December 12, 2022

Status and rights of the Kandases

Kandas are ethnic Kazakhs and (or) members of their families of Kazakh nationality who were not previously citizens of the RoK, who arrived in their historical homeland and received the appropriate status in accordance with the procedure established by Law.

Persons who have received the status of kandas have a fairly wide range of benefits in the RoK. The main ones include:

• assistance in employment, professional development and in mastering a new profession;
• creating conditions for learning the state and Russian languages;
• exemption from service in the Armed Forces in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the RoK;
• allocation of quotas for admission to organizations of secondary vocational and higher vocational education;
• provision of places in schools, pre-school organizations, as well as social protection institutions to those in need;
• payment of pensions and benefits;
• realization of the rights restored to citizenship for compensation for victims of mass political repression;
• exemption from consular fees for issuing visas to enter the RoK;
• receiving a guaranteed amount of medical care free of charge in accordance with the legislation;
• provision of state targeted assistance provided for citizens of the RoK;
• movement across the border without collection of customs duties and taxes;
• free travel to permanent residence and transportation of property (including livestock);
• allocation of funds for the purchase of housing at the place of arrival and payment of lump-sum benefits.

How to get kandas status
Ethnic Kazakhs who independently entered the territory of the RoK can apply for the status of kandas to a State Corporation. The applicant must provide the following documents:

• statement;
• autobiography (in any form);
• copies of the identity documents of the applicant and his family members (if any), with a notarized translation into Kazakh or Russian (birth certificates, passport, certificate of a stateless person or other official documents of special authorities of the country of origin of ethnic Kazakhs);
• copies of documents establishing the applicant’s compliance with the conditions provided for in subparagraph 3) paragraph 2 of the Rules for Assigning or Extending the status of kandas.

The assignment of the status of kandas is carried out by the local executive bodies of the regions, the cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent.

The local executive body, within four working days from the date of registration of the application, makes a decision to ethnic Kazakhs and their family members on the assignment of the status of kandas, issues a certificate of kandas or justifiably refuses to assign the status of kandas.

If an ethnic Kazakh has an individual identification number, the total period for reviewing documents and assigning the status of a kandas is carried out within three working days.

After the decision, the local executive body sends information about the results of the assignment of the status of kandas and the certificate of kandas to the State Corporation. After receiving the results, the State Corporation issues a certificate of kandas, or notifies of the refusal to assign the status of kandas.

The local executive body refuses to assign the status of a kandas when:

1) non-compliance of the applicant and his family members (if any) with subparagraph of paragraph 2 of the Rules for Assigning or Extending the status of kandas;

2) non-compliance of the applicant and his family members (if any) with subparagraph of paragraph 2 of the Rules;

3) establishing the fact of unreliability of the submitted documents.

Ethnic Kazakhs living outside the RoK apply for the status of kandas in foreign institutions of the RoK.

The following documents are attached to the application:

• autobiography (in any form);
• copies of the identity documents of the applicant and his family members (if any), with a notarized translation into Kazakh or Russian (birth certificates, passport, certificate of a stateless person or other official documents of special authorities of the country of origin of ethnic Kazakhs);
• copies of documents establishing the applicant’s compliance with the conditions provided for in subparagraph 3) paragraph 2 of the Rules for Assigning or Extending the status of kandas.

The foreign institutions of the RoK issue to the applicant a written notification of the registration of his application for obtaining the consent of the local executive body for the assignment of the status of kandas as incoming correspondence, and sends the application and documents to the authorized body on migration issues for decision-making in accordance with Article 20 of the Law.

The authorized body on migration issues sends the decision of the local executive body on consent to the assignment of the status of kandas or on refusal with a reasoned justification of its reasons to the foreign institutions of the RoK for forwarding to the applicant.

The foreign institutions of the RoK, after receiving the consent of the local executive body for the assignment of the status of kandas, send it to the applicant within one month or notify him of the refusal.

The applicant and his family members (if any), who have received the consent of the local executive body for the assignment of the status of kandas, upon arrival at the place of residence to obtain the status of kandas, apply to the local executive body or State Corporation in the form according to Annex 1 to the Rules, with the attachment of the documents specified in the list of documents required for the provision of public services the standard of public service according to Appendix 2 to the Rules.

To provide adaptation and integration services, adaptation and integration centers of Kandas are being created.

kandas, as well as their family members, are accommodated free of charge in the Center for temporary accommodation. The Center creates conditions aimed at the speedy adaptation and integration of the Kandas into society. The procedure and terms of residence of the Kandas and their family members in the center for adaptation and integration of the Kandas, as well as the procedure for providing them with adaptation and integration services are determined by the authorized body on migration issues.

In the absence of official or own housing, kandas can temporarily register in the centers of adaptation and integration of kandas, temporary accommodation centers for a period of no more than one year.

The status of Kandas ceases after he receives the citizenship of the RoK.

Extension of the status of kandas
To extend the status of kandas, in order to obtain citizenship of the RoK in a simplified (registration) procedure, ethnic Kazakhs who have received a permanent residence permit in the RoK submit to the local executive body or State Corporation an application for the extension of the status of Kandas previously assigned to them in the form, according to Annex 8 to the Rules for assigning or Extending the status of Kandas, with the application of the documents specified in the list of documents required for the provision of public services of the standard of public services in accordance with Annex 2 to the Rules.

The decision to extend the status of kandas by the local executive body is taken once for a period of no more than six months, according to paragraph 2 of Article 21 of the Law.

The local executive body checks the applicant’s data through the AIS “Kandas” for information about the termination of the applicant’s status of kandas and the acquisition of citizenship of the RoK.

The local executive body makes a decision to extend the status of kandas or to refuse to extend the status of kandas in accordance with Annex 5 to the Rules within five working days from the date of registration of the application.

The basis for refusal to extend the status of kandas is confirmation through AIS “Kandas” of the applicant’s receipt of citizenship of the RoK, the expiration of the application deadline.

Rights and obligations of the kandases
Kandas and their family members have the right to:

• obtaining citizenship of the RoK in a simplified (registration) procedure;
• benefits, compensations and other types of social assistance established by the legislation of the RoK;
• correct presentation in the Kazakh language of the name, patronymic (if any) and surname after acquiring citizenship of the RoK on the basis of available documents;
• implementation of individual entrepreneurship without the formation of a legal entity.
• temporary registration in the centers of adaptation and integration of kandas, temporary accommodation centers in the absence of official or own housing for a period of not more than one year.

Kandas and their family members are obliged to:

• submit reliable information to the foreign institutions of the RoK, as well as local executive bodies, necessary for the consideration of their applications for the assignment of the status of kandas and (or) inclusion in the regional quota for the admission of kandas;
• undergo medical examinations at the request of health authorities, receive vaccinations, undergo a course of treatment, as well as follow the instructions of health authorities;

Termination of the status of kandas
The status of kandas is terminated:

• after receiving the citizenship of the RoK by kandas;
• in case of cancellation of a permanent residence permit in the RoK;
• after one year from the date of obtaining the status of kandas.