More recently, the entire territory of the CIS had one border and was called a great Soviet power - the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). After the collapse of the great commonwealth of states, division of borders took place. Each country has determined the boundaries for its territories and established independent sovereignty.
Due to political and economic factors, the division of countries did not affect the indicator of the number of immigrants to the Russian Federation. Since Russia is the main legal successor of the USSR, it accepts all migrants born in the territory of the former Soviet Union as “their own”. For citizens of other countries who have a birth certificate in the USSR, a simplified program for obtaining Russian citizenship applies. There are a lot of people who want to obtain Russian citizenship according to its provisions, but not everyone knows the nuances of the procedure. The procedure for providing the service is described in detail below.
How to obtain citizenship in Russia?
The main goal of the migrating population to the Russian Federation is labor activity or permanent residence. The latter is impossible without the first. Disabled people are not welcome in Russia. Every migrant needs to know about this fact.
Russian citizenship gives a migrant the right to become attached to any region of the country regarding labor activity, enjoy legislative privileges, receive free medical insurance, be a full member of Russian society - take part in the vote.
Migrant USSR citizenship may simplify the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship. But the procedure is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.
USSR Citizenship Law
The acquisition of Russian citizenship by migrants is predetermined by the Law on Citizenship of the Russian Federation, as amended on 05/31/2002. According to its provisions, four categories of migrants can apply for citizenship in Russia:
- children born to citizens of Russia;
- people who for some reason have refused a Russian passport, have accepted citizenship of another country, but who wish to rectify the situation in the present;
- persons whose territories of residence have crossed the borders of the Russian Federation;
- persons wishing to undergo the naturalization procedure - obtain citizenship of their own free will.
The package of documents required to obtain citizenship in the Russian Federation
Mandatory criteria for obtaining Russian citizenship are:
- RVP (temporary residence permit) receipt - issued for three years;
- obtaining a residence permit (residence permit) - a period of up to five years is issued and may subsequently be extended;
- official employment in the territory of the Russian Federation;
- obtaining a certificate of native speaker of the Russian language;
- positive results of routine medical examinations.
The general procedure for granting Russian citizenship can be simplified by several points listed above for persons with USSR citizenship.
Granting citizenship to persons holding documents of the times of the Soviet Union
Citizenship of the former USSR is the basis for participation in a simplified program for obtaining Russian citizenship. The categories of persons entitled to this in accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On Citizenship” are as follows:
- the population of the countries that were part of the USSR, which has citizenship of the USSR, but for some reason has not received more than any other - stateless persons;
- citizens of other countries, including stateless persons residing in the territory of the Russian Federation and having received a temporary residence permit or residence permit until July 2002;
- persons holding a Soviet passport according to birth not in the USSR, but in the RSFSR;
- World War II veterans living in Russia who had a Soviet passport;
- children and wards of the descendants of the USSR.
Citizens of the USSR in Russia - facts
It should be noted that today not only a significant part of migrants claims for Russian citizenship, but also people living in the USSR citizens of the Russian Federation after the collapse of the Soviet Union as such. For the most part, they are also not citizens of the Russian Federation.
Obtaining citizenship of the USSR was the legislative procedure that determined the affiliation of people to a single Union of Republics, and not a separate country. After changing territorial borders, according to their personal and political convictions, many citizens refused to change Soviet citizenship.
Not everyone has Russian citizenship from citizens of the USSR. To date, according to the codes of the FMS, about seventy thousand citizens, according to some convictions, have not replaced the documents. Although this could be done automatically in 1991, the renunciation of USSR citizenship provided the basis for obtaining a Russian passport, provided that there was a permanent residence permit within the Russian Federation.
Among those, there are those who received a passport, but did not confirm citizenship. For the category of such persons, a simplified system for issuing citizenship is also in place if documents are available confirming attachment to the former Soviet Union.
How to confirm the citizenship of the USSR?
Confirmation of attachment to the Soviet state in order to obtain Russian identity documents is the filing of documentary evidence with the relevant authorities, in particular the FMS. It can be passports, certificates, extracts of Soviet authorities.
If the Soviet documents were replaced by the migration services of other countries with appropriate citizenship, then certificates of membership in the Soviet Union can be requested from the same authorities, where citizenship of another country was issued.
A certificate in the bodies of the FMS can also be obtained by persons residing in Russia with a Russian passport who have not yet managed to obtain citizenship. The basis for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation for such persons is the presence of a permanent place of residence and permanent registration.
Confirmation of belonging to the Soviet state can also be the birth certificate of the USSR model.
Dates of issuing citizenship for persons born in the USSR
So, how to get Russian citizenship for those born in the USSR or having a USSR passport?
