On Thursday, 7 April, Latvia’s Saeima passed in the final reading amendments to the Immigration Law. These amendments state that the issue of first-time residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus is to be halted until 30 June 2023.
At the same time, the amendments list exceptions under which residence permits may be issued. These include cases when people wish to reunite with their family, receive international protection, employment, studies or practice as part of studies, as well as state interests and humanitarian reasons, the annotation to proposed amendments mentions.
Amendments also expand residence permit-related regulations that govern the issue and annulling of said permits. It is decided that the issue or registration of residence permits may be refused in cases when competent state authorities find that
the foreigner applying for residence permit has glorified, denied or justified genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and war crimes in general.
It also includes situations in which persons provide significant financial, material, propaganda, technological or other form of support to countries that destroy or put at risk the territorial integrity, sovereignty or constitutional order of democratic countries, or if they performed actions that breached state security, public order or security interests.
These changes will be adopted in regards to annulling of residence permits and constant residence permits.
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced in March it is time to review the procedure of issuing residence permits to Russian citizens.
The Ministry of the Interior proposed halting the issue of residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus until 30 June 2023 except for cases in which foreigners from these countries have the right to request residence permits.
Latvia discontinues issue of «golden visas» to citizens of Russia and Belarus
