Snowden extended residence permit until 2019, but will not be easy to obtain Russian citizenship

Edward Snowden and his girlfriend Lindsay Mills in a Moscow theater. Photo: Anatoly Kucherena

Former CIA and NSA officer Edward Snowden, who uncovered the facts of total surveillance of citizens by the US special services, will continue to live in a secret apartment at an unknown address in Russia for some time. On January 17, 2017, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry mentioned on Facebook that Snowden had extended the residence permit for another two years.

Even if the premature extension of the residence permit by the Russian Foreign Ministry was done with the goal of stabbing American colleagues, this is still great news for Snowden, who can continue to feel relatively safe in Russia. Moreover, he will soon have the right to apply for Russian citizenship.

According to the Federal Law No. 62-FZ of May 31, 2002 “On the Citizenship of the Russian Federation”, in order to obtain Russian citizenship, permanent residence in Russia is required for at least five years from the date of receipt of the residence permit.
')
Edward Snowden flew into the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport on June 23, 2013 , and on August 1, 2013, he received temporary asylum in Russia for one year. August 1, 2014, Edward received a residence permit for a period of three years. Thus, it remains for him to hold out for 2.5 years before he gets the right to apply for a Russian passport. True, to obtain citizenship in a general manner, he needs to fulfill a number of other conditions, except for five years of residence. These conditions, according to Russian law:

• Living in Russia for 5 years from the moment of obtaining a residence permit (permit). You can leave Russia, but not more than 3 months for 1 year. This period may be reduced to 1 year, if a person has great scientific, technical or cultural achievements; Russia is interested in him professionally; if political asylum is granted; and if the person is a refugee.
• It is necessary to commit ourselves to the execution of Russian laws.
• You must have an official income.
• Required to renounce other citizenship. It is possible not to refuse other citizenship in cases when there are grounds for this in the relevant regulatory acts or international treaties.
• Knowledge of Russian is required.

As you can see, if you wish, you can reduce the five-year tenure if you give Snowden political asylum, but the other criteria must be met: to have an official income, know Russian, and renounce American citizenship. It is very unlikely that Edward will be able and willing to meet these criteria.

There are some more theoretical options for obtaining citizenship in a simplified manner. For example, if there is a minor child - a citizen of the Russian Federation, if the second parent, who is a citizen of the Russian Federation, has died, is deprived of parental rights, is limited in parental rights. Or on condition of working on the territory of the Russian Federation by profession, which is included in the list of professions held by foreigners who are entitled to apply for citizenship in a simplified manner.

In this case, Edward Snowden may also not comply with the five-year period of stay in the territory of the Russian Federation, but he still has to meet other requirements, including renouncing his American citizenship.

When asked if the American is going to apply for the acquisition of a Russian passport, his lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, answered : “Edward Snowden will decide it personally.”

In the US, Snowden was charged in absentia with espionage and embezzlement of state property. The US authorities promptly canceled his passport, so Snowden was unable to fly to Cuba and was forced to stay in Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected, probably, the comic proposal of former CIA Deputy Michael Morell to hand over Snowden as an “ideal gift” to the inauguration of the new US president. According to the Russian representatives, such a proposal is the “ideology of betrayal,” and in Russia it is not accepted to “present gifts in the form of people and hand over those who seek protection.”

In the last weeks of the Obama administration’s work, more than 1.1 million citizens signed a petition to the president to pardon Snowden, but he did not dare to do that. Although Chelsea Manning , a former army officer who stole and leaked about 750,000 military documents to Wikileaks, found the strength to pardon (soften the punishment) , she would be released on May 17, 2017. It was very unexpected and pleasant. Snowden himself thanked the president for the manifestation of true humanism.


At noon on January 20, 2017, the inauguration of the new US President will take place, which is much stricter than Obama in matters of national security.

Maybe Obama could make another gesture for Snowden on the last day of the administration’s work, but after the demarche of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs it will look strange.