Obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation for Ukrainian citizens - what has changed?

In connection with the latest dramatic events in Ukraine, the number of people wishing to acquire Russian citizenship has significantly increased in this country. The flow of migrants, previously consisted mainly of people looking for a better share and well-paid work, has now been replenished with refugees. How did the State Duma and the Federal Migration Service react to the change in the situation?

General order

Until now, the acquisition of Russian citizenship for citizens of Ukraine was regulated legally and procedurally by paragraphs "Regulations on the procedure for considering issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation" of 14.11.02. According to this document, to obtain a Russian passport, a foreign citizen arriving on Russian territory is required to register with local authorities and apply for registration and obtaining a residence permit. In case of a positive decision, the holder of this document, while still a foreign citizen, should get to Russia five years before receiving a coveted passport. This way is the longest and hardest.

A special case is Crimea

Mass acceptance of Russian citizenship by citizens of Ukraine occurred after the reunification of the Crimea peninsula with the main territory of the country. Passports were simply changed, the procedure was simplified as much as possible. Most of the population of the autonomous republic in a referendum expressed a desire to become Russians, and it was technically impossible to observe formal rules, and, in fact, there was no need.

For special services

Obtaining Russian citizenship for citizens of Ukraine is greatly simplified in some cases, namely: when the contract service for three years in the Russian army (according to the fourth part of the 13th article of the Federal Law) or with special merits before the country. The requirements for permanent residence, the preliminary receipt of a residence permit and temporary registration in these cases do not apply.

Exceptions are provided for those who have received refugee status or political asylum. A special conversation is about the figures of science, culture, technology and other branches of human activity in which the applicant has special achievements. The highest qualification or a rare profession of such a citizen can be the reason for making a decision to reduce the term to 1 year and to consider the case personally by the President.

Resettlement program

The Russian state is interested in the influx of skilled able-bodied people, close to each other, culturally and psychologically, to the basic composition of their own population. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a considerable number of Russians and representatives of other nations who ranked themselves among Russians suddenly found themselves (in the legal sense of the word) as foreigners became a reality.

Obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation by citizens of Ukraine in the manner of the Program for Resettlement of Compatriots suggests creating conditions for those who wish to become Russians. For these, a number of benefits are envisaged, state assistance and support, but there are certain limitations related to the target nature of this measure.

First, the working age, it can not be less than 25 or more than 50 years.

Secondly, pensioners and disabled people can not become participants in the labor migration program (this is the whole point of it).

Thirdly, compatriots-settlers can not settle in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as adjacent areas, here state support does not work.

The main advantage is that the acquisition of Russian citizenship for citizens of Ukraine (and some other countries - former Soviet republics) is significantly accelerated and takes from six months to a year.

To participate in the program should provide a usual set of documents: a passport (if there is, then overseas) with an authorized translation, diplomas and certificates of education, a work record (preferably).

If the metrics of relatives, confirming the Russian origin (including the fact of birth in the RSFSR) are preserved, then they should also be attached.

Obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation for Ukrainian citizens in the easiest way

If a citizen of Ukraine is not in a zone of military conflict, and he does not have to leave his native places as a refugee, then the easiest way to obtain citizenship is to apply to a Russian overseas institution (diplomatic mission or consular department). This will immediately relieve of many problems associated with long-term residence of a non-resident in the Russian Federation. In this case, there is no need to obtain a residence permit, the requirement of a mandatory one-year stay in the territory of Russia also does not work. Actually, during the period of consideration of the issue (up to six months), one can not change the usual way of life.

Project on Simplification

Despite the numerous rumors that the citizenship of the Russian Federation for Ukrainians is now easy to get, and takes it, supposedly, only a couple of months, Russian legislation has not yet undergone significant changes. The draft law on simplification of procedure exists, the State Duma is going to consider it, but this has not happened yet. In the document it is proposed to approve the right to repatriate certain categories of Ukrainian citizens, including Russian-speaking ones with Russian roots. This means that people who by fate's fate happened to be abroad, but who were born in the territory of the Russian Empire, the RSFSR or the Russian Federation, or whose parents lived here, have some advantages over other applicants for a passport with a double-headed eagle. However, the project does not envisage the right to dual citizenship .

The document can not be considered fully worked out yet, it has both opponents and supporters.