Minimum Wage and Salary for Highly-Qualified Staff Increased

The situation

Effective January 1, 2018, the monthly minimum wage and monthly salary for highly-qualified staff has increased by 15 percent.

• The minimum wage has increased to BYN 305.
• The minimum monthly salary for highly-qualified staff (15 times minimum wage) has increased to BYN 4,575 per month.
• An additional BYN 204.35 per month (unchanged) must be available per accompanying dependent.

 

A closer look

• Initial and renewal applications. Employers of foreign nationals seeking to obtain or renew a work permit on or after January 1, 2018 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new amounts.
• Pending applications. Employers of foreign nationals with pending work permit applications as of January 1, 2018 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new amounts. 
• Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.

 

Reminders on other requirements

• Currency. As before, employers are required to guarantee the salary in BYN regardless of payroll location and/or exchange rate fluctuations.
• Sufficient funds. Foreign nationals must also be able to prove sufficient monetary funds in the amount of BYN 1,150 per month.
• Social security and tax. The employer contributes an additional 34% of the monthly salary as mandatory social security insurance payments. One percent of the monthly salary is withheld from the foreign national as mandatory social security insurance payment. Thirteen percent of the salary is withheld from the foreign national as personal income tax.

 

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].