Foreign workers, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads legally residing in Portugal can receive government financial support of more than EUR5,000 when relocating to inland areas of the country under the Emprego Interior MAIS program, according to data from the Portuguese Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).
The program is available to workers who relocate to specific inland municipalities in Portugal to take a job, move their existing professional activities there, start their own business, or continue working remotely.
The base payment in 2026 is EUR 3,759.91 for workers with permanent employment contracts, as well as for those who create their own job or start a company. For fixed-term employment contracts lasting at least 12 months, the base payment is EUR 2,685.65.
In addition, the government pays 20% of the base amount for each family member moving with the recipient, as well as up to EUR805.70 for the transportation of personal belongings.
For example, an employee with a permanent contract who is relocating with one family member can receive EUR 5,317.59: EUR 3,759.91 in basic assistance, EUR 751.98 in family allowance, and EUR 805.70 for moving expenses. Therefore, the actual amount of assistance may exceed 5,000 EUR, and for larger families, it may be even higher.
EU citizens, citizens of the European Economic Area, and Swiss citizens, as well as third-country nationals legally residing in Portugal, are eligible for this assistance. The IEFP specifically notes that the program also applies to foreigners with temporary protection status. Thus, provided they meet the other conditions, Ukrainians residing in Portugal with the appropriate legal status may also take advantage of the program.
To receive support, you must relocate your permanent residence to an inland region of Portugal for at least 12 months. If you are starting a new job, the move must take place within 180 days before or after you begin working or start your own business. The salary under an employment contract must not be lower than the national minimum wage.
If the contract is for a fixed term, its duration must be at least 12 months. The program also allows applicants to open a small company with up to 10 employees or to create their own job. If the applicant establishes a commercial company, they must own more than 50% of its capital and voting rights.
A separate category is provided for foreign digital nomads. Foreign nationals who legally reside in Portugal, work remotely for an employer or client outside the country, and relocate to an inland region are eligible for assistance. For them, professional activities must have begun after January 1, 2022, and their income must be at least equal to Portugal’s minimum wage.
Payment is made in two stages. The first 60% of the approved amount is transferred after the application is accepted and the required documents are submitted; the remaining 40% is paid in the 13th month after starting work, establishing a business, or relocating the workplace.
Applications are submitted through the government portal iefponline. As of August 2026, the application period is open and will continue until the program’s funding is exhausted. The application must be submitted no later than 180 days after the start of the employment contract, the establishment of a business, or the relocation of the workplace.
The Emprego Interior MAIS program is part of Portugal’s policy to attract workers and entrepreneurs to the country’s inland regions, which are facing population outflow and labor shortages. It does not automatically apply to any move to Portugal—the new place of residence and, depending on the situation, the place of work must be located within a municipality or parish included by the IEFP in the list of inland areas.
Ukrainians in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) were set to lose their Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) as of July 22, but a Massachusetts court temporarily suspended that decision the day before, according to Valeriy Chaly, chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Cultural and Media Center (UKMC), who served as Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2015 to 2019.
“On July 22, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians with TPS status were set to lose their jobs in the U.S. Because initially there was one regulation, and then the president’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ (IBBBA) was introduced, and it shortened the validity period of the work permit—the so-called EAD—to July 22… In just one state, the matter went to court, and that court has so far temporarily suspended the decision,” Chalyi described the situation during a discussion organized by NV dedicated to lobbying and promoting Ukraine’s interests in the U.S.
The diplomat noted with regret that the new wave of Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. has so far been unable to unite and organize to defend themselves, and many advocacy organizations dealing with issues of American political and military support have also failed to provide assistance to Ukrainians.
“The situation for these Ukrainians in America is very difficult right now. But our government isn’t doing anything about it—not at all,” Chalyi noted, although, in his opinion, the vast majority of these Ukrainians will not return to Ukraine anyway.
He told the “Interfax-Ukraine” news agency that the current TPS term for Ukrainians expires on October 19 of this year, and if it is not extended and a person does not have any other legal status, they will have to leave the U.S. According to Chaly, the decision to extend this status must be made no later than 60 days before its expiration, that is, by mid-August.
According to information on specialized websites, on July 21, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, in the case of Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts v. USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services), issued an emergency injunction preventing the termination of EADs for TPS beneficiaries—including Ukrainians—effective July 22. A final decision on this matter is expected no later than August 5, 2026.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may extend TPS status for Ukrainians for 12 or 18 months; if DHS does not issue a decision by August 20 of this year, the status will be automatically extended for another 6 months.
According to the nonprofit organization Nova Ukraine, the cost of the initial TPS application is $510, while a TPS-based EAD costs $1,030, and the reduced fee under certain conditions is $560.
Current estimates indicate that more than 100,000 Ukrainians hold TPS status in the U.S.
As previously reported, the EU recently decided to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians for another year—until March 4, 2028—but to impose restrictions on granting it to those subject to military service.
