The State Duma adopted a bill on a simplified procedure for obtaining a temporary residence permit (TRP) for foreign students in the Russian Federation
The State Duma adopted in the first reading a government bill that introduces a special simplified mechanism for obtaining a temporary residence permit(TRP) for students from abroad.
Now foreigners who study in Russia receive a temporary residence permit(TRP) in the Russian Federation on a general basis – within the quota established by the government of the Russian Federation. Under the new procedure, foreign students will be able to obtain a special “student” temporary residence permit – RVPO (“temporary residence permit-TRP for the purpose of obtaining education”).
It will be possible to obtain a RVPO at the request of a foreign citizen if there is confirmation of enrollment in a state educational or scientific organization on a full-time basis – for the period of study plus another 180 days. At the same time, a foreign student will not need to pass an exam for proficiency in the Russian language, knowledge of the history of Russia, and the basics of Russian legislation, and he will not need to submit a notice of residence annually.
Finally, after the RVPO, foreign graduates will be able to obtain a residence permit in Russia within three years in a simplified manner.
Upon expulsion from the university, the RVPO will be canceled if the student does not enter another university within 30 days.
A foreign student who has received a RVPO will be a temporary resident and can be registered both at the place of stay and at the place of residence. At the same time, as expected, the bill will remove the extra burden from universities and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which are forced to process notifications of deregistration and registration of foreigners every time students go on vacation to their homeland.
According to the explanatory note, the bill may affect over 265 thousand foreign students.
The legislative initiative was introduced by the Russian government on June 15.
During this period, foreign students were provided with a temporary residency permit (TRP) in Russia on a general basis, subject to government quotas, that is valid for three years.
The Bill grants a TRP to a foreign student upon request for the period of his/her study within the next 180 days. Foreign students applying for a visa will be excluded from having to prove their fluency in the Russian language, knowledge of Russian history, and basic understanding of Russian law under the conditions of the bill.
Now all foreign students will also no longer be required to submit an annual notification of their residence. Moreover, in accordance with the bill, foreign students are now offered the right to obtain a residence permit in the Russian Federation within three years of graduation in a simplified manner.
Last year, 265,056 foreign students were registered in Russia, according to the bill’s authors. Their numbers have more than halved from 681,832 in 2019 as a result of the pandemic. At the same time, all foreign students leaving Russia during their studies must be deregistered at the place of their residence and register again when returning to the country.
The bill now makes it easier for foreign students who wish to study in Russia, allowing them to further integrate into Russian society and contribute to the growth of the human and scientific potential of the country.
