Extension on the Same Conditions
The extension of a work residence permit is determined by Article 16 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens: the validity of temporary residence permits may be extended up to 12 years, for the alien's expected period of stay in Georgia, on the same conditions as those of the permit whose extension the alien requests.
For a work permit this means that at extension the same questions arise as at first grant: the income is not less than five times the subsistence minimum and the employer's turnover satisfies the statutory threshold. Extension is not a formality — it is a full renewed assessment.
First-Grant Terms and the 12-Year Limit
Under paragraph 1 of Article 16, a work residence permit — subparagraph „a“ of the law — is first issued for a period from 6 months to 1 year. Subsequent extensions proceed on the same conditions, but the overall limit is 12 years: after its expiry the temporary status is no longer extended.
In a special case a temporary permit is first issued for a term of 5 years, but that is an exception which does not displace the general rule.
The Disappearance of the Basis — a Ground for Refusal
Article 18 of the law establishes grounds for refusal, one of which operates at extension as well: an alien is refused where the basis on which he obtained the permit to stay in Georgia no longer exists. For work residence the basis is the employment relationship — its termination by the time of the extension request is a sufficient ground for refusal.
Other grounds under the same article — security-related circumstances, forged documentation, incorrect data and others — are likewise re-examined at the extension stage.
Cessation of Activity — Termination of the Period of Stay
Article 21 provides that an alien's period of stay in Georgia may be terminated where he has ceased the activity or relationship on the basis of which he received the residence permit. For a work-permit holder this means: losing the job does not automatically terminate the period, but once the disappearance of the basis is established the organ adopts a decision on termination.
The same article provides other grounds — including the lapse of the period allowed for collecting the residence card and the commission of a crime — which equally concern an extended status.