Ethnic Kazakhs - citizens of other countries, who are business immigrants and in demand specialists, were issued 55 ‘Ata Zholy’ cards, giving the right to live and work in Kazakhstan for 10 years.  

Local executive bodies received a total of 75 applications for Ata Zholy cards. In 2023, 44 cards were issued: 20 cards for business immigrants and 24 cards for in-demand specialists. In the current year, 11 cards were issued: 5 cards for businessmen and 6 cards for in-demand specialists.

Among those who received Ata Zholy cards there are such specialists as engineer-physicist, engineer-mathematician, chemical technologists, doctors of maxillofacial surgery, paediatricians and others. They came from 15 countries: Russia, China, Afghanistan, Mongolia, USA, Austria, Israel, Germany, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, Finland, France and Turkmenistan.

The purpose of introducing the Ata Zholy card is to strengthen ties with the historical homeland, preserve national traditions, and attract professionals and successful businessmen to the country to realise their potential in Kazakhstan. The card is granted to ethnic Kazakhs living abroad without loss of citizenship.

Ata Zholy card holders receive a residence permit for 10 years upon entry into the country and independently choose a region of settlement for labour activity or business.

An ethnic Kazakh with an Ata Zholy card differs from a Kandas in that, as a citizen of another country, he or she has equal rights with citizens of Kazakhstan and Kandas.

Ata Zholy card holders (and their family members) may enjoy the rights to:

- Receipt of social benefits and service in medical institutions within the guaranteed scope of medical care;

- Employment in the territory of Kazakhstan in accordance with the Labour Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On Migration of Population’;

- To carry out entrepreneurial activities in Kazakhstan in accordance with the Entrepreneurial Code and other legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

- receiving free secondary education in state educational institutions, free specialised secondary and/or higher education in state specialised secondary and/or higher educational institutions on a competitive basis, paid education in private educational institutions in accordance with the law of the RK ‘On Education’;

- receiving state-guaranteed legal assistance in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On Advocacy and Legal Assistance’;

- acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in a simplified procedure in accordance with international treaties and legislative legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of citizenship.

Persons holding the Ata Zholy card do not have the right to elect and be elected to the Parliament and maslikhats of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to participate in the republican referendum and do not have access to public service.

The card ‘Ata Zholy’ is recognised as invalid if its holder obtains citizenship of Kazakhstan.

Recall, on the instructions of the Head of State, the Ata Zholy card for ethnic Kazakhs living abroad has been introduced since July 2023, with the development of the issue of simplified entry/exit to the country.