On 18 August 2022, a government decree on special rules for the employment of third-country nationals in Hungary during the emergency was published. According to the new rules, the list of cases in which the government office is not involved in the consolidated application procedure as a special authority, has been extended. This means that starting from 19 August 2022, government offices do not participate in the consolidated application procedure if the third-country national is employed by the general contractor or its subcontractor as defined under Act VII of 2015 on the investment related to the maintenance of the capacity of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and on the amendment of certain related acts, including employment through a temporary agency, too.
In addition, the government decree declares that the main contractor and its subcontractors working on the Paks Nuclear Power Plant shoul also be considered a VIP employer for the purposes of employment in connection with the project. Finally, the employment (including employment through a temporary agency) of a third-country national in the territory of Hungary by the main contractor and its subcontractors working on the Paks Nuclear Power Plant does not require a permit for employment.
Put simply, by not requiring the inclusion of the government offices in the consolidated application procedure, by granting shorter processing times which apply to VIP employers only, and finally by not requiring a work permit (only a residence permit will be enough) for these third-country nationals, the government simplified the employment of third-country nationals related to the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.
It is safe to say that, as labor shortages increase, more and more guest workers arrive in Hungary, mainly from neighboring countries. However, since a nuclear power plant is a very specialized field, workers from Russia are also expected to arrive in Hungary once Paks 2 receives green light and construction can fully start.
By Gabriella Galik, Partner, KCG Partners Law Firm
