Russian Green Card

Does Russia have Green Card Program Lottery?
It does not have such program that is named "Green Card ". It has Quota for Temporary Residence Permit. If you are talking about American Green Card program, it's equivalent is Permanent Residency in Russia. However it is not a lottery.
American citizen can apply for the Permanent Residency in Russia. It gives you the right to stay in Russia for 5 years. After that you can apply for citizenship.

Also, some people ask us about Russian temporary green card. There is no such thing as a temporary Green Card in Russia, but Russia does have Temporary Residence Permit that is allows American citizen to live for 3 years in Russia.

If an American citizen does not have reasons to immigrate to Russia ( employment, Russian child, Russian marriage, Russian Parent, Education in Russia) or does not have enough money to participate in the Russian golden visa program, there is an alternative for people who want to move to Russia - obtaining a quota for Temporary Residence Permit.

Quotas are provided for each Russian region on the annual basis. For instance
in 2021, 39,325 quotas were distributed in entire Russia. In 2022 only 18,995 quotas were allocated and only 13,535 quotas for obtaining temporary residence permits were allocated for 2023. So, you get the point, the amount of quotas is reduced with every year.

Quota is a sort of green card but remember that it only gives you grounds to apply for Temporary Residence Permit. You can not extend this permit, however you can apply after 3 years for Permanent Residency in Russia.

For example, when We came to Saint-Petersburg, we decided to try to get the quota for Temporary Residence Permit. There was electronic line of people , so we were number 4,649th in line... Later migration officers sent a message that 300 quotas were distributed among the first people in line. So that 300 quotas for an entire city. So we realized that we will never get it here. So, it is very difficult to get Russian Green Card in big cities like Moscow or Saint-Petersburg. However, if you go further down to different regions your odds of getting Quota for Temporary Residence Permit are much higher. I will call this a quota as people in Russia call it.

For instance in Chuvash Republic, (city Cheboksari), we came to immigration officer and asked for quotas. They told us we have to wait 2 months, because they will distribute them in January. OK. We left our phone number and asked them to call us once they would become available. So, the immigration officer did call us in January and told us that the quotas for our family were available.

So, as you can see getting a quota is like a lottery, the only difference is it's not computer that picks your name, but rather a human factor involved.

So, if you got lucky and secured your quota, what to do next. Quota gives you the right to apply for Temporary Residence Permit. Please remember that the quota is valid for calendar year, so you have to apply for Temporary Residence Permit within this year in which you got your quota.

One more important that you have to apply in the region where you got your quota from. For example, if you received your quota in Smolensk, you can not go to Moscow and submit documents there. You can apply only in Smolensk. It takes about
So, you got stamp in the passport (Temporary Residence Permit)

How much time it takes to process the application?
4 months

Can I travel outside of Russia when I submit documents?
Yes you can.

Can I do my application for Temporary Residence Permit online?
No, you have to do in person.

Do I need to register after getting Temporary Residency Permit?
Yes you have 7 days to register.

When can I apply for Permanent Residence?
1 year after you had your Temporary Residence Permit.

After I get my Permanent Residency status how fast can I apply for citizenship?
You have to live 5 years in Russia AFTER you got your Permanent Residency. After that you can apply for Russian citizenship.

Can I travel outside Russia with Permanent Residency Status?
Of course , you may, but remember, that every 9 months out of the year you have to stay in Russia. This is the grounds for getting your citizenship.

What documents do I need to provide for Quota ( Russian Green Card)
- Application Form, filled out.
- Your US Citizen passport. ( Translated it and notarized in Russia)
- Migration card ( you got it on the border when you arrived to Russia)
- Registration in Russia ( Remember to register within 7 days after getting your Temporary Residence Permit).