Kazakhstan is implementing a more pragmatic approach to migration policy, aligning its strategy with the needs of the national economy. The government has approved a new Migration Policy Concept through 2030, which focuses on attracting highly skilled foreign professionals and promoting internal migration to regions experiencing labor shortages, The Times of Central Asia reports on March 1.
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kazakhstan states that, the number of foreign labor migrants in Kazakhstan reached 16,100 in 2025.
Minister of Labor Askarbek Yertayev stated that the government will place greater emphasis on assessing the professional qualifications of foreign workers. Priority will be given to specialists with relevant education, work experience, and competencies in demand in the domestic labor market. By 2030, the share of skilled workers among labor migrants is expected to reach 95%.
To support these objectives, the ministry has launched a pilot project on the digital platform Enbek.kz. The platform introduces a comprehensive scoring system to evaluate applicants for permanent residence permits and the kandas status, a designation for ethnic Kazakhs returning to their historical homeland.
A draft law has been prepared that proposes revisions to fees for hiring foreign labor, tighter regulation of private employment agencies, and formal integration of the digital scoring system into migration decision-making processes.
The quota for attracting foreign workers in 2026 has been set at 0.25% of the total national workforce, according to official data. The main countries of origin for officially employed foreign nationals remain China, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and India.
The government is also strengthening measures to manage internal migration. In 2025, 14.7% of participants in state-supported interregional resettlement programs relocated to northern regions of the country.
Major cities such as Almaty and Astana continue to attract young people from less economically developed regions, contributing to territorial imbalances in population distribution.
