The Conceptual Basis of Labour Immigration
Hiring foreign dealers and technical specialists for a live-dealer studio or a casino falls into the regime of the Law on Labour Migration, and Article 3 creates its conceptual basis. A labour immigrant is a foreigner without a permanent residence permit in Georgia who enters Georgia for the purpose of employment arrangement with a local employer and remunerated labour activity. A local employer, in turn, is a legal entity registered in Georgia, an individual entrepreneur registered in Georgia, a partnership, a representative office of a foreign organisation registered in Georgia, or a person lawfully residing in Georgia who uses the foreigner’s labour in Georgia.
In the studio context this definition clearly means: a Georgian company that hires a foreign dealer is a local employer, and the entire procedure runs through it. Respecting the conceptual chain also matters because the law distinguishes arrangement, relationship and activity from one another, and a mistake in qualification nullifies the whole procedure.
The Legal Conditions of Employment
Article 13-1 sets the rule: the conduct of labour activity by a labour immigrant with a local employer in Georgia is regulated by international treaties, the Labour Code, this law and other legislative acts. Only a foreigner on whom a labour residence permit, a D1 category immigration visa and/or another type of residence permit has been issued, together with the right to labour activity, has the right to conduct remunerated activity in Georgia. A foreigner has the right to file an application for obtaining the right to labour activity only if he or she is lawfully present in Georgia.
From this follows the practical sequence: first lawful entry and presence, then the application, and finally — the right to labour activity together with the residence status. When planning a studio, this means that the relocation calendar of the foreign team must be built according to precisely this legal cascade, together with the logistics of international travel.
The Procedure for Granting the Right to Labour Activity
Article 13-4 provides that where a labour immigrant is arranged with a local employer, he or she must obtain the right to labour activity through the local employer. The application is submitted to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs by the local employer, after the conclusion of the employment contract, together with the documentation defined by legislation. After receiving the application the Ministry starts the procedures for granting the right and adopts one of two decisions — to grant the right or to refuse it.
Deadlines and costs are limited by law: after the full submission of the application and documentation, the total period of consideration must not exceed 30 calendar days; an application for extending the validity of the right is examined within the same period. The service fee, including in the case of expedited administrative granting, is no more than GEL 500 and is paid into the budget of the State Employment Support Agency. The Ministry may request additional information during consideration and/or propose the elimination of inaccuracies.
Grounds for Refusal
Article 13-6 lists the grounds on which a foreigner is refused the right to labour activity: incomplete information and/or mandatory documentation, if the defect is not eliminated within 10 calendar days of its establishment; an application for extension submitted late; the profession/qualification and position not corresponding to the demands and needs of the Georgian labour market, or falling within the list of restricted professions; the initiation of consideration of the foreigner’s expulsion from Georgia or an adopted expulsion decision; the absence of documentation confirming compliance with the criteria for labour/entrepreneurial activity, or of other mandatory documentation.
For a dealer profile, the risk point is the professional qualification block: if the position falls within the restricted list or does not match market demand, the application will be rejected. Therefore the description of the vacancy and the substantiation of qualification must be provided for before the application.
Short-Term Professional Activity
Article 13-9 contains an exception: a foreigner has the right to conduct short-term professional activity in Georgia without the right to labour activity and without a residence permit, if the activity is carried out within the framework of a temporary visit, does not constitute long-term employment on the local labour market, and is connected with a specific short-term project, event or service. Such a person is not regarded as a labour immigrant. The list, duration and criteria are determined by government resolution.
For a studio this instrument serves touring specialists, short training projects or the technical support of an event — but its boundary is strict: long-term employment does not fall under this format, and the temptation to pass a permanent position under a “short-term” label is a direct violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the local employer for a foreign dealer?
The studio or casino registered in Georgia — the legal entity that uses the foreigner’s labour in Georgia; the right to labour activity is granted precisely through it.
Within what period is the application examined?
Within 30 calendar days of the submission of the complete package; an expedited procedure is possible, and the fee is no more than GEL 500.
What is the most frequent ground for refusal?
A documentation defect not eliminated within 10 calendar days of establishment, and the non-correspondence of qualification to labour market demands.
Can a specialist be invited without the right?
Only within short-term professional activity — by temporary visit, connected to a specific project or event and without long-term employment.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We will build the full route for employing foreign personnel: qualified description of the vacancy, the documentation package, submission of the application and, if refused, appeal. Contact us on Legal.ge — in a studio team relocation the right qualification saves both time and budget.