The procedures for employing foreigners and issuing temporary residence permits in Lithuania are becoming stricter. 

The country’s interior ministry recently reported a rise of new companies that do not carry out any specific activity, but act as intermediaries for the issuance of temporary residence permits to migrants. When migrants receive their residence permits, they are however hired out to other companies. 

In response, the ministry set up a new procedure to ensure that if a company is engaging in fictitious activities, or is not actually working in Lithuania, it can no longer invite migrants to work for a period 6 months. If a migrant is found to have taken up the invitation of such a fictitious company, their application for temporary residence permit or change of permit will not be accepted.

The rules for external service providers - companies from other countries that hire workers for Lithuanian companies - are also changing. The Department of Migration will share the list of external service providers with the State Security Department, the police, and State Border Guard Service before final approval. Lithuania currently has external service providers in 34 countries.