According to a press release from recruitment agency Work from Asia, entrepreneurs who know they will need a workforce from Asia next year should start now. This is also because the Immigration Inspector General (IGI) is running roughshod over staff shortages. According to HotNews.ro, even 6 months are given to extend the residence permit.

“With the opening of the topic of Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, the question arises about the impact of such a decision on the business environment in the country from the point of view of the segment of hiring foreign labor from non-EU countries,” says Work from Asia, which calls for general mobilization to find new solutions for the entire industry and warns of new realities that Romanian employers will have to face.

“I believe that Romania’s accession to the Schengen zone will soon become a reality, so we, entrepreneurs, and the authorities should prepare for this issue and solve existing problems as efficiently as possible so as not to exacerbate them. The consequences we will face is the duration of the process of attracting foreign workers to the country, which, according to our estimates, will change from the current 120-240 days to 240-480 days,” said Yosef Gavriel Peysah, general manager of Work from Asia.

In addition, according to his estimates, the number of work permits granted to workers from non-EU countries will drop sharply and will be 50% less.

Other changes that could affect the entire foreign labor import segment relate to the deciding factor on the number of annual work permits.

“If until now it was decided at the national level, in personnel functions it is necessary to evaluate the existing on the local labor market, then with the entry into the Schengen area this decision will be made at the level of the International European Forum,” says the quoted statement.

Romanian entrepreneurs are also advised to take measures and secure in advance the foreign workforce needed to carry out their activities in optimal conditions, in order to prevent increasingly long waiting periods.

“Our company has already officially started recruitment for Romanian enterprises that need labor in the spring of 2023. We advise all our clients not to postpone their job applications for next year, so as not to affect operations due to the lack of human resources,” Peysah said.

Photo source: DreamTime.com