The Legal Status of Highly Qualified Specialists as an Instrument of Selective Regulation of Labour Migration in Russia

The article examines the evolution of the legal status of highly qualified specialists (HQS) as an instrument of selective regulation of labour migration in Russia. Its purpose is to trace changes in the income criterion between 2010 and 2027 and to assess its significance for attracting and retaining human capital. Formal-legal, comparative-historical and systemic methods are used to examine the relationship between a foreign worker’s professional characteristics, the employer’s assessment and public oversight of remuneration. The study shows that since 1 March 2024 the calculated annual equivalent of the general threshold has been RUB 3 million, while from 1 March 2027 the basic monthly amounts will be RUB 717,000 for HQS subject to the general requirement and RUB 358,500 for the statutory special categories; both amounts will subsequently be indexed annually. Higher thresholds strengthen the role of the income criterion in selecting foreign workers, although the effects of the new requirements on the scale, occupational composition and duration of employment and stay can only be assessed after sufficient statistical data have been collected. The study contributes a systematic account of remuneration requirements and clarifies the role of the income criterion in the selective regulation of labour migration. Its practical implications concern combining the income criterion with verifiable professional characteristics and expanding the published data on HQS permit holders.