Immigration in Latvia - New amendments to the immigration framework

On May 2, 2012, the Cabinet of Ministers revised 3 draft regulations related to residence permits, the procedure for approval and drafting of an invitation letter and the procedure by which foreigners and their family members enter and reside in the Republic of Latvia.

According to this, legal entities inviting officials registered in the Commercial Register must provide fewer details in the application for the letter of invitation, but those who employ natural persons on the basis of an employment contract must also submit documents confirming that such invited foreigners are taxpayers. The electronic service "Approval of the invitation to apply for a visa" will be available only from January 2, 2014.

These draft regulations align the regulatory framework for immigration with previous changes. Since July 26, 2011, the entry “Komercdarbība (business transactions)” (in the residence permit) or “Business” (in a visa) has been included in the residence permit or visa of officials entered in the commercial register (board members, managing directors, managing directors or liquidators). , and separate work permits are no longer issued. Therefore, a foreigner does not need to obtain a separate work permit for each type of company in Latvia. In the future, employment information will not be included in the work permit register, so these officials do not need to provide information about the scheduled working hours and do not need to come to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs to obtain a work permit, since the endorsement in a visa or residence permit of theirs proven existence.

In addition, information about the level of education, country of origin, length of stay and employment rights of the foreigner are included in the residence permit register. As a result, no documents to prove the level of education have to be submitted again if a foreigner is questioned repeatedly or if the residence permit is registered. If a document proving the intended place of residence in the Republic of Latvia was presented upon confirmation of the invitation, it does not have to be submitted later.

These changes require any inviter who invites an individual to work on the basis of an employment contract to provide proof that the individual is registered as a taxpayer and has no tax liability, except in cases where this information can be obtained public information system.

If the residence permit in Latvia is issued as an electronic ID card, it is not attached to the foreigner's travel document or is issued as a separate document - ID card - instead of in the form of a sticker. In the next 5 years, when the foreigner will have two types of residence permits - stickers or cards, if the foreigner has a residence permit, the foreigner must present the new travel document to get a new residence permit, but a foreigner who has an identity card , only needs to present the new travel document so that the Office for Citizenship and Migration Affairs can update the information in the population register.

The draft decree stipulates that the application for the letter of invitation can only be submitted by a foreign legal entity that has registered an authorized person, a branch or an agency in the Republic of Latvia.

Currently, labor rights are not transferred to family members of foreign investors; However, family members of foreign investors (spouses) now have the right to be employed by any employer. The possibility of obtaining an identity card is available to EU citizens residing in the Republic of Latvia with a registration certificate.
The procedure for approving and drafting the letter of invitation and the regulation on the residence permit in Latvia came into force on May 9, 2012, but the amendments to the regulation on the work permit for foreigners will be reviewed at the meeting of state secretaries.