The National Assembly of RA passed the bill about amendments to the law on Foreigners that regulates issues related to work permits for foreigners. The bill clarifies a number of subjects, the following points being the most notable:

• the employer applies to the Government appointed authorized body for a work permit for the foreign employee they wish to hire (the state fee paid for the application is set at 25,000 AMD)

• the Government appointed authorized body provides free consultation to the foreign employees regarding their employment contract prior to their entry into RA

• if after receiving a work permit the employer fails to provide the position the permit was obtained for, the employer covers the return travel costs, living, and personal property transportation expenses of the employee and the family members accompanying them

• highly qualified foreign specialists from the list of professions defined by the Government, and foreigners exempted from the requirement of obtaining a work permit by Virtue of International Agreements of RA have been added to the list of persons who may work in RA without a work permit

The employers of foreigners who have already been working in RA without a work permit have to present the copies of their employment contracts to the Government appointed authorized body within the first 60 days after the date the law and the legal acts intended to enforce it go into effect. After the expiration of the employment contract employers have a right to sign a new employment contract based on a work permit obtained according to the law on Foreigners.