Myths and reality
It is not so easy to give a universal definition of a residence permit for different states. In fact, a residence permit gives the status of a "permanent resident" of the country (in American law it is called permanent resident). In most cases, a residence permit provides for a certain period of time all the rights of a citizen, except the right to participate in the political life of the state. Although sometimes it is necessary to obtain a work permit separately, in a number of States foreigners cannot engage in one or another activity. And we are talking not only about Arab countries: even in democratic Germany, having a residence permit, it is impossible to open your own legal or medical practice – which, however, is explained not by infringement of the rights of permanent residents, but by the peculiarities of certification.
In most cases, a residence permit, unlike citizenship, must be extended, while the terms may vary significantly. So, in the same Germany, students are issued a residence permit for two years, then, if the study continues, the validity period is extended – at the same time, the German multivisa is issued immediately for five years. However, in Germany there is also an indefinite residence permit, which allows you to work in the country, and in France there is a 10–year residence permit.
In most cases, a residence permit is considered not as a final status, but as a transitional step on the path to citizenship, for which a resident who has officially resided in the country for a certain period of time (in Belgium – 3 years, in the USA and Holland – 5 years, in Germany – 7 years, in France – 10 years) you need to take a simple test of knowledge of the language, history and culture of the country.
He called himself a gruzd...
If a foreigner who has received a residence permit does not live in the country for a specified period or does not visit it regularly, he cannot apply for citizenship. At the same time, the presence or absence of real estate does not matter: many people come to their own home on a visa, and permanent residents or US citizens often live in a rented apartment or with relatives.
Citizenship, for example, American, has obvious advantages over a green card when it comes to travel to European countries. A residence permit issued by the United Kingdom does not give the right to visa-free entry to any country. The exception is Switzerland, where you can enter with a British residence permit.
However, a residence permit has certain advantages over citizenship: it is much more convenient to visit your homeland often with a residence permit than being a citizen of another state.
However, Russians do not have to give up their Russian passport, since the authorities of the states do not exchange this kind of information. In Israel, dual citizenship is allowed at the official level, and in Ukraine and the post-Soviet Baltic States they treat this issue very painfully. In Russia, dual citizenship is not welcome, so for those who would not like to puzzle over which status to prefer, a residence permit may be the best option.
Meanwhile, in order to obtain a work permit, a car license, open a bank account, get a loan and place children in a free public school in a number of countries, it is not necessary to even have a residence permit. For example, in the USA, for all this, you need to register in the social security system, having one of the nonimmigrant visas that give you the right to work: student (F1), exchange visa (J1), work visa (H1), for outstanding people (O1), etc
. Most of these statuses (except J1) allow apply for a "green card", the advantage of which is only that the foreigner is no longer dependent on a certain employer, who in case of conflict can withdraw his sponsorship on a visa. One of the steps when applying for a residence permit in the United States is to obtain a work permit (Labor authorization), which makes a person competitive in the labor market.
Dialogue with the state
A foreigner purchasing real estate abroad is usually concerned about practical issues: is it necessary to seek a residence permit at all and does owning real estate at the same time provide any advantages?
First of all, it should be emphasized that in most developed countries, ownership of real estate does not matter when considering an application for a residence permit. However, there are certain nuances here. The first one concerns business immigration, in which it is important not to buy apartments or villas for your own residence, but to invest in the construction of commercial real estate. Such investments are especially welcomed by countries with developing resort potential. In old Europe, the advantage of a business immigrant is, as a rule, not the construction or purchase of real estate for commercial purposes, but the purchase of a large package of government bonds.
Another nuance concerns the situation when a person who already has immigration status wants his relatives to receive a residence permit as well – in this case, in a number of countries, for example in Germany, the authorities make sure that the inviting resident has housing – thus the state can somewhat reduce the costs of visitors.
In the morning TAPU – in the evening residence permit
There are three main mechanisms for obtaining a residence permit: doing business, studying with subsequent employment and marriage to a resident. Buying a property does not appear in the list of main ways. However, there are also some states that make it much easier for foreign buyers of real estate to obtain a residence permit. Perhaps only one of them is of interest to Russian investors – Turkey.
According to Nina Volkova, director of the Moscow representative office of the Turkish company Sultan Homes, all buyers of real estate in Turkey, as well as their next of kin (spouse, parents, children) have the right to obtain a residence permit.
