22/02/2019
From the 1st of March 2019 the procedures of foreigners arriving to Lithuania for non-highly qualified jobs become way easier. Employers will no longer need to provide documents, confirming the qualifications of employees from third countries and at least one year of work experience according to their qualifications in the last two years. Therefore, it is first of all good news for Lithuanian construction and transport companies. However, these facilitations will not be applied for foreigners arriving to work highly-qualified jobs, for instance, who want to work as programmers, engineers etc.
A foreigner whose profession is included in the list of professions lacking in Lithuania according to the economic activity (these include construction site workers, long-distance drivers, electricians, welders), or foreigner’s employer together with a request for a temporary residence permit or a change of residence permit, will only have to submit an employer’s mediation letter of qualification, as well as an obligation to employ a foreigner for a minimum of 6 months or an employment contract of the same duration. This means that it will be duty of the employer to make sure that the employee meets the requirements and has the documents, confirming his/her qualifications.
Other relevant alteration means that foreign workers who changed function of the job with the same employer or only changed the employer will not have to acquire a new temporary residence permit if they not later than 3 months before the planned change, they submit a request to the Migration Department asking to let them change employer or work function. After checking whether the employee meets the requirements, Migration Department will allow to work with a new employer or to perform new job functions with the same employer.
It is important to note that according to the amendments that will enter into force from March 1st of 2019, it will not be necessary to register the employment contract concluded with a foreigner who intends to work in the Republic of Lithuania with the territorial unit of the Employment Service, as it was necessary thus far.
It must be noted that starting from 1st of March 2019 the obligation to obtain permits for foreigners posted to work in Lithuania is returned. Such foreigner will be able to submit applications for multiple-entry national visas to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Lithuania abroad or through the reception center of the external service provider. If the posted foreigner goes to work for a company which is in a list of approved companies, foreigner will have to submit a health insurance document to obtain a national visa, in addition to a completed application for a national visa and an electronically submitted mediation letter from the receiving employer. If the company to which the foreigner will work is not included in the list of approved companies, he/she will also have to provide work permit in the Republic of Lithuania for national visa and a document confirming that he/she will have sufficient funds to stay in the Republic of Lithuania during the visa stay and return to the country of origin or other foreign country to which foreigner is entitled to travel.
ECOVIS ProventusLaw has over 10 years of experience in consulting foreigners and invites companies of transport, construction sector to consult in the field of the employment of third-country citizens who want to work in Lithuania as long-distance drivers, construction site workers, etc. We urge you to seize an opportunity of the simpler and more flexible employment procedures for third-country citizens and to find out what specific documents you need to submit to the Migration Department if a third-country citizen wants to change work function with the same employer or change employer in general.
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