member States.

Impact

Since many categories of foreign workers are exempt, the quota figures for 2018 were not exhausted. Employers should benefit from the increase in quota numbers, as it allows them to more easily fill shortage occupations with qualified foreign workers.

Background

• History of quota system. The quota system was first introduced in January 1, 2004  and since then, the quota has fluctuated, reaching a high in 2008 of 10,242 permits. As a result of the 2008 financial crisis and a rise in the number of unemployed Croatian nationals, the quota decreased in the following years, reaching a low in 2013 of only 1,714 work permits. In the last few years, the number of available permits has increased significantly.
• Quota systems in other countries. Many other countries use quota systems to control the number of foreign workers, such as Estonia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
   

Looking ahead

The quota increase reflects the inability of Croatian employers to attract Croatian workers to fill labor shortages. The quota is expected to continue to increase if the labor market for local workers does not improve. Fragomen will report on future changes.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].