INRTU International Students Receive Consultation on State Program for Assisting the Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots
The Center for International Services at Irkutsk National Research Technical University (INRTU) hosted a session focused on the Russian government’s State Program for Assisting the Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots. Representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Employment of the Irkutsk Region, Elena Chirkova and Svetlana Matveychuk, met with INRTU international students.
The Resettlement of Compatriots Program is a Russian state initiative designed to help foreign nationals who speak Russian and share Russian cultural heritage to relocate permanently to Russia and obtain citizenship in a relatively short period. The core objective of the program is to improve demographic and socio-economic conditions by encouraging able-bodied compatriots to settle in Russia on a permanent basis.
“For international students, the program offers the opportunity to obtain Russian Federation citizenship through a simplified procedure and includes support measures for compatriots such as partial reimbursement for rental housing, financial assistance, and child benefits for those with children. If someone joins the program with parents who are healthcare professionals, there is a provision for professional development allowance. Assistance is provided with employment in the Irkutsk Region and free medical care,” said Elena Chirkova.To join the program, an international student residing in Irkutsk must hold a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP). Elena Chirkova also noted that students may submit an application while abroad by contacting an official Russian diplomatic mission in their country. Participants in the voluntary resettlement program may also be eligible for compensation for baggage transportation and relocation expenses.
Andrian Amsheev, Specialist in International Student Affairs at the Center for International Services at INRTU, emphasized the importance of the meeting:
“As one of the organizers, I believe that events like this play a crucial role in informing students about real opportunities for professional and life development in Russia. The meeting format allowed participants to receive detailed answers and gain a better understanding of the prospects offered by the resettlement program”.
During an open dialogue with representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Employment of the Irkutsk Region, many students expressed their willingness to participate in the program. Diana Chernykh, a Kyrgyz citizen studying at INRTU Siberian School of Geosciences, believes that the Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots Program opens significant opportunities:
“For me, as someone who has already begun processing all the documentation to move permanently to Russia, this program is a real find. It allows citizenship to be obtained in a fairly short time. I would like to bring my entire family to Russia in the future”.
It should be noted that Russia’s State Program to Assist the Voluntary Resettlement to the Russian Federation of Compatriots Living Abroad was established in 2006. Since its implementation, more than one million people from various countries have been able to return to their historical homeland.
Authorities in the Irkutsk Region have already assisted more than 14,000 new residents of the region in settling more quickly and comfortably and find suitable employment. The range of potential program participants is broad and includes not only compatriots abroad but also repatriates, foreign citizens legally residing in Russia, those who arrived in emergency mass situations, and Russian citizens returning from unfriendly states.
