Special visa for foreigners will appear in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz — Highly qualified specialists from abroad will be able to obtain an Altyn visa to work in Kazakhstan. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva.

“For in-demand specialists”

According to her, the current task is to build a transparent, predictable, and favorable migration system for specialists needed by the domestic economy.

“To ensure they have the opportunity for free entry, effective professional realization, and full, comfortable integration into life in Kazakhstan. To this end, the following approaches will be implemented. The first and key approach is the formation of a service-oriented state in the migration sphere. This means that government procedures must be as simple, transparent, and accessible as possible,” she said.

As Deputy Prime Minister Balayeva explained, in practical terms this means expanding the one-stop-shop principle, digitizing all basic processes, and reducing interagency approvals.

“For example, obtaining status, a work permit, and related procedures should be carried out within a single system without the need to apply repeatedly to different agencies. The second approach is debureaucratization and improving the efficiency of administrative processes. The time for reviewing applications is being reduced, procedural regulations are being optimized, and digital monitoring tools are being introduced. This makes it possible to lower transaction costs for both citizens and the state,” she continued.

Altyn visa

Balayeva said that the third approach is a shift toward a model of managed attraction of human capital.

“In this context, the Altyn Visa instrument is being introduced to create predictable and long-term conditions for investors and highly qualified specialists. For example, a foreign investor implementing a project in the manufacturing or infrastructure sector receives stable conditions for residence and doing business. Likewise, a specialist in engineering, IT, or medicine who is in demand on the labor market receives simplified access to legalization and employment,” she said.

The fourth approach is increasing labor market flexibility through simplified recognition of professional qualifications.

“This is especially relevant for shortage and high-tech sectors. In some cases, this means reducing the time needed for qualification recognition from months to significantly shorter procedures, while preserving all quality and safety requirements,” Balayeva added.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the state is not lowering the level of regulation, “but making it more precise, targeted, and technologically advanced.”