Immigration
Category-based work permits with an employer quota
The Law on Population Migration governs entry and residence. Work permits are quota-limited and graded by category, with intra-corporate transferees and AIFC employees on lighter regimes.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Migration Service Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; permits are issued regionally against a national quota.
- Deadline — Registration of arrival within three working days for most nationalities
- Deadline — Work permit tied to the employer and to the stated position
Governing law
- Law on Population Migration2011
- Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners
- Rules on Issuing Work Permits to Foreign Labour
In practice
Permits run in four categories from executive to skilled worker, each with education and experience requirements and a local-hire ratio the employer must satisfy. AIFC participants and their staff are exempt from the quota and from work-permit requirements, which is a major practical draw. Permanent residence is available after a qualifying period or on investment grounds, and citizens of Eurasian Economic Union states work without permits. Dual nationality is prohibited and acquiring another citizenship costs Kazakh citizenship.