"A residence permit in Turkey gives its holders equal rights with Turkish citizens, except for the right to vote. You also need to apply for a work permit separately," says Nina Volkova. – During the validity of the permit, a foreigner can visit Turkey as much as he wants. A residence permit is being extended at the local police department. After five years of legal residence in Turkey, foreigners have the right to apply for citizenship." The resident status can be revoked, for example, in the case of divorce from a Turkish citizen before obtaining citizenship or after the sale of real estate.
According to Nina Volkova, in order to obtain a residence permit in Turkey, it is necessary to open a bank account for at least $ 3,000 ($500 for each month), submit documents to the local police department, including a purchase agreement and an account statement, fill out a special form and pay for a residence permit. The first permit, which is issued personally to the applicant within 3-4 days, is valid for six months, then the period is extended by two years.
To Slavic roots
For Russian investors, the topic of obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria is very relevant. It is still quite easy to obtain a residence permit here, and some real estate companies offer assistance in paperwork as an additional service.
Tatiana Martinenko, the head of the Bulgarian company Super Dom, which sells real estate and issues a residence permit, assures that none of their clients have yet been refused a residence permit. The expert explains: "We provide such services to our clients for free. When buying a house or apartment, we issue a residence permit for a year, then, within five years, it should be renewed annually. Subsequently, a resident can obtain permanent residence, which entitles them to free medical care, free schooling for children and other benefits. We are engaged in the renewal of documents throughout the life of our clients in Bulgaria."
Bulgarian permanent residence is issued on condition that the applicant spends more than half of each year in the country; this is convenient, for example, for pensioners, but investors who have not yet decided whether they really intend to live in Bulgaria should think about how much they need permanent residence in the Balkans.
Also, a residence permit in Bulgaria can be issued by registering a representative office of a foreign company – this requires investments in the amount of $ 500,000, but all preparatory work can be carried out by a specialist under a power of attorney issued to him. The procedure includes registration of a representative office in the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the statistical Office, tax and social services, and obtaining an individual plastic card. The very submission of documents to the passport service is made personally by the applicant who arrived in the country on an immigration visa. In this scenario, by confirming the availability of funds, a residence permit can be obtained without having a home in the country. The easiest option would be to open an account in a Bulgarian bank. The required amount is equal to the minimum wage multiplied by the number of months (usually 12), bywhich are issued a residence permit. Of course, you can get this money back later. When registering a residence permit, the client is assigned a personal identification number – "personal number for a foreigner" (that is, the personal number of a foreigner) and an appropriate stamp is put in the passport. The fee for obtaining a residence permit is about 270 euros.
As in some other European countries, there is another way to obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria – for wealthy pensioners. Tatyana Martinenko assures that the age and amount of the pension do not play a role in this case: it is important that the client receives a pension, and the Bulgarian bank has issued a confirmation of the availability of the necessary funds.
Brilliant? Come in!
In a number of industrialized countries, for example in the USA and Great Britain, but not in the Netherlands, there are programs to attract qualified specialists and outstanding figures of science, art and sports. Do not think that this is the easiest way to obtain a residence permit. For example, in the United States, you initially have to go through a very difficult procedure to obtain an O1 visa. To do this, you will have to collect a whole volume of documents and evidence (scientific papers, certificates of competition results, publications, letters of recommendation), and then, after living for some time in the United States on a visa, you will have to apply for a green card in the same waya map", adding evidence of their achievements already on the territory of this country. It is much easier to go the standard way – by obtaining an H1 visa allowing temporary work in the United States. The picture is similar with the British HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrants Program). Obviously, only those who not only have outstanding achievements, but are really very interested in moving to another state are ready to go through such difficulties.
Thus, how difficult it is to obtain a residence permit in a particular country depends on the state's policy regarding foreign investment and new residents. But, no matter how easy it is to get a residence permit, for those buyers of foreign real estate who are going to live at home, but only go abroad on vacation or on holidays, it should be remembered that a residence permit is still not a replacement for a tourist visa, but a serious step towards immigration. Those who intend to connect their lives with another country sooner or later receive both a residence permit and, after a while, citizenship. Those who want to prepare a "spare airfield" for themselves in case of emergency emigration stand apart, but this is a completely, completely different story.
