Children of migrants must either work or leave Russia after turning 18

The Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that proposes changes to the rules regarding the stay of labor migrants’ children in the country.

According to the document, after reaching adulthood, labor migrants’ children may remain in the country if they make an advance payment and obtain a patent. Otherwise, they must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within 30 days.

The document also outlines new conditions for the stay of minors. Now, labor migrants’ children under the age of 18 will be able to stay in Russia only for the duration of their parent’s work permit, and provided that the labor migrant makes a fixed advance payment for personal income tax (PIT) not only for themselves but also for each child.

Thus, the legality of the family’s stay will directly depend on tax payments and the legal status of the labor migrant.

The initiative to tighten rules for migrant children comes against the backdrop of a decrease in their numbers in the country: according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, by the beginning of 2026, the number of migrant children has decreased by 25 percent. This decline is attributed to the strengthening of migration policy.

In addition, new regulations have come into force in Russia requiring the Ministry of Internal Affairs and educational authorities to exchange information about foreign citizens’ children—from the moment of their registration to the results of Russian language testing.