Peculiarities of Obtaining a Residence Permit in Russian Federation, United States of America and Canada, Consequences of this Status Acquisition for a Citizen and a State

Permanent residence acquisition in the USA, Russia and Canada is a widespread strategy of foreigners, seeking for a better place for sustainable living. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the opportunities and difficulties potential applicants might face while obtaining a residence permit (RP) in these three countries and to assess the possible consequences of RP acquisition for new RP holders and for the states they are lawfully connected to. Using a comparative analysis of the US, Russian and Canadian laws, as well as the statistical data research, this study analyzes the peculiarities of the institution of permanent residence and the annual number of RP holders in each state. The strictness of legal acts’ rules and difficulties of RP acquisition procedures have been found to play the greatest role in the number of new RP holders and exact qualifications, contemporary RP applicants have to present for obtaining the RP successfully. This research answers the question regarding the strategies of RP acquisition in the USA, Russia and Canada, and its consequences for the actors. Moreover, the study tries to elaborate the most effective ways of attracting new RP applicants and adjust these successful foreign patterns in the Russian legislative framework in order to provide international specialists, students and nationals with a wider range of opportunities for obtaining the RP status in Russia. Further studies are needed to show in a more distinct way