- Kazakhstan has simplified entry procedures for investors, business representatives, and foreign specialists in high-demand technical sectors.
- New specialized visas like the Neo Nomad and IT Relocation offer paths for remote workers and technology professionals.
- Authorities maintain strict local hiring ratios and quotas for the broader foreign labor market to protect domestic employment.
(KAZAKHSTAN) — Kazakhstan simplified entry, visa processing and permit procedures for investors, business representatives, foreign specialists and professionals in high-demand sectors, while keeping quotas and local hiring protections for other foreign workers.
Authorities directed the faster track at groups tied to investment, specialist skills and state-backed projects. Accelerated procedures now apply to investors, business representatives, specialists, foreigners with in-demand professions and participants in state-supported economic and social projects.
Priority sectors span information technology, healthcare, creative industries and technical fields tied to science, engineering and manufacturing. The stated aim is to draw talent and capital into Kazakhstan without removing the broader controls that still govern most foreign labor.
Alongside that targeted opening, non-EAEU workers still face quotas set by region and profession, and employers still must sponsor them. That preserves the existing structure for much of the labor market even as officials ease access for selected categories.
Among the occupations singled out for preference are artificial intelligence engineer, information systems architect, application developer and information security engineer in IT. Healthcare roles include neurosurgeon, hematologist, oncologist and radiologist.
Creative and industrial specialties also appear on the list. Kazakhstan identified graphic designer, sound engineer and animation technician, as well as pharmaceutical engineer, laser equipment engineer and bacteriologist, as examples of professions receiving attention under the new approach.
Separate visa routes now sit at the center of that effort to recruit global talent. The B12-1 Neo Nomad Visa, effective November 2024, offers validity of up to 1-year for remote workers and freelancers employed by non-Kazakhstani employers, with a minimum income requirement of USD 3,000 a month.
A second route targets technology workers more directly. The B9-1 IT Specialist Relocation Visa, a pilot that started in March 2025, uses an online application and virtual interview and carries the possibility of a 10-year residence permit.
Citizens of the Eurasian Economic Union continue to receive different treatment. Workers from Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Russia can work without permits, under reciprocal rights that also apply to Kazakhs in those countries.
Recent permit numbers show how the system is functioning in 2026. Since January 2026, Kazakhstan has issued 5,100 permits for in-demand specialties and about 75,000 permits for labor immigrants.
Annual ceilings remain much higher. The 2026 quota stands at 23,600 for foreign labor and 221,800 for labor immigrants.
Rules that took effect on September 1, 2025 tightened the wider labor regime even as Kazakhstan opened faster channels for selected groups. Order No. 93, approved on March 28, 2025 by the Labor and Social Protection Ministry, revised foreign labor rules with an emphasis on hiring local workers first.
Employers now must conduct a 15-day labor market test before hiring foreigners in cases covered by the rule. They also must use an online application portal, register employment contracts and verify diploma authenticity.
Local hiring ratios remain explicit. Employers must keep workforces at 70% local staff for Categories 1-2, which cover executives and managers, and at 90% local staff for Category 3, which covers skilled technicians.
Authorities also adjusted permit validity periods and broadened the grounds for refusal or revocation. At the same time, they removed age limits that had previously run from a minimum of 25 to pension age.
Some workers and projects fall outside those tighter rules. Exemptions apply to permanent residents, short business trips of up to 120 days/year, and priority projects including Tengiz and Karachaganak.
In practice, employers seeking role-specific work permits must file through a digital platform. Applications require a passport, contract, proof of qualifications, health insurance and a justification showing why the local market could not fill the role.
Visa processing and permit review take several weeks. After arrival, foreign workers must complete migration registration, and employers that fail to follow the rules risk fines or hiring bans.
Permanent residence now moves through a longer chain of checks than a work permit application. The process includes a state language test, data analysis, digital scoring, agency reviews and an interview.
That split defines Kazakhstan’s current labor policy. Investors, business representatives, foreign specialists and workers in high-demand sectors get a faster path, while most other foreign hires still move through quotas, sponsorship rules and stricter local hiring tests.
