On August 8, the Labor Ministry outlined measures for the protection of the labor rights of Kazakh workers abroad and steps to ensure a positive migration balance in the country during the government meeting, QazMonitor reports citing primeminister.kz.
Tamara Duisenova, the Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Labor and Social Protection, informed the cabinet about implementing the national migration policy.
"At the end of the first quarter [of 2023], over 194,000 citizens of Kazakhstan worked abroad. We have taken additional measures to initiate the conclusion of new agreements with Turkiye, the UAE, the UK, and other countries to ensure the labor rights of Kazakh citizens," said Duisenova.
She added that the South Korean government is working on including Kazakhstan in the Employment Permit System (EPS). This system will utilize Enbek local web portal for registration. The process will be further supported by centers of labor mobility offering language courses, conducting compulsory medical examinations, and assisting with registering necessary documents for departure.
Additionally, the Labor Minister also reported that Kazakhstan registered a positive balance of migration for the first time in ten years, with a majority of foreigners applying for permanent residence coming from the CIS countries, China, and Mongolia. Furthermore, the country became the destination for people with technical (1,443 people), economic (577), pedagogical (288), and medical education (191 people).
The new migration policy supports educational immigration with modern university creation and encourages business immigration. Investors holding A-5 visas will be exempt from labor permit requirements. So far, the government issued 76 investor visas this year, compared to 95 in 2022. The Labor Ministry also plans to introduce A-6 for long-term investors visa, granting a 10-year residence permit.