MOSCOW , April 21 (UPI) -- A new law, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, will ease requirements for former Soviet Union residents seeking a Russian passport.
It offers a residence permit, leading to a passport, to those fluent in Russian who live or have lived within the old Soviet Union or the current Russian Federation. It will require an interview to demonstrate fluency, and those with parents or grandparents who “live or previously lived on the territory” in question can apply.
An important element of the procedure is evidence the Russian language is used by the applicant, a foreign or stateless citizen, in everyday situations and at home.
A statement from the Russian government called the easing of citizenship rules “new grounds for extension of (a) temporary stay in the Russian Federation and a simplified procedure for obtaining a residence permit.”
Residence permit holders would be expected to apply for Russian citizenship within two years of receiving residency approval.
[RIA Novosti]
