In order to protect the domestic labour market, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan annually establishes and distributes a quota for the recruitment of foreign labour force (hereinafter - FFL) to Kazakhstan according to the needs of employers. In 2025, the total quota is set at 0.2% of the labour force in the country.

The quota for the recruitment of foreign labour force in 2025 is distributed into 4 categories as follows: 649 permits in the first category (managers and their deputies), 3,254 in the second category (heads of structural units). The main part of permits belongs to the third (specialists) and fourth (skilled workers) categories - 5,718 and 1,161 units respectively. Also, up to 4,097 people can be attracted for seasonal work.

In addition, for 2025, the quota for attracting labour immigrants to work in households is set at 3% in relation to the number of the labour force in the country.

Recall that in 2024 local executive bodies issued and extended 14.5 thousand permits to employers to attract labour immigrants, which was 66% of the established quota (22 thousand). 

Currently, 13,233 foreign nationals are currently working in Kazakhstan under permits issued by local executive bodies.

In 2024, the quota for attracting labour immigrants to work in households was set at 294.1 thousand units. Local executive bodies issued 292,668 permits.