On Tuesday, 9 December, the Cabinet of Ministers endorsed the further advancement of the draft law “Amendments to the Immigration Law” for consideration by the Saeima. The draft law, in accordance with the European Union regulation, provides for the improvement of the unified residence and work permit issuance mechanism for third-country nationals, as well as clarifies other conditions related to obtaining a residence permit.
In accordance with the European Union directive, going forward, the temporary residence permits of employed third-country nationals will not be annulled if the period of unemployment does not exceed three months during the validity of the temporary residence permit. However, if the foreign national has worked in Latvia for more than two years, the permissible period of unemployment will be extended to six months.
The amendments to the Immigration Law provide for clarifying the process of applying for residence permits at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, establishing lawful residence as a prerequisite, as well as setting out the procedure for submitting missing documents, introducing a unified 14-day deadline, which ensures a transparent and predictable procedural framework.
The draft law also provides for the right to delegate to an external service provider the acceptance of documents submitted for the application of a residence permit (currently — only visa applications) and, in cases of doubt, the verification of the authenticity of documents submitted for a visa or residence permit.
It is also planned to establish certain significant restrictions and clarifications; for example, citizens of Russia and Belarus residing in Latvia for educational or study purposes will not be able to apply for a permanent residence permit during the validity of their study permit. Furthermore, based on data from recent years, the possibility to obtain a temporary residence permit by purchasing zero-interest government securities is being excluded from the Immigration Law, as this regulation is no longer effective.
Prepared by:
Strategic Communication Department of the Ministry of the Interior
kn@iem.gov.lv