FMS annulled preferential regime of stay in Russia for citizens of Ukraine
“We will after December 1 start the mechanism of closing entry for violators [of Russian migration legislation] from Ukraine, excluding the southeast,” explained FMS head Konstantin Romodanovsky.
According to him, there are about 600 thousand such violators, but these are preliminary figures. Romodanovsky noted that no one is depriving Ukrainian citizens of the opportunity to legally obtain status that legalizes their stay in Russia.
The FMS press service recalled that in 2015, the agency repeatedly extended the period of temporary stay on Russian territory for all categories of Ukrainian citizens for humanitarian reasons. The last extension deadline ended on October 31, in connection with which during November all Ukrainian citizens staying in Russia needed to apply to the FMS to determine their legal status. An exception was made for those who arrived in an emergency mass order from the southeastern regions of Ukraine.
On August 1, the FMS demanded that migrants from Ukraine determine their status within 90 days. During this time, they could freely obtain a work permit on par with citizens of other CIS countries with which Russia has visa-free relations. If a foreigner from a visa-free country does not legalize their status in Russia within 90 days, the FMS gives them another 30 days to leave the country. If this is not done, entry will be closed for a period of three to ten years.