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Mantas Jersovas

Overview of the Lithuanian immigration policy

2013 – 06 – 26

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Starting points

• High emigration: creates imbalances in the national labour market

• High expectations on return migration: creates a vicious circle (zero-sum game)

• Low immigration flows (including intra-EU mobility)• High unemployment: but unemployed people cannot

be easily included into the labour market• Xenophobia and distrust into immigration control,

lack of good examples

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Main policy documentsEconomic Migration Regulation Strategy (2007): ensure that Lithuania does

not lack qualified labour force as the economy grows. Terminated in 2009Immigration Guidelines (2008): immigration as a temporary and secondary

measure to fill existing labour shortages from priority regionsInternationalization of Higher Education (2008, 2011): attraction of foreign

students in order to promote the internationalisation of higher educationGlobal Lithuania strategy (2011): how to include dispora into state’s

development; diaspora engaged while abroadLithuania 2030 (2012): implement a purposeful immigration policy Lithuanian Migration Policy Guidelines (2013): prepare comprehensive

migration policy guidelines

Main drivers: employers’ interests and EU directives

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• Law on the legal Status of Aliens (2004):- one immigration scheme for all labour immigrants;- only qualified workers can be addmitted• List of understaffed occupations (2007): simplified immigration

procedures for TCNs who have a profession in demand in Lithuania (work permit, D visa and residence permit after 1 year), 2008 – 60, 2012 - 4

• D visa (2011): possibility to arrive with the national visa for all groups of workers and students (work permit, D visa, residence permit after 1 year)

• Blue Card (2013): a special residence permit, facilitated arrival • Business: liberal scheme → cases of abuse → changes in legislation

Development of immigration policy

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Immigration schemes

Criteria Workers Blue card Business Students

Pre-requisite

Vacancy (1 month), average salary (≈580€)

Vacancy (21 days), 2xsalary (≈1160€) edu./exp.

Head and owner of a company, 14.500€ capital + 3 work places

Mediation letter, resources (≈150€ per month), language

Entry Work permit, D visa/ residence permit

Decision on needs, D visa / residence permit

Residence permit D visaResidence permit

Average time

3-4 months 2-3 months 4-5 months 1 month

Flexibility D visa /no possibility to change employer, leave 2+2 years

D visa / possibility to change employer (after 2 years)

Flexible, stricter requirements discussed

D visa / working 20 hours after 1st year; no possibility to stay after studies

Family No Yes Yes/No No

Flows (2012)

4.600 11 (2013, half year) ≈ 2.800 1.600

States (2012)

Belarus, Ukraine, Russia china

Ukraine, Belarus Russia, Belarus, China, Georgia

Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Israel

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Business:• Workers: work permit and residence permit should be issued

for the same time period (2 years); • Highly qualified workers: labour market test should be

abandoned; emphasis on professional experience, not education

Government• Business: stricter requirements (establishment of work

places, criteria to revoke a residence permit when no activity is performed)

• Students: stay after studies, residence permits issued for 2 years period or renewal procedure facilitated

Proposals for improvements from interested groups

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Flows (workers)

Nationality Job position Duration Salary

Ukraine Assistant to Director / Translator

2 years LTL 4.400

Ukraine Import / Export Manager

2 years LTL 5.000

Ukraine Computer Systems Engineer

2 years LTL 6.666

Ukraine Computer Systems Engineer

2 years LTL 6.666

Belarus Sales Manager 2 years LTL 6.843

Belarus Otorhinolaryngologist 2 years LTL 4.464

Belarus Echoscopy specialist 2 years LTL 4.464

Russian Federation Deputy Director 2 years LTL 4.500

Belarus Deputy Director 2 years LTL 4.605

USA Director 2 years LTL 10.000

India Deputy head of institution

2 year LTL 10.600www.emn.lt

Blue card holder (2013)

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EU citizens

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Flows (students)

1076

2153

28262999 3004

3194

744

12991566 1580 1487 1591

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Foreign TCNs

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• Development of LT labour immigration system was driven by economic reality/pressure from business and by EU directives (less)

• Lithuania chooses minimal permitted level of harmonization when transposing EU migration directives

• Immigration policy is being amended while it should be revised• At the moment there are no clear priorities in migration. Immigration

policy is not connected with state’s future development goals • No integration policy • Immigration is not a sensitive issue therefore politicians tend to avoid

the topic• Policy reacted to reality (D visa)• Migration is a priority for the government (working group to develop

Migration policy guidelines)

Conclusions

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Mantas JersovasProgramme Coordinator

International Organization for Migration (IOM)Vilnius Office

European Migration Network (EMN)National contact point in Lithuania

Jaksto 12, 4th floorTel: +370 5 2624897Fax: +370 5 2611326

E-mail: mantas@iom.lt

Contacts