In Spain, more than 609,000 migrants without legal status have received temporary work permits as part of an emergency regularization program, according to Spanish authorities. The Spanish government released the first official results of the program on July 2.
In total, about 1.17 million people submitted applications for legalization by the June 30 deadline. This was more than double the authorities’ initial expectations, which had been for approximately 500,000 applicants. According to Reuters, 609,737 people have already received temporary work permits, allowing them to enter the formal economy while their main applications are under review.
The program ran from April 16 to June 30, 2026. It was open to undocumented migrants who could prove they had been residing in Spain for at least five months by the end of 2025 and had no criminal record. Participants are granted a one-year renewable residence permit and, for the duration of the application review, a temporary right to work.
As of the end of June, about 160,000 people among those who received temporary permits had already found formal employment. Spanish authorities are working separately with companies in the construction, tourism, transportation, and care sectors to help regularized migrants transition from the informal labor market to the formal one.
About 11,000 people have received fully positive decisions so far. The remaining cases are still under review: after the application period closes, the government has several months to process the bulk of the applications. According to El País, cases that have already been accepted for review grant applicants temporary residence and work permits.
Most applicants are from Latin America. Euronews, citing data from Spain’s Ministry of Integration, Social Security, and Migration, reports that about 67% of the applications came from citizens of Central and South American countries. Colombia leads the list, followed by Morocco, Venezuela, Peru, and Honduras.
For Spain, this program has not only humanitarian but also economic significance. The country is facing labor shortages in tourism, construction, caregiving, transportation, and agriculture. Legalization allows for bringing some workers out of the “gray” zone, expanding the base for social security contributions, and reducing businesses’ reliance on informal employment.
At the same time, the program remains politically controversial. Pedro Sánchez’s government presents it as a tool for integrating people already living in the country and as a response to labor market needs. Opposition parties criticize the amnesty, fearing an increased burden on state and municipal services. Legal disputes over certain aspects of the procedure are also ongoing, but the legalization process has not been halted.
This program does not primarily affect Ukrainians, as most Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Spain after the war began are not in an undocumented status but are under the EU’s temporary protection regime. According to the Spanish Ministry of Integration, Social Protection, and Migration, as of March 31, 2026, there were 345,995 Ukrainian citizens in Spain with valid residence documents, including temporary protection and other permits; these figures were published on April 30, 2026. This status already grants the right to reside and work, so the Spanish amnesty for undocumented migrants is primarily aimed at other groups of undocumented foreigners. Theoretically, it may apply only to certain Ukrainians who, for whatever reason, do not have temporary protection or other legal status and meet the program’s conditions. On June 26, 2026, the European Commission proposed extending temporary protection for people who fled Ukraine for another year—until March 4, 2028.
Montenegrin authorities issued 679 temporary residence and work permits to Ukrainian citizens in 2025, which is 1.67% of the total number of 40,567 permits, according to the annual report of the Employment Plant of Montenegro (ZZZCG), citing data from the Ministry of Interior.
A total of 40,567 permits were issued to foreigners in Montenegro in 2025 – 2,548 (6.7%) more than in 2024. Of these, 27,689 came under the quota, while 12,878 were issued outside the quota.
Foreign workers came from 107 countries.
Permits for temporary stay and work in Montenegro in 2025, by nationality (from higher to lower)
Turkey – 10,346 (25.50%)
Serbia – 8,148 (20.09%)
Russia – 7,429 (18.31%)
Azerbaijan – 2,513 (6.19%)
Albania – 2,098 (5.17%)
Bosnia and Herzegovina – 1,902 (4.69%)
Kosovo – 1,543 (3.80%)
North Macedonia – 766 (1.89%)
Ukraine – 679 (1.67%)
Belarus – 469 (1.16%)
India – 364 (0.90%)
Mexico – 257 (0.63%).
Serbian Economist notes that the 6 largest labor source countries provided 79.96% of all permits issued.
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The average employment rate of Ukrainian refugees aged 20-64 in European countries in mid-2025 was 57%, including self-employment and informal work, which is 22 percentage points (pp) lower than the comparable figure for citizens of the host country, according to a UNHCR survey on the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labor market.
“The results vary significantly: countries bordering Ukraine tend to have the highest employment rates, while Western and Northern European countries show significantly lower rates, even when differences in refugee profiles are taken into account,” the document, which is based on data from 6,817 respondents, notes.
According to the publication, 3% of those aged 20-64 (or 5% of those in work) are self-employed or entrepreneurs.
It is noted that proficiency in the local language is one of the strongest predictors of employment, and a longer stay in the host country is also associated with improved access to the labor market.
According to the data, Estonia and Hungary lead in terms of employment, with 72% and 71% respectively, followed by the United Kingdom (69%), Poland (68%), Bulgaria (67%), the Czech Republic (66%), and the Netherlands (64%).
