Immigration Compliance is a critical issue for any foreign citizen living, working, or studying in Georgia. While Georgia's immigration legislation is liberal, violations of the rules, such as visa overstays, delayed renewal of residence permits, or illegal employment activities, lead to serious legal consequences. These can include monetary fines, forced expulsion (deportation), and a ban on entering Georgia for several years. Many expats mistakenly believe that minor violations are "forgivable," but tightened administrative practices show otherwise. Maintaining compliance ensures your peaceful life and future prospects (e.g., obtaining citizenship).
This service covers a full legal audit and support for foreign citizens to maintain their immigration status. The service includes: monitoring legal stay periods (calculators for 180-day or 365-day limits); timely notification before residence permit expiration and initiation of the renewal procedure; consulting employers on labor migration rules for foreign employees (registration in the Ministry of Health database); legal registration of address changes; and in case of visa regime violations, appealing fines or managing the payment procedure to avoid deportation.
In real life, compliance services are crucial in various situations. For example, a student who suspended their status at a university may not know that their study residence permit was automatically cancelled by the Agency. As a result, they become an illegal resident. A second scenario: a freelancer using the visa-free regime (365 days) left the country and returned, but border control denied entry because they violated stay rules or lacked insurance. A third case: a company hired foreign employees but failed to register them in the unified labor migration database, resulting in a substantial fine from the Labor Inspection.
The legal framework relies on the "Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons" and the "Law on Labor Migration." The law obliges foreigners to adhere to stay limits and purposes. To renew a residence permit, an application must be submitted at least 40 days before expiration. Overstaying results in administrative liability. The lawyer's role is to constantly monitor the client's status and ensure proactive responses to any changes.
The process begins with studying the client's passport and immigration history. The lawyer establishes an "immigration calendar." If deadlines are missed, a strategy is developed: voluntary departure, paying a fine, or restoring status locally. For employers, an HR audit is conducted to ensure all foreign employees' documents are in order. In complex cases (e.g., threat of deportation), the lawyer represents the client in court or at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Legal.ge is your guarantee of safety in a foreign country. Our specialists will help you avoid inadvertent legal mistakes that could jeopardize your stay in Georgia. Be a law-abiding and informed resident with the help of Legal.ge.
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