Hungary to Introduce Tighter Rules for Foreign Guest Workers

The Hungarian government is proposing new regulations to ensure job vacancies are filled by local citizens first.

Employers will need to show they can’t find suitable Hungarian workers before hiring foreigners, and a detailed inquiry will be conducted for each case to maintain a balance between foreign hires and available jobs, Schengen.News reports.

If an employer has been fined for labour violations in the past year, their application for a foreign worker may be automatically denied. Also, permits can be rejected if an employer refuses to hire local workers or acts badly during negotiations.

Private Recruitment Agencies Will Be Banned From Hiring Non-EU Workers

According to Hungary Today, the new rules will also ban private recruitment agencies from hiring workers outside the EU. Instead, the focus will be on enhancing domestic employment through training programs designed to meet the needs of job seekers and the labour market.

Guest workers must leave Hungary within six days of losing their jobs. The Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office is drafting further regulations to restrict guest workers from positions in state institutions and state-owned enterprises.

Despite rising unemployment figures reported by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, significant labour shortages in specific sectors have prompted companies to hire guest workers from countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The government has set a cap of 65,000 guest workers for 2024, allowing entry from 15 countries, including Belarus, North Macedonia, and Kazakhstan.

Hungary’s new immigration law took effect on January 1, 2024, with rules regarding guest investors implemented on July 1, 2024. Under this law, guest worker residence permits are restricted to individuals employed by designated employers, from specific countries, and in certain professions.

These permits can only be extended for three years; a new application is required after that. Guest workers do not have the right to permanent residency or family reunification.

The 15 countries eligible for guest worker permits under the new regulations include:

• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• North Macedonia
• Philippines
• Indonesia
• Kazakhstan
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Vietnam
• Russia
• Brazil
• Georgia
• Kyrgyzstan
• Venezuela
• Colombia

On November 14, 2023, the government introduced legislation to revise the legal framework governing the residency of third-country nationals, emphasising that unlimited residency is not a right for these individuals and that extensions of residence permits cannot be automatic.

Source: https://schengen.news/hungary-to-introduce-tighter-rules-for-foreign-guest-workers/