MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has signed a draft law facilitating the issuance of residence permits to foreign IT specialists.

The document was published on the official internet portal of legal information on Tuesday.

The new law expands the categories of foreign nationals entitled to permanent residence in Russia bypassing temporary residence permits. The list now includes IT professionals, hired by accredited organizations, and their family members. Also foreign experts will no longer need special permits or patents to work in Russia.

The president will also be able to regulate the legal status of some categories of foreign citizens with his decrees.

Russia’s IT industry needs about 170,000 specialists as the sanctions regime in place against the country has fueled an outflow of skilled personnel, Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov said earlier. The law is designed to "attract highly qualified professionals" to Russia, according to him.