Russia: Extensions of Temporary Stay/Change of Purpose of Stay Now Possible

According to a new law, foreign nationals can now extend their temporary residence or permanent residence permit if they are a native speaker of the Russian language. This will require submitting documents to the government to prove this and then applying for an extension. Additionally, citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine can now change the purpose of their stay to “work purposes” without having to leave and re-enter Russia. They will need to file documents with the local migration office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and undergo a medical exam, fingerprinting and photographing