Law preventing foreign citizens from obtaining a temporary residence permit or residency status in cases of a marriage of convenience

The Federal Law aims to improve migration legislation by preventing foreign citizens from obtaining temporary or permanent residency through marriages of convenience or fraudulent paternity claims.

Under the amended Federal Law On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation, a foreign citizen must be married to a Russian citizen for at least three years before applying for a temporary residence permit or must have a child in common (by birth or adoption) within the marriage to a Russian citizen. Similar conditions apply for obtaining a residence permit directly, without the need for a temporary residence permit.

The Federal Law establishes grounds for denial or cancellation of a temporary residence permit or residence permit. A permit may be denied or revoked if the marriage between a foreign citizen and a Russian citizen, which initially qualified the foreign citizen for the permit, is dissolved or annulled by a court. Additionally, if a foreign citizen is legally deprived of parental rights or has those rights limited by court order regarding a child who was the basis for the permit, or if the adoption of such a child is annulled, the permit may also be denied or cancelled.

An amendment is also being introduced to Federal Law On the Procedure for Exiting and Entering the Russian Federation, allowing for the extension of an ordinary private visa for up to one year. This extension applies to foreign citizens who are close relatives of Russian citizens and is subject to approval by the head of the relevant Russian diplomatic mission or consular office.