Kazakhstan to streamline granting residence permits to foreign IT specialists

A corresponding draft legislation is under review until Nov. 13 / Photo: Askar Akhmetullin, photo editor: Aruzhan Makhsotova

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development is considering launching a pilot project aimed at simplifying the issuance of residence permits for foreign IT specialists. Under this plan, applicants could apply for permits remotely. Once confirmed as eligible, an applicant would then be able to enter Kazakhstan to complete the process and receive a residence permit, according to a resolution published on the www.legalacts.egov.kz website.

The pilot project is expected to be available in Astana and Almaty until the end of 2025, specifically for foreign IT specialists working with artificial intelligence (AI). To participate, applicants must submit a formal request at the nearest embassy or consulate office of Kazakhstan, certify an international passport, legalize a police clearance certificate and receive an Individual Identification Number (IIN) and a digital signature.

The next steps are:

Apply to the astanahub.com website with the following documents attached: a passport copy, biography, graduation certificate (if available), portfolio, curriculum vitae (CV), advanced training certificate scan, financial capacity proof scan, motivation letter and police clearance certificate scan;
Receive a notice from the Ministry of Digital Development proving that the applicant’s specialty matches the occupations on the in-demand list;
Upload the following documents to the electronic government portal (eGov): a copy of the passport attested by a Kazakhstani diplomatic entity, the ministry’s letter of recommendation, a police clearance certificate, the application form and the state duty payment receipt.

The migration agency should review each application within 45 days. If the documents are accepted, the foreign specialist will be notified that their permanent residence permit has been approved. The document is valid for 30 days.

Upon arrival in Kazakhstan, the foreigner must have their fingerprints captured, undergo a medical examination, sign a rental agreement with a landlord and then apply to the Citizens Service Center to process a residence permit ID card.

Should a foreign specialist not arrive in Kazakhstan within a month following the approval of their permanent residence permit, they have the option to reapply after a year.

The initiative is still under review, with discussions open until Nov. 13, 2024.

«If this draft legislation is approved, we will attract foreign specialists in the AI field,» the agency suggested.

In May, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Labor expanded the occupations in-demand list for which foreigners can obtain a residence permit in a streamlined procedure without having to prove their solvency. The list includes 30 specialties, including anesthesiologists-resuscitators, application developers, artificial intelligence engineers and video editors.