Kazakhstan: Immigration Processes Disrupted
January 12, 2022
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At a Glance
- Due to political unrest in Kazakhstan, immigration processes are being disrupted. Most government offices are currently closed, affecting both in-person and online application processes.
- Work and residence permits, visas and certificates for stateless persons are automatically extended for the duration of the state of emergency, currently scheduled to end January 20, 2022
- Foreign nationals and employers should expect delays to pending applications and work start dates, among other issues.
The situation
Kazakh authorities have declared a state of emergency until January 19, 2022 (renewable).
A closer look
The current political situation has the following key effects on immigration-related processes:
- Automatic extension of work and residence authorization. Work and residence permits, visas and certificates for stateless persons are automatically extended for the duration of the state of emergency, currently scheduled to end January 20, 2022. Foreign nationals can continue to stay and work in Kazakhstan for the duration of the state of emergency with their expired documents. Affected foreign nationals can apply for document replacement or renewal up to 30 days after the state of emergency ends.
- Immigration processing on hold. Processing of immigration applications across all categories is temporarily suspended for the duration of the state of emergency, and will resume once the state of emergency is lifted.
- Online services disrupted. Internet and mobile service connections are experiencing frequent disruptions, affecting online immigration applications such as work permit applications, as well as general communication with residents.
- Government offices closed. Most government offices are currently closed, affecting all immigration-related applications such as Letter of Invitation applications, Work Permit applications, Work Permit renewal applications and Temporary Residence Permit applications.
- Air travel restrictions. Almaty airport is not currently operational, as well as a few other airports (e.g. Aktau Airport). Additionally, many foreign airlines have suspended flights to Kazakhstan.
- Curfew. During the state of emergency in Kazakhstan, the authorities have imposed a curfew on all individuals (on street and in public places) between 23:00 to 07:00 (local time).
Impact
Foreign nationals and employers should expect travel delays, delayed government processing due to current government closures and accumulated backlog, and reduced contact with in-country staff due to the disruptions.
Looking ahead
The state of emergency applies until January 19, 2022 (renewable). The above immigration impacts are expected to apply at least until this date.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