First of all, it should be noted that such persons in order to obtain Russian citizenship are a priori exempted from the conditions of residence on the territory of the Russian Federation by a residence permit. This, as a result, exempts these persons from registering for RVP, passing exams to confirm the status of a native Russian speaker. For such persons, a procedure for the consent procedure on compliance with the constitutional provisions of the Russian Federation and its laws is provided.
To obtain Russian citizenship in the USSR, affiliation is required:
- submission of documents confirming belonging to the USSR to the bodies of the FMS or Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of residence;
- payment of the state fee for the provision of services by the bodies of the FMS or the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
- application on behalf of a person wishing to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation.
Confirming documents of a person belonging to the Soviet state may be:
- birth certificate of the USSR sample issued either by the registry office, or by the diplomatic mission, or by the consulate;
- Soviet passport (sample no later than 1974);
- certificates from archival institutions;
- certificates of migration services of other countries on the replacement of the Soviet passport with another document proving the identity of the citizen;
- certificate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of residence on belonging to the USSR.
It should be noted that passports issued in the RSFSR, USSR citizenship also confirm.
It should be understood that the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport and obtaining citizenship are different procedures. Only those persons who stayed on the territory of the Russian Federation until July 2002 and who hold Russian passports in their hands can obtain Russian citizenship without any special delay. The remaining category of citizens can receive Russian citizenship only in the general queue.
The terms of consideration of a decision on the issue of citizenship, depending on the type and completeness of the collected documents, may vary, but not exceed more than one and a half months. The executive bodies shall notify the applicant in writing of a positive decision, provide an opportunity to swear allegiance to the Russian Federation and obtain a Russian passport with a note of Russian citizenship.
Service cost
How much can the procedure for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation cost people born in the USSR? The size of the state fee for the provision of services in relation to the issuance of Russian citizenship is at least 3,500 rubles. Payment of the fee is carried out before the delivery of the necessary package of documents, and together with the documentation, a receipt is submitted to the relevant executive bodies as confirmation of the financial transaction.
Be careful! Payment of state duty applies only to migrant workers who belong to the USSR. Persons residing on the territory of the Russian Federation and not having time to exchange Soviet passports or confirm citizenship receive the service for free.
There are differences in the timing of consideration of relevant decisions. For local stateless persons, the deadlines for considering submitted documents do not exceed one and a half to two months; for migrants, the procedure can last up to six months.
Reasons for refusal to issue Russian citizenship
Executive bodies may refuse to issue citizenship according to documents of belonging to the USSR in the following situations:
- Passports of the USSR registered in the database of executive bodies as exchanged are not subject to consideration in a preferential order.
- A package of documents was submitted to the executive bodies, reflecting untruthful information.
- In the documents detected false data.
- Documents are fake.
- Persons applying for citizenship of the Russian Federation are seen in their speeches for overthrowing the constitutional system of the country.
- Persons wishing to obtain Russian citizenship participated in armed conflicts against the Russian Federation.
- Persons applying for citizenship are wanted and are involved in extremist activities.
- Persons who have submitted documents for consideration regarding obtaining citizenship have a criminal record.
- There are restrictions on entry into the territory of the Russian Federation.
- The presence of an invalid Russian passport.
- The presence of citizenship of another country after obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation.
Recommendations
You can always get advice on this topic in the executive authorities at the place of residence or stay in Russia. Those are the FMS, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the MFC.
Bodies providing state services regarding citizenship issues publish relevant information in electronic form on their websites, as well as draw up information stands in institutions serving people regarding the issue of Russian citizenship.
Having carefully studied the information, you can figure out which category of beneficiaries regarding Russian citizenship belong to, which documents must be collected and submitted to the executive authorities, and how to draw them up correctly.
As for the paperwork, in this case, you can use special services that help in filling them out.
The procedure for obtaining citizenship by local residents can be done online through the State Services information portal. Unfortunately, this service is currently unavailable for migrants.
It should be borne in mind that the reception of documents in the executive bodies is carried out on certain days of the work schedule. Service is carried out only with electronic coupons, which can be obtained by migrants directly only in institutions of executive bodies.
Conclusion
The article provided information on how to obtain citizenship. The USSR as a country has long been gone. Its assignee is the Russian Federation, which accepts into its territory persons born in the Soviet Union. The procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship by persons who did not have time to replace documents or confirm their citizenship with the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as migrant citizens, has distinctive features. To clarify their rights to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation in the USSR, documents must be guided by the above law "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation."
It is necessary to carefully read the provisions of this law, it is the main document that predetermines all the benefits regarding obtaining Russian citizenship by all categories of citizens.
Now it’s clear how to obtain citizenship under the USSR documents. practice shows that this is very easy. Today, this topic is more relevant than ever. Often they are interested in the nuances of obtaining citizenship on the basis of available documents from the Soviet Union, elderly migrants or persons who wish to lawfully renew the inheritance rights to real estate existing in the country.
Only civil rights allow you to enjoy all the laws of the country in which you live or reside.