Those who employ illegal citizens will be fined five times the daily minimum wage.

According to Article 120 of the Labor Law, foreigners must hold an entry visa with specific work rights and obtain a work permit in accordance with relevant laws and regulations in order to work in Iran.

ISNA said that according to Section 11C of the Law on Regulating Certain Government Revenues, any employer who illegally uses foreign workers or performs work other than that specified in the work permit will be fined five times the minimum wage for each day of employment.

According to the resolution of the Supreme Labor Council, the minimum daily wage this year is 238,872 thousand tomans, and the fine for each day of unauthorized employment of a foreigner will be 5 times the minimum daily wage, equivalent to 1,144,364. If the employer refuses to pay the fine stipulated in this paragraph, he will be held criminally liable in accordance with Article 181 of the Labor Law.

Article 11 of the Law on Regulating Part of Government Revenue has 3 clauses, under clause “B”, the Ministry of Labor is obliged to collect the revenue generated by the issuance and renewal of work permits for foreigners in Iran based on the tariff approved by the Iranian government, the Council of Ministers and the General Revenue Account. Local employees employed by the relevant institutions and seconded personnel of foreign political institutions are also exempted from the above funds, subject to the reciprocity principle of the country.

Furthermore, under Subsection “C”, in order to prevent the presence of unauthorized foreign workers in the country’s labor market, the Ministry of Labor is obliged to pay employers who hire undocumented foreigners five times the unauthorized daily minimum wage. A fine will be imposed for each foreign worker, and in case of repeated violations, the fine will be doubled.

In this regard, Ali Bagheri, Director of the Department of Employment of Foreigners at the Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare, explained the details of the activities of foreigners who are authorized and issued temporary work permits, saying: Temporary work permits are issued to those who are legally in the country and who have been determined as refugees in the country or have received identity documents in the education program of the Ministry of the Interior, and whose employment and services have been and are required by Iranian employers in authorized areas and occupations.

He said the activities of nationals who are legally in the country and have work permits are continuing and there are no particular changes in this regard.

Prior to this, the country’s Ministry of Labor’s employment representative launched the Foreigners’ Comprehensive Employment System, under which the provincial executive units must register and process requests related to the use of foreign employment services only under the Foreigners’ Comprehensive Employment System.

Furthermore, last year, the General Directorate of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare of Tehran Province, in cooperation with the legal authorities, implemented a national program for determining the employment status of Afghan nationals, according to which the authorized residence of these persons requires clarification of their employment status.

At present, employers can refer to the Comprehensive Employment System for Foreigners to inquire about and apply for work permits for required foreign personnel.

According to statistics, there are nearly 1.5 million foreigners residing legally and holding work permits, but the number of unauthorized and undocumented persons is estimated to be higher than this number.

Experts believe that the organization of foreigners and their employment issues are beyond the purview of the Ministry of Labor and should be coordinated and interacted with multiple agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior, the National Immigration Organization, security and law enforcement agencies and other institutions.

Under the labor law, foreigners without a work permit, temporary work permit or temporary work card are not allowed to work in the country, and if hired, their employers will be found guilty and fined.