The terms of temporary employment for Moldovan nationals abroad, the provisional activity of migrant workers, the conditions of granting, extending and revoking provisional work and stay permits for Moldova will be regulated by a new law, which was endorsed by the Parliament upon the first reading on Thursday, May 5, Info-Prim Neo reports. The bill stipulates that temporary employment for Moldovan citizens abroad must be offered on the basis of an individual employment agreement signed with the employer prior to leaving Moldova, with the help of authorized private employment agencies or in accordance with the provisions of bilateral agreements governing such relations. If a Moldovan national seeks a job abroad by himself/herself, the job seeker, for the sake of his/her own protection, shall comply with a series of requirements: to obtain an individual employment agreement, to register the individual agreement with the National Employment Agency (ANOFM), to register the individual agreement with the National Social Insurance Corporation and to make social insurance payments. In addition, the job seeker must produce a certificate from a relevant body to ANOFM proving that the minor children left behind will remain under the supervision of the respective body after the departure of the migrant parent. To keep record of the persons working abroad, the lawmakers included a provision in the bill obliging employment agencies that recruit Moldovan nationals to work abroad to present to ANOFM and the National Statistics Bureau quarterly reports on the persons employed abroad. Licenses for such activities will be issued by the Licensing Chamber. At the same time, labor immigration to Moldova will be allowed only on condition that the vacant jobs cannot be filled by domestic workers. Thus, foreigners and stateless persons will be allowed to fill only the vacancies registered by the employer with the territorial employment agency. Priority will be given to highly skilled personnel and to those invited by the Government. The work permit is issued by ANOFM, while the stay permit by the Interior Ministry. The foreign citizens in positions of authority at companies that commit to investment more than US$250,000 in Moldova will benefit from documentation facilities. They will be allowed to work and stay in Moldova for a period of five years, with a potential prolongation, in contrast to a one-year period for other categories of foreigners. According to the Ministry of Economy and Trade, 1034 work permits were issued to foreigners in 2007