Ethnic Kazakhs holding foreign citizenship have received a total of 65 “Ata Zholy” cards, granting them the right to live and work in Kazakhstan for 10 years, the Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population has announced.
Of these, 27 cards were issued to business immigrants seeking to establish and develop enterprises in Kazakhstan, while 38 cards were granted to qualified professional, including physicists, mathematicians, chemical engineers, maxillofacial surgeons, and paediatricians. The recipients have arrived from Russia, Germany, Mongolia, China, the United States, Israel, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
The Ata Zholy Program
The Ata Zholy (Path of Ancestors) card was introduced in July 2023 to strengthen ties between ethnic Kazakhs abroad and their historical homeland while attracting skilled professionals and entrepreneurs to Kazakhstan.
Holders of the card retain their foreign citizenship and receive a 10-year residence permit, allowing them to live anywhere in Kazakhstan. They enjoy equal rights with Kazakh citizens, including access to social benefits and employment opportunities, and can apply for Kazakh citizenship through a simplified process. However, as foreign nationals, Ata Zholy cardholders cannot vote, run for office, or hold public service positions.
Growing Number of Ethnic Kazakh Returnees
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection also reported that since the beginning of 2025, 1,070 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to Kazakhstan and obtained “Kanda” status, a designation for ethnic Kazakhs and their family members who have never previously held Kazakh citizenship.
The Kandas who arrived in 2024 came from:
- China – 51.9%
- Uzbekistan – 37.5%
- Turkmenistan – 7.1%
- Russia – 1.8%
- Other countries – 1.7%
Since gaining independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has welcomed over a million ethnic Kazakhs back to their homeland.
