On September 18, 2024, amendments were made to the State Program, excluding a number of family members from the program, changing the list of applicants, and clarifying a number of additional conditions
On September 18, 2024,
Decree of the President of Russia dated September 18, 2024 No. 809 (hereinafter referred to as the Decree) "On Amendments to the State Program to Assist in the Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots Living Abroad to Russia, approved by Decree of the President of Russia dated June 22, 2006 No. 637" was published.The Decree introduced the following amendments to the State Program:
1) the list of family members who can participate in the State Program has been changed, namely:
- adopted children or children under guardianship (custody) of the spouse of the State Program participant (hereinafter referred to as the participant) have been added;
- legally capable and adult siblings of the participant are excluded;
- spouses and minor children of legally capable and adult siblings of the participant are excluded;
- adult grandchildren of the participants are excluded.
According to the decree, adult family members of the participant can now participate in the State Program on their own.
2) the list of those who can apply for participation in the State Program has been clarified and the geography of submission locations has been expanded, and some concepts have been clarified, namely:
- the list includes Russian citizens who permanently resided in the territories of unfriendly countries as of February 24, 2022 and returned to Russia due to the loss of the right to such residence, subject to documentary confirmation of the fact of loss of such right and in the absence of registration at the place of residence in Russia;
- the definition of "unfriendly countries" has been introduced (foreign states that commit unfriendly acts against Russia, Russian legal entities and individuals, and the list of which is determined by the Government of Russia);
- an application can now be submitted in the territory of any foreign state (previously it was possible only in the territory of the applicant's country of citizenship or permanent residence; in the territory of the host state it was possible to submit an application only in the case of staying in a state included in the list of unfriendly states approved by the Russian Government).
3) changes have been made to the grounds and procedure for the loss of the program participant status by family members of a participant, namely, now if a compatriot has lost the participant status in accordance with subparagraphs "c" - "k" of paragraph 25 or paragraph 26 of the State Program (i.e. as a result of committing crimes or offenses), or voluntarily renounced such status, then the family members retain this status;
4) the conditions for maintaining the participant status, the return of state social support funds and re-application for the participant status have been changed, namely:
- a participant can no longer be outside of Russia for more than 6 months within 12 months (previously it was during the calendar year).
- in the event of moving for permanent residence to another subject of Russia, it is no longer necessary to return the costs incurred by the state;
- now the right to re-apply for participant status is also possible in the event of expiration of the certificate or in the event of deprivation of status (previously, it was possible to re-apply only in the event of voluntary refusal);
- a repatriate can apply for a state program in the territory of any state.
The decree entered into force on 18.09.2024.
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