Combined Work and Residence Permit, Other Reforms to Be Implemented

The Czech Republic will soon implement a combined work and residence permit called an employment card, under recently approved legislation. Once the employment card is introduced, employers will no longer be required to submit a separate work permit application to the labor office, except for intracompany transferees who will still require separate work permits. 

Though separate work permits will no longer be required, existing labor market testing requirements will remain unchanged. In order to file the employment card application, employers must still await approval from the labor office to fill a position with a non-EU national. Additional details on the combined permit are expected in the coming weeks. 

In addition, the green card program, which allows foreign specialists to obtain work authorization without employer sponsorship, will be eliminated. 

The Czech government is required to implement a combined permit under an EU directive. The recently approved legislation is expected to also introduce a number of other immigration reforms that have yet to be announced. One potential change is a six-month work permit exemption for intracompany transferees seeking to conduct on-the-job training at a related entity. 

What This Means for Employers 

In many EU states, the introduction of combined work and residence permits has resulted in temporary processing delays, and employers can expect the same in Czech Republic. However, the introduction of a single permit and application process should eventually streamline the work authorization process for foreign nationals and their employers. 

How Fragomen Can Assist 

Fragomen is monitoring the implementation of the reforms and will provide additional updates as details are announced. Fragomen can also assist with preparing and filing of work permit applications in Czech Republic. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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