Medvedev proposes to make it easier for foreigner to enter Russia

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has sent a new bill to the State Duma on the improvement of the legal regulation of departure from the Russian Federation and entry to the Russian Federation for foreign citizens.

"It is proposed to determine that foreign citizens and stateless persons who have received a temporary residence permit in Russia, enter Russia and exit from Russia on the basis of valid documents certifying their identity and visas issued for the duration of a temporary residence permit in Russia," the document says.

When a foreign citizen receives a temporary residence permit in Russia, a competent authority shall issue him a temporary residence visa or prolong it without additional application of a citizen.

Moreover, Medvedev has submitted a draft law to the State Duma on administrative penalty for violation of the rules of entry to Russia or the residence regime by foreign citizens or stateless persons.

"The bill proposes to provide the possibility of declining a request at the discretion of the court on the application of additional penalty in the form of administrative expulsion from Russia for violations of the right to enter Russia or the residence regime, committed in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as the Moscow and Leningrad regions by a foreign citizen," the draft bill says.

It is also proposed to add a part 5 to the Article 18.8 of the Administrative Code, which provides for the mandatory appointment of an additional punishment in the form of administrative expulsion from Russia for an administrative offense by a foreign national or a stateless person repeated within one year , the government website said.

Both bills were considered and approved at the Cabinet meeting on 21 July.

A senior researcher at the Institute of Applied Economic Research of RANEPA, Vadim Novikov, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, explained the prime minister proposes to simplify procedures in the first place, not reduce formal barriers in general. "If a person has received a temporary residence permit, he should not worry about the constant renewal of the visa. The draft bill would save time for a very large number of people: there are about 10 million foreigners in Russia now," he noted.

The expert noted that the introduction of Dmitry Medvedev's bill to the State Duma will show that the federation is still interested in the outside world and migration. "It's also symbolic because the bill was introduced in a very uncertain context, it will be considered in the next Duma, which composition is not known yet. The fact that it is introduced in advance, in my opinion, is alluding to the fact that the government would like to make such a gesture right now," Vadim Novikov concluded.

It should be noted that in 2014, Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on introduction a bill to the State Duma in order to simplify procedure for issuing visas to foreigners entering the territory of the Russian Federation.

This document has been prepared by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The changes concerned the law "On the procedure for exit from the Russian Federation and entry into the Russian Federation."

"In particular, it is proposed to reduce the number of documents provided by foreign citizens for issuing of Russian tourist visas, as well as to increase the maximum period of validity from 30 days to six months, as well as their multiplicity," the Cabinet added.

The bill is aimed at the general improvement of Russia's visa practice, to create the most comfortable conditions for entry of foreign citizens visiting the country for business into Russia. It is expected to simplify entry of foreign citizens into the Russian Federation, in order to promote and maintain cultural, scientific and technological, social, political, sports and youth relations.