The Hungarian government announced a cap on work and residence permits for foreign nationals in 2024.

Key Points:

• Only up to 65,000 guest worker permits and employment residence permits will be issued in 2024.
• The projected number of available permits is down from 81,000 in the previous year, 39,000 of which were ultimately issued.
• The government also compiled a list of jobs that workers from outside the European Union will no longer qualify for, including elevator mechanic, legal aide, photographer, roofer and vineyard worker.

Additional Information: The Hungarian parliament recently approved a new immigration law concerning entry and stay of third-country nationals. The new legislation updates key provisions of existing law pertaining to residence permits for foreign nationals, as well as employment of migrant workers. Officials clarified that new residence permit applications are currently not being accepted at the immigration office until Feb. 29. Residence and settlement permits that expire between Jan. 1 and Feb. 29, 2024, will be automatically extended to April 30, 2024.

BAL Analysis: The Hungarian government will limit the number of visas issued to temporary workers from outside the European Union in an effort to protect local jobs. Employers should be aware of the important changes and are encouraged to take note of the quotas and any relevant exemptions and plan their international recruiting and hiring programs accordingly.