The Civil Registry and Migration Department announced that as of February 8^th 2016, two new articles (the article 18FZ (7) of the Aliens and Immigration Law (Cap.105) and the article 4 of the Aliens and Immigration (Amending) (No 2) Law has entered into force and will be implemented for residence permits for third- country nationals.

The Department of Civil Registry and Migration Department has started the issuance of uniform format for residence permits for third country nationals who:

• reside or will enter the Republic for study purposes;
• reside or will enter the Republic for pupil exchange purposes;
• reside or will enter the Republic for purposes of unremunerated training;
• reside or will enter the Republic for purposes of voluntary service;
• reside or will enter the Republic for the purpose of carrying out a research project under hosting agreements with research organizations and members of their families;
• are or will enter the enter the Republic as members of the holder’s family of international protection both for family reunification purposes and for purposes of reuniting with the family unity
• hold or apply for obtaining immigration permit for themselves and their dependents;
• are victims of trafficking and/or exploitation of persons;
• hold or have applied for obtaining a special license;
• any other category to be created or modified thereafter.

All third country nationals must apply by submitting the relevant forms accompanied by all necessary documents depending on each situation. The presence of the applicant is necessary in order to acquire the Residence Permit since it will have the form of a card which will carry biometric data of its holder (fingerprints and photograph) as well as holder’s signature.

A third country national who has already submitted an application for obtaining or renewing a residence permit before the 8^th of February, and the examination is still pending, must within 60 days, submit and Additional Application in order for the relevant Department to proceed with the examination of the application and receive the uniform format residence permit. If the additional application is not submitted within the prescribed period, the pending request will be rejected according to the legislation.

Furthermore the council of Ministers announced that children over 25 years old and parents of Permanent Residency holders or Permanent Residency future applicants now have the right to apply for Permanent Residency permit.

In case of children, the ministry states that they have the right to obtain a residence permit even after the completion of 25 years, even if the child is no longer unmarried, a student, or financially dependent on his parents. However, the text clarifies that the underage children and spouses of such will not be able to clarify as dependents on the permit.

In the case that the children are students in higher education, they can submit an application for obtaining a temporary residence permit in the Republic as students, in according to the relevant European legislation. After completing their studies, they will be able to submit their own application for obtaining immigration permit, irrespective of their age, with the only requirement that their parents present additional annual income of €5.000.

Furthermore for the dependant parents of Permanent Residency holders, they must apply for the residence permit by submitting the relevant applications and all the required documents and with the sole condition that the applicant/residence permit holder presents additional annual income of €8.000 for each dependent parent

The Residency holder must be able to submit documents that confirm that he/she has secured annual income of at least €30.000. The annual income must be increase by €5.000 for each dependent member of family and €8.000 for each dependent parent (his and/or her spouse).