Obtaining residence permit in Kazakhstan for a citizen of Italy

We were approached by a current client with a request to obtain a residence permit for a citizen of Italy. The foreign specialist had previously tried to apply for a residence permit himself, but there were a lot of nuances, and he was unable to complete the process. Five years have passed, and the issue of residence permit registration became relevant again, but this time they decided to work through a consulting company.

The first step in starting any procedure is to familiarise ourselves with the foreign specialist’s case and analyze the risks. We do not take on projects where the risks are high. Having studied the data, we decided to obtain a residence permit for an Italian citizen. Several positive aspects increased the chances of obtaining a residence permit, namely:

1. A long period of employment on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK). The foreigner has been here since 2014. All this time he worked officially and paid all the necessary taxes.
2. The specialization of the Italian citizen is engineering in the field of solar energy. This specialty is one of the in-demand specialties in Kazakhstan and was a big advantage for the procedure of residence permit registration.
3. Marriage with a citizen of Kazakhstan was planned. We recommended getting married first and only then applying for a residence permit.

The second stage – signing the contract for the residence permit service and making a 50% prepayment.

The third stage – we send you a list of documents and their requirements. The package of documents is quite large, but the advantage is that almost all documents can be collected in Kazakhstan. The only exception is a certificate of no criminal record with an apostille mark. The certificate is valid for 180 days from the date of issue of the document. The foreigner already had a certificate, but it expired in 30 calendar days. 2 scenarios were developed: 1. We file now in expedited mode until the certificate expires. 2. In parallel, the Italian citizen requested a new certificate in case we didn’t make it by then. This was plan B if plan A did not work.

At the same time, we started collecting other documents:

1. A visit to our notary. We draw up a lease agreement of the established sample and prescribe all the conditions required by the migration inspectors. We immediately certify the first page of the passport (required for medical tests and the residence permit package), power of attorney for our employees, and other documents.
2. Medical examination. The procedure takes 3 working days. The participation of a foreign specialist on the first day is required. Then we collect the results of medical tests based on the power of attorney.

The fourth stage is to obtain a permanent residence visa of category B8. The visa can be obtained at consular offices of the RK abroad or in the RK. To obtain a B8 visa on the territory of Kazakhstan, a foreigner must have a work visa of C3 category, or there must be a visa-free regime between the RK and the country of citizenship of the applicant. In our case, the foreign specialist had a C3 category work visa. Initially, we submit the whole package of documents for the residence permit for verification. Then, after approval by the authorities, we register the documents for an inset B8 visa.

Important point: the original passport is withdrawn. Documents are considered on average 10 working days. During the period of consideration of documents, the foreign specialist must stay in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The fifth stage is – registration of the package of documents. After obtaining a visa B8, we register the documents for registration of a residence permit for a citizen of Italy. Personal presence is required. After registration of the application, a coupon is issued, and from this date count 45 calendar days.

The sixth stage is the review of documents. Within 45 calendar days:

• The foreign specialist may be called for an interview. In our case, we did it without an interview.
• Request additional confirmation of the availability of funds in the bank. The certificate from the bank was lost by the courier service. Therefore, we requested a second letter and personally delivered it to the migration inspector.
• The district officer at the place of residence of the foreign specialist visited the home address and made sure that the applicant lived indeed at the specified address.

The seventh stage is receiving the decision. After day 40, we visited the Migration Service office every day and monitored the status of the application. On day 43, the decision was ready. A plan of action was planned with the foreign specialist. We had to collect the decision, visit the Population Service Centre with the owner of the property, undergo the procedure of fingerprinting, pay the fee, and hand over the documents for issuing the residence permit certificate. Having talked to the landlord beforehand, we were able to organize all the procedures in one working day.

The eighth stage is receiving the residence permit certificate. The documents were submitted in an accelerated order because we paid an additional fee. And on the 7th working day, the residence permit certificate for the Italian citizen was issued