Kazakhstan will introduce the Kutty Meken single migrant
registration system to keep an account of foreigners entering and leaving the
country. Representatives from the Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social
Protection of the Population provided updates on the implementation of the
Migration Policy Concept in the country at a press briefing. According to
experts, one of the directions outlined in the document involves attracting
qualified foreign specialists to the country.
“Foreigners
with occupations from the List of in-demand professions can now apply for a
residence permit through a simplified process. They are not required to
demonstrate financial solvency. Additionally, new rules for issuing work
permits have been introduced. The key novelty is that a single permit is now
valid across multiple regions,” said Askarbek Yertayev, Chairperson
of the Migration Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social
Protection of the Population.
The Concept also outlines measures to increase the
investment attractiveness of Kazakhstan. Thus, a special investor visa has been
created for foreign businesspeople, providing them with the opportunity to
obtain a future residence permit.
“We have exempted A5 category
investors from obtaining permits for foreign workforce. 76 foreign citizens
have been issued investor visas since the start of the year. Potential
investors can now obtain an individual identification number and an electronic
digital signature under a simplified procedure at diplomatic missions,
following the single application principle. Additionally, there are plans to
lower the required investment threshold for business investors to qualify for
an investor visa, down to $300,000,” Yertayev added.
Separate conditions are envisaged for Kandas people, who
hold the Ata Zholy card. They receive not only simplified entry, but also
almost equal rights, similar to Kazakh citizens and other Kandas people. It
bears noting that since the start of the year, a total of 15,500 ethnic Kazakhs
have returned to their historical homeland, with over 9,000 of them being of
working age.