President Vladimir Putin has approved guidelines for Russia’s migration and citizenship policy, entrusting the government with reforms expected to make migration procedures more transparent, unified, and digitalized.
A document envisioning these policies for the next five years was rolled out by the Kremlin.
“Standing migration rules are not clear and unified enough. The level of digitalization in the fields of government services and state control of migration remains low,” the document reads.
These flaws make many migrants – work immigrants in particular – seek illegal ways of getting into the country, as well as working without proper permits. The planned reforms aim to change the situation.
If seen through, entrepreneurs seeking to hire foreign workers will be able to do so through a special state-supervised information system. The candidates will be provided by state employment agencies – an apparent attempt to eradicate the existing shady schemes in the distribution of the foreign workforce.
A residency permit will become the main document defining the status of immigrants in Russia. The existing ‘temporary residency permits’ will be effectively abolished, since they have proven to be ineffective – often simply leading to more bureaucracy.
Foreign nationals wishing to receive a permit for long-term stay in Russia will be required to have an account in the state information system, obtain a special document with a digital data bank, provide the state with their biometric data, and prove they aren’t carrying any dangerous contagious infections.
The mechanism to obtain Russian citizenship will also be tweaked. The new migration policy is designed to create a favorable environment for Russian-speaking foreigners, as well as people who have “similar mentality and culture.” People who have “positive social ties to Russia,” as well as those deemed “vulnerable,” will be able to receive citizenship under a simplified procedure.
A third, “special” way to receive Russian citizenship is envisioned for foreign nationals deemed “particularly valuable” for the country. As the criteria is rather vague, the document says the final decision regarding “particularly valuable” people will be made personally by the president of Russia.
