The Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has launched a pilot project on the “Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers” in Bosnia and Herzegovina today and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sarajevo will be the implementing partner responsible for informing the public about the project. The aim of the project is to open opportunities for qualified workers who meet the eligibility criteria for long-term employment in the Czech Republic to attain permanent residency after two and a half years instead of current five years.

The Czech government has been successfully implementing this project since 2003 in Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine. As of July 2006, the project has been expanded to include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Russian Federation. Since its inception in 2003, over 400 candidates have been selected to participate in the project.