New government decree changes rules on guest workers in Hungary, National Card
The Hungarian government accepted and published a new decree regarding the employment of guest workers in Hungary. Most of the new rules will be effective after 1 July.
New government decree changes rules on guest workers
According to hvg.hu, different regulations will apply to the preparatory and operational phases of investments concerning the employment of guest workers in Hungary after 1 July. Based on a new government decree published on Thursday night, guest workers working on the preparation and operational phases of investments will be able to come with a preliminary collective work permit and remain in Hungary for a maximum of one or three years, depending on the category. Their number will be included in the cumulative number of residence permits issued yearly.
Furthermore, the Hungarian government would like to ease the employment of third-country nationals living near the Hungarian borders and commuting to work from Serbian and Ukrainian settlements close to the border. Based on the new decree, they will be entitled to the so-called National Card, a special residency permit.
Work permits for the preparatory phase of investments will be valid for a maximum of three years or until the completion of the investment. Meanwhile, work permits issued for guest workers employed in the operational phase will only be valid for a maximum of 1 year. Authorities must keep an eye on the maximum number of work permits issued in a year in Hungary, which cannot exceed 35 thousand, a number defined by the country’s national economy minister, Márton Nagy.
New regulations concerning the National Card
National Cards can be received by regular commuters living in Serbia or Ukraine, coming to Hungary to work. An important prerequisite is that the foreign national must have permanent residency in Serbia or Ukraine. In Hungary, they cannot have a permanent or temporary residence. Furthermore, their employers must have at least five full-time Hungarian or EU nationals on the payroll for at least six months. Moreover, the employer must not have any tax or contribution arrears, and must not be under liquidation proceedings.
The rules only apply to employers in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Hajdú-Bihar, Békés, Csongrád-Csanád, Bács-Kiskun and Baranya counties; the counties sharing borders with Serbia and Ukraine. Third-country nationals who obtain a National Card cannot get a national residency card and cannot invite foreign nationals, only if a child is born into the family during the validity of the National Card. In that case, the Hungarian authorities must issue a National Card for the baby.
According to hvg.hu, the new rules will be effective after 1 July.
Read also:
- A “new era” for guest workers in Hungary: New regulations and National Card
- This is why guest workers are essential for Hungary’s economy
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