Immigration scams have reached Kazakhstan

Anelya Kupbayeva Correspondent

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Tengrinews.kz — Speaking at the fifth session of the National Kurultai in Kyzylorda, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev warned about the growing problem of immigration fraud.

The President noted that immigration-related scams have significantly intensified worldwide in recent years, as seen in Europe and the United States.

“This issue has also become particularly relevant for our country, which is becoming increasingly attractive to foreign nationals in terms of employment and permanent residence. Law enforcement agencies have uncovered criminal schemes involving fraudsters who illegally issued documents to foreign citizens in order to legalize their permanent stay in Kazakhstan,” Tokayev said.

Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan is tightening the rules for issuing student visas. The decision followed cases in other countries where overly lenient visa policies led to foreigners массово applying for student visas primarily to work or relocate rather than study.

The fifth session of the National Kurultai is currently taking place in Kyzylorda, having been announced on January 12. As previously stated by Presidential Assistant and Press Secretary Ruslan Zheldibay, President Tokayev is expected to outline key priorities for Kazakhstan’s future development and address pressing social issues during his address.