MOSCOW, May 17 (RAPSI) - Over 8,500 immigrants working in Russia have confirmed their proficiency in the Russian language, Federal Migration Service head Konstantin Romodanovsky said at a news conference at RIA Novosti on Friday.

A law came into force on December 1, 2012 requiring all foreign nationals arriving in Russia to work to obtain a language proficiency certificate. At this point, this requirement only concerns those who plan to work in such areas as services, retail and housing and utilities.

"This applies to 4,000-5,000 people this year, or some 25%-30% of those who obtain work permits for these sectors of the economy," Romodanovsky said.

Others presented education certificates proving their proficiency in Russian. Overall, the number of immigrants who have confirmed that they are fluent in Russian exceeds 8,500.

In April, Deputy FMS chief Anatoly Fomenko said that 7,000 immigrants have confirmed their proficiency in Russian in tests. He also said there are 250 language programs in Russia offering services to immigrants, 64 of them free.

According to Romodanovsky, 10.8 million foreigners are living in Russia. Of this number, 2.2 million are employed legally and 3.7 have come for purposes other than employment (education, treatment, etc.). Another 3.3 million constitute the so-called risk group: these people are staying in Russia for periods exceeding 90 days and are likely working illegally.