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Duma to introduce simpler procedures for getting citizenship by native speakers of Russian

MOSCOW, April 01, /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s State Duma is to consider amendments to the Law on Citizenship of the Russian Federation that will introduce simpler procedures for the native speakers of Russian from abroad seeking to get this country’s citizenship.

Along with a simpler procedure, the Duma also proposes to shorten the consideration of applications for citizenship from the native speakers of Russian, whose relatives down the ancestral line resided on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as on the territories integrated in the Russian Empire and the USSR, on the condition the applicants move to Russia for permanent residence and renounce citizenship of other countries.

An individual will be recognized a native speaker of Russian upon the results of interviews conducted by special commissions that will be formed by the Federal Migration Service.

Renunciation of foreign citizenship will enable the foreign nationals living in Russia to get Russian passports in bypass of some conditions that otherwise mandatory, like uninterrupted residence in this country for five years and certified command of the language at an appropriate level.

The term for scrutinizing the applications and passing the necessary decisions will be reduced to 3 months from 6 months at present.

Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said that “the amendments contain the norms provided for a privileged stay in Russia for the people coming here to get Russian membership.

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