Penalties may include deportation and a ban on re-entering Georgia for between two and ten years, a fine, house arrest for one to two years, or imprisonment of up to two years
Author
Front News Georgia
Georgia's parliament has approved a package of legislative amendments aimed at strengthening migration management and national security, introducing stricter requirements for foreign students, residency permits and immigration enforcement.
The changes, drafted by the Interior Ministry and adopted in a third reading this week, amend the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons and related legislation.
According to the ministry, the reforms are designed to address modern migration challenges and create a more effective, transparent and secure system for regulating the stay of foreign nationals in Georgia.
Among the key changes are new admission requirements for foreign students seeking to enrol in higher education and vocational institutions. Applicants will be required to provide an internationally recognised language certificate and/or pass a foreign language or Georgian language examination administered by the National Assessment and Examinations Centre (NAEC).
Authorities said the measure is intended to prevent students from enrolling in foreign-language programmes without possessing the necessary language skills.
Educational institutions will also be required to record information relating to foreign students in a unified information system accessible to relevant state agencies. The data will include admissions, enrolment, suspension or termination of student status, reinstatement, transfers and graduation.
Universities and colleges that fail to comply with foreign student registration requirements may face administrative penalties, including fines or restrictions on admitting foreign students.
The legislative package also introduces new rules governing study-based residence permits. Such permits will be granted to adults enrolled in authorised higher education or vocational institutions.
New grounds for cancelling student residence permits have also been established, including failure to meet academic requirements, violations of employment conditions or prolonged absence from Georgia beyond limits established by law.
The reforms further address residency permits based on marriage between a Georgian citizen and a foreign national.
A new category of residence permit, designated for spouses of Georgian citizens, will be introduced before eligibility for permanent residency. Authorities will be required to verify the authenticity of marriages before issuing such permits, with a special commission established for that purpose.
The amendments also criminalise sham marriages entered into for the purpose of obtaining Georgian citizenship, a residence permit or another legal basis for remaining in the country.
Penalties may include deportation and a ban on re-entering Georgia for between two and ten years, a fine, house arrest for one to two years, or imprisonment of up to two years.
The legislation also allows, under certain conditions established by Georgian law, the replacement of the remaining portion of a foreign prisoner's sentence with deportation and a ban on re-entering the country.
In addition, the Interior Ministry's Migration Department will be granted powers to conduct operational and investigative activities aimed at preventing, detecting and combating illegal migration.
The package also introduces procedural changes to court proceedings involving migration cases. Appeal deadlines will be shortened, cases will be subject to expedited review, and some proceedings may be conducted without oral hearings.
The Interior Ministry said the amendments were prepared in coordination with the Justice Ministry, the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth, and other state agencies.
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