March 31, 2026
The quota of foreign workers newly admitted to the labour market is set for each year separately, by Government decision. It is an annual ceiling, not an individual guarantee of quick approval for each file, and the figure in force is checked in the published legal act, not on an agency's website. Since 8 August 2026, OUG 32/2026 counts the ceiling in D/AM2 long-stay visas issued during the year, and it can be supplemented, again by Government decision.
From 2026 the shortage sectors are no longer a judgement but a document: the List of Shortage Occupations (Lista ocupațiilor deficitare), approved by order of the minister of labour and published in Monitorul Oficial, shows occupation by occupation where recruitment from third countries is possible. Construction, HoReCa and industrial production remain well represented there.
For an employer, the practical conclusion is to plan ahead: the quota can run out before the end of the year, and a file submitted early has a better chance of being processed in the season the worker is needed.