Spain (61%), Italy (58%), Lithuania (57%), France (53%), Romania (50%), Moldova, Ireland, and Belgium (46% each) are close to the average.
According to the survey, the employment rates of Ukrainian refugees are significantly lower in Sweden (43%), Finland (40%), Denmark and Germany (39% each), Norway (37%), and Switzerland (29%).
“However, the problem of underemployment remains widespread. Nearly 60% of working refugees report that they are working below their skill level, and they are almost twice as likely as citizens of the country to hold low-skilled jobs,” the UNHCR document states.
According to the document, more than a third of refugees with higher education work in low-skilled professions, compared to 7% of citizens of the host country. According to the researchers, this mismatch between skills is likely to be the main reason for the 40% median wage gap between refugees and host countries.
It is also noted that, unlike employment rates, underemployment does not improve significantly over time when language, sector continuity, education, and labor market barriers are taken into account, indicating the presence of structural barriers that require targeted intervention.
According to UNHCR, reducing gaps in employment and productivity will lead to significant macroeconomic benefits: if average national targets are achieved, this could increase annual GDP growth by up to 0.7 percentage points in some countries, especially those with large refugee populations and significant productivity gaps.
Among other findings of the study, adults aged 50-64 are about 10 percentage points less likely to be employed than those who are younger. Men are 7 percentage points more likely to be employed than women. Having a vocational diploma increases the probability of employment by about 5 percentage points compared to those with only a secondary education. However, higher degrees provide only limited additional benefits—about 10 percentage points overall—with little difference between bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Living with young children under the age of 6 reduces the probability of employment by 11 percentage points, which is consistent with other studies that identify childcare constraints as a significant barrier.
At the same time, living alone increases the probability of employment by 8 percentage points.
Surprisingly, living with elderly people (65+) is associated with a 6 percentage point increase in the probability of employment, suggesting that most elderly people may not require intensive care from household members, but rather provide support with household chores.
In terms of language, respondents who report at least some knowledge of the local language are 13 percentage points more likely to be employed than those who do not know it at all or have only minimal knowledge. It is noteworthy that a higher level of language proficiency does not seem to provide additional advantages, which means that the types of jobs available to Ukrainian refugees (mostly low-skilled) may not require a high level of language proficiency.
Finally, the study notes that there is a clear link between the likelihood of finding employment and the time elapsed since arrival. Although there is no significant difference between arrivals in the last six months and those in the last year, the probability of employment increases by 10 percentage points relative to the baseline for those who arrived 1–2 years ago, by 14 percentage points for those who arrived 2–3 years ago, and by 20 percentage points for those who arrived more than three years ago.
According to updated UNHCR data, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe as of January 16, 2026, was estimated at 5.349 million (5.311 million as of December 11), and 5.898 million (5.860 million) worldwide.
In Ukraine itself, according to the latest UN data for the end of 2025, there were 3.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), compared to 3.340 million in July and 3.76 million in April.
From March 1, 2026, a new system will come into force in Georgia: foreign workers and self-employed persons will need an official work permit.
Previously, the country did not have a full-fledged work permit regime and in most cases allowed foreigners to work without a separate permit, according to industry sources.
According to the business press, there will be a transition period for foreigners already employed in Georgia: they must obtain a permit before January 1, 2027; fines will be imposed on both the employee and the employer for violations (with increased penalties for repeat offenses).
The aim of the reform is to bring order to the labor market, put an end to work on tourist visas, and bring regulation closer to international practice. Additionally, it is reported that the details of the procedure (categories, exceptions, lists of documents) will be specified in subordinate government acts.
In 2024, 135,800 immigrants entered Georgia (–34% y/y), while 121,400 emigrants left the country; 48.2% of immigrants are Georgian citizens, the rest are foreigners. Among foreign citizens, the top countries were Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, India, and Azerbaijan.
Officially, in 2022, 62,300 Russians were registered as immigrants (i.e., they remained to live in the country). In 2023, there were 52,600 Russian citizens among immigrants.
According to media reports and think tanks, in 2025, there will be about 100,000 Russians living in the country (estimates vary widely, taking into account the outflow in 2023). At the same time, only about 20% of them have “tax resident”/official resident status, according to the National Bank of Georgia.
According to the UN, since the start of the full-scale war, approximately 245,000 Ukrainians have passed through Georgia; about 26,600 currently reside in the country (estimate for spring 2025).
Among the largest sources of migration in 2023 are Turkey (≈8,600 immigrants), India (≈8,400), and Belarus (≈3,600); Ukraine provided ≈7,500 immigrants in 2023. These figures show the annual inflow, not the “stock” of permanent residents.
The labor market reform complements earlier changes in migration regulation (e.g., an increase in the minimum property value for a “residence permit by purchase” from $100,000 to $150,000 as of March 1, 2026).
Experts expect that the unification of employment rules will increase the transparency of hiring foreigners and reduce informal employment, but will increase the administrative burden on businesses during the adaptation period.
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