Companies Must Submit Quota Reports by May 1

The situation

Companies intending to hire foreign workers in Azerbaijan are required to submit quota reports to the State Migration Service (SMS) by May 1, 2020.

A closer look

The quota process includes the following steps:  

• Filing quota report. Companies submit quota reports, estimating the number of foreign workers required between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
• Quota review and decision. A special Commission (composed of representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, SMS and SOCAR) will review each quota report and present a quota proposal to the Cabinet of Ministers by September 1, 2020.
• Quota changes. Employers can submit an amended report reflecting changed foreign workforce needs, which the SMS can accept at its discretion. Separately, the Commission may request review of existing quota in August each year, if it finds that the current quota does not meet the needs of the labour market.

Impact

Employers seeking to send foreign workers to Azerbaijan should submit a foreign worker estimate for 2021 by May 1, 2020. Employers are advised to contact immigration counsel for support.

Background

Azerbaijan introduced this quota system in 2016 to better track and check employment conditions of foreign workers. Since compliance with the quota system is currently strictly enforced, it is prohibitively difficult to obtain work authorization outside the quota in the oil and gas sectors.

Looking ahead

Fragomen expects efforts to streamline the application process to continue, though scrutiny and restrictions are also likely to continue as a counterbalance to ensure that migration to the country remains documented and controlled. 

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].