In an effort to protect local jobs, Hungary will now limit the number of visas awarded to temporary workers from outside the European Union and ban them from certain professions, according to the Economy Ministry.
The administration of Prime Minister Viktor Orban will award a limit of 65,000 visas to temporary workers from non-EU nations, according to a ministry statement.
According to the report, 39,000 temporary working visas were awarded last year, which was less than the previous decree’s maximum number.
Meanwhile, with a busy election calendar, Orban is under pressure to boost economic growth after an inflation-induced slowdown in 2023. His tough stance on immigration has helped the nationalist leader gain popularity in prior elections.
Furthermore, Orban’s government has developed a list of approximately 300 vocations that non-EU workers will be barred from obtaining, including vineyard and orchard worker, photographer, legal aide, roofer, and elevator mechanic.
“The government will protect Hungarian families and jobs, which means that by law, it is only possible to hire foreign workers if there are no Hungarian workers to fill the vacancies,” the statement goes on to read.
Hungary’s rolling three-month unemployment rate was 4.3% from September to November.
