VILNIUS – The government of Lithuania has made the employment of foreigners in the country harder by amending the immigration laws.
The move aims to curb the abuse of work-related immigration procedures by changing the procedures for issuing temporary residence permits to foreigners in the country.
As per the changes, employers in Lithuania will now have it harder to bring foreign workers to the country, with Minister Bilotaitė stating that immigration procedures should not be abused in the country.
The government has changed the immigration procedures under which if a company is involved in irregular activities or fails to justify its need for foreign workers, it would not be allowed to invite foreigners for a period of six months.
The specific cases have been highlighted by the government which would deem an employer ineligible for inviting foreign workers, Schengenvisainfo reported.
The country’s Ministry of Interior has also confirmed that if a foreigner is invited by a company that cannot employ foreigners, the foreigner’s request to issue or change a temporary residence permit will not be accepted.
The changes also involve the administration of external service providers by the Ministry of Interior though the Migration Department was vested with this responsibility earlier.
It bears mentioning that in August 2022, the country eased the conditions for hiring foreign workers. As part of the changes, it was announced that foreigners who have completed studies or training in Lithuania were able to apply for a temporary residence permit within ten years from the completion of studies or training.
