Compatriots

Compatriots – these are persons defined by Federal Law No. 99-FZ of May 24, 1999, “On the State Policy of the Russian Federation with Regard to Compatriots Abroad.” They include persons born in the same state, residing or having resided there, and sharing a common language, history, cultural heritage, traditions and customs, as well as descendants of such persons in the direct line of descent. In particular, they include:

• citizens of the Russian Federation who are not registered at a place of residence in Russia and permanently reside outside its borders;
• persons born or permanently residing in territories that belonged to the USSR and who held its citizenship;
• direct-line descendants of persons who were born or permanently resided in territories that were part of the USSR and held its citizenship.

Let us consider some examples:

A Russian citizen permanently resides in Portugal and has no registration at a place of residence (a mark in their passport) in Russia. In this case, they are entitled to apply to participate in the State Resettlement Program as a compatriot.

A citizen of Estonia born in 1988 in the territory of the Estonian SSR may participate in the State Program with this status, since the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic was part of the USSR.

If a citizen of Estonia was born after the dissolution of the USSR, for example, in 2005, it is sufficient for them to provide a document confirming that their mother or father was born in the Estonian SSR and, having proved their relationship, apply to participate in the Program with this status.

A participant in the State Resettlement Program is entitled to submit documents jointly with their family members, the full list of whom is defined in the State Program’s key terms.

Compatriots may submit an application and the required set of documents to participate in the State Program to a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation, as well as to a representative office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation located abroad.

Compatriots are also entitled to apply to participate in the State Program within the Russian Federation if they hold a temporary residence permit (hereinafter, a TRP), a residence permit (hereinafter, a residence permit) or temporary asylum. This right also applies to compatriots permanently residing in the territories of states that take unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation, provided they confirm their lawful stay in Russia.

Suppose a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan wishes to apply to participate in the State Program as a compatriot within Russia. In this case, they may do so only after obtaining a TRP or residence permit, since the Republic of Kazakhstan is not included in the list of countries unfriendly to Russia. At the same time, a citizen of France or Lithuania need only be in Russia on the basis of a valid visa.

Citizens of the Russian Federation who are compatriots are entitled to apply to participate in the State Program within Russia only if they have lost their lawful right to permanent residence in a state from the approved list of unfriendly countries (for example, if their residence permit or citizenship of such a country has been revoked). Otherwise, a Russian citizen must apply to participate in the State Program abroad.

Suppose a Russian citizen had their residence permit in Latvia revoked and was forcibly deported from that country. In this case, by providing documents confirming this fact, they are entitled to apply to participate in the State Program within Russia.

At the same time, compatriots permanently residing in the territories of foreign states that take unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation are entitled to apply to participate in the State Program in the countries where they are staying. This is because the governments of countries unfriendly to Russia regularly reduce the number of diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Russian Federation, as well as their staff. For this reason, these persons have been granted the right to apply to participate in the State Program in the country where they are actually and lawfully present.

Let us consider a situation that is currently occurring, for example, in Germany, where the number of diplomatic and consular offices has been reduced to two, making it difficult to book an appointment regarding participation in the Program. A citizen of Germany, as well as a Russian citizen holding a residence permit in that country, is entitled to apply to participate in the State Program at a Russian diplomatic mission or consular office located, for example, in Austria or Lithuania.

It is important to note that a participant in the State Program and their family members relocating for permanent residence in the Russian Federation to a priority settlement area are provided with state guarantees and social support in full. Priority settlement areas are constituent entities of the Russian Federation where an increased level of state support is provided and relocation allowances are paid at an increased rate. These areas include, in particular, the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District.

Relocation to the Far East guarantees a compatriot increased relocation allowances amounting to ten subsistence minimums for each resettler and their family member, a housing certificate worth around nine hundred thousand rubles per person, increased payments under the “Zemsky Doctor” and “Zemsky Teacher” programs, as well as the free provision of a plot of land in the Far East of up to 1 hectare per person or up to 10 hectares for a collective application.

After a foreign citizen receives participant status in the State Program, they and their family members are entitled to apply for admission to Russian citizenship to the authorized territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the constituent entity of the Russian Federation specified in the State Program participant certificate.

If a participant in the State Program and/or their family members do not plan to acquire Russian citizenship in the near future, they may apply for a temporary residence permit without regard to the quota established by the Government of the Russian Federation. An application for a TRP for a foreign citizen may be submitted either within Russia or to a foreign mission of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a representative office of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs abroad.

It is important to note that if an application for a TRP is submitted abroad, the process of completing the application and obtaining this status takes place in Russia after the foreign citizen has undergone mandatory fingerprinting and a medical examination.

In addition to the above, participants in the State Program and their family members should carefully review the grounds for refusal to grant, as well as for revoking, the certificate and status of a participant (or a participant’s family member) in the State Program, which are listed in Articles 25, 26 and 27 of Decree No. 637 of the President of the Russian Federation of June 22, 2006, “On Measures to Assist the Voluntary Resettlement to the Russian Federation of Compatriots Living Abroad”:

Participant status in the State Program is not granted, and previously granted status is lost, if a compatriot (or their family member):
а) advocates the forcible change of the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, or by other actions poses a threat to the security of the Russian Federation or its citizens;
б) finances or plans terrorist (extremist) acts, assists in their commission or commits them, or otherwise supports terrorist (extremist) activities;
в) during the five years preceding the date of application, was subject to administrative expulsion, deportation or transfer by the Russian Federation to a foreign state under an international readmission agreement, or was repeatedly (two or more times) subject to these measures within 10 years;
г) submits forged or falsified documents or knowingly provides false information;
д) has been convicted of committing a serious or especially serious crime, or a crime related to the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs;
е) has an unexpunged or outstanding conviction for committing a serious or especially serious crime;
ж) has repeatedly been held administratively liable for offenses against public order, security or the rules of stay, or has committed an offense related to the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs;
з) after registration, left the Russian Federation for permanent residence abroad or in another constituent entity of the Russian Federation;
и) after registration, stayed outside the Russian Federation for more than six months during a year, except in the cases specified by law;
к) has not undergone mandatory fingerprinting or photography, or has not submitted the required medical documents.

Status is also not granted or is lost if a decision is made:
а) that a person’s stay (residence) in the Russian Federation is undesirable;
б) on administrative expulsion from the Russian Federation;
в) to deny entry to the Russian Federation;
г) to revoke a temporary residence permit or residence permit.

A compatriot who does not meet the requirements of the regional resettlement program of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation chosen for resettlement is not granted participant status in the State Program, and previously granted status is lost.

The status of a participant’s family member in the State Program is lost:
а) in the cases specified in subparagraphs “а” and “б” of paragraph 25 (the certificate is revoked);
б) in the cases specified in subparagraphs “в”–“к” of paragraph 25 and paragraph 26 (the certificate must be replaced).