Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Persons who own real estate in the amount of 100,000 manats or keep the same amount in banks in Azerbaijan will be eligible for temporary residence in the country, State Migration Service chief Firudin Nabiyev said in an interview with a local newspaper.

"Considering rapid development of the state, people who have invested at least 500,000 manats in the country's economy will be eligible for temporary residence in the country for up to three years," Nabiyev said.

The Migration Code also has a clause saying that the temporary residence permit issued for one year will be extended to two years. The Migration Code also deals with the issue of granting permits for temporary or permanent residence as an exception to persons who are carriers of dangerous viral diseases, those who are married to Azerbaijani citizens, as well as stateless persons.

Regarding the changes in the Migration Code, which went into effect on August 1, the immigration body head said that the registration at the place of stay of foreigners and stateless persons and application of other relevant standards was simplified.

According to Nabiyev, with the adoption of the Code, the order of transit passage through the country for foreigners and stateless persons was changed; the order of their registration at the place of residence and the whole registration procedure were determined with the use of a unified information system.

"Simplification is also envisioned in the area of authorization to live and work. The existing legislation does not allow to prolong the period of temporary residence and authorize private employment more than four times, but with the adoption of the Code, these restrictions were lifted," Nabiyev said.

According to Nabiyev, at the same time, obtaining a work permit is not required for foreigners who are citizens of Azerbaijan and stateless persons who are married to citizens of Azerbaijan, people who have submitted an application for refugee status, those granted refugee status or political asylum, as well as those supporting persons under the age of 18 or the disabled of the first category.

Foreigners and stateless persons during their stay in Azerbaijan must comply with all the obligations as citizens of the country, except in the cases stipulated by the law or international agreements. Implementation of the rights and freedoms of foreigners and stateless persons should not run counter to the national interests of the country.

"Foreigners and stateless persons should not violate Azerbaijan's Constitution, laws, and should respect the customs and traditions of the Azerbaijani people," Nabiyev said.

Nabiyev also noted that the new Migration Code reflects the procedure for issuing visas, the list of required documents for a visa, the duration and new categories of visas. Applications for permission to stay and residence in Azerbaijan are also accepted online.

"In accordance with the Code, applications for visa issuance for foreigners and stateless persons are to be reviewed within 15 days, e-visa for tourists -- 10 days, and in certain cases two days. The document also reflects the issue of extending to 60 days the period of temporary stay of foreigners and stateless persons in Azerbaijan.

If previously foreigners and stateless persons had to apply to migration authorities over the expiration of temporary stay in Azerbaijan at least seven days in advance, now this term was reduced to three days," Nabiyev said.

According to Nabiyev, the document on temporary or permanent residence in the territory of Azerbaijan will also be recognized as an identification document of foreigners and stateless persons in the country. The Code also provides for the right to issue a permit for temporary residence in the territory of Azerbaijan by foreigners and stateless persons doing business in the country.

However, this will be considered grounds for the issuance of a permit for temporary residence in the territory of Azerbaijan in case these persons have a full-time job with five employees, or if this refers to those engaged in part-time work with ten employees with the conclusion of an employment contract. In this case, 80 percent of workers must be Azerbaijani citizens, Nabiyev said.