Immigration Quota for 2022 is 1,311

The Chamber expressed its opinion in relation to establishing the immigration quota for 2022. According to the draft, the immigration quota for 2022 is 1,311 persons, which is the maximum allowed by the Aliens Act.

In the letter to the Ministry of the Interior, the Chamber pointed out that one of the main concerns of Estonian entrepreneurs is the lack of qualified labour and the regulation for the immigration quota arising from the Aliens Act will not help to solve this problem efficiently. Therefore, the Chamber continues to be of the opinion that the immigration quota should be removed from the Aliens Act, the quota should be increased or more aliens should be exempt from the immigration quota. For example, aliens who are paid 1.5 times the Estonian average salary who are working at a reliable employer or who come to work at a new job where there is a major lack of labour force in Estonia, could be exempt from the quota.

Immigration quota should not be artificially limited
Similarly to this year, the Ministry of the Interior is planning to book a certain amount of immigration quota for creative workers, athletes, coaches, sports referees and aliens coming to Estonia on the basis of a foreign agreement.

As the demand among aliens and the need among Estonian entrepreneurs for temporary residence permits subject to the immigration quota is significantly bigger than the planned immigration quota for next year, the first preference of the Chamber of Commerce would be not to interfere with artificial limitations to the distribution of the residence permits subject to the immigration quota. The Chamber finds that if the Ministry of the Interior considers estimated quotas in certain areas of activity essential, this should be convincingly and transparently reasoned in the explanatory memorandum. At the moment, it has not been done in the explanatory memorandum and it is unclear, why the draft act foresees an exception for two areas of activity – creative and sports.

State lost over 400,000 euros in labour taxes
Among creative workers, the interest in residence permits has not been as high as the estimated quota during the past two years. For example, in 2020, the quota was 28, but only 5 of the residence permits were used. This year, the quota is 25, of which 1 has been used. In 2020, the quota for residence permits under international agreements was 10 and this year 5, but only one residence permit has been used during the two years.

In 2020, 32 residence permits under the immigration quota meant for creative workers and on the basis of international agreements were not used. This year, the number is currently 29. At the same time, very many aliens have been left without a residence permit for employment, because the immigration quota for free distribution was fulfilled already at the beginning of both years. For example, if the unused residence permits would have been issued at the beginning of 2020 and the aliens would have been paid 1.5 times the Estonian average salary, the state would have collected an additional 400,000 euros of labour taxes per year.

Who are included in the immigration quota?
The immigration quota will include temporary residence permits granted to third country nationals, which are given for employment, entrepreneurship, on the basis of an international agreement or substantial national interest. 

Who are exempt from the immigration quota?

• citizens of a member state of the European Union
• citizens of the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein
• aliens who move to live with a spouse or a close relative
• aliens who study or do scientific research in Estonia
• aliens who are granted temporary residence permit to settle permanently in Estonia
• aliens who are granted residence permit for employment in a position related to information and communications technology
• aliens who are granted residence permit for employment in a start-up company
• aliens who work in Estonia as lecturers
• aliens who are granted temporary residence permit for entrepreneurship as a major investor in relation to start-up business
• aliens who are granted temporary residence permit for employment as high-level specialists, i.e. whose employer pays at least at least double the Estonian average salary
• subjects of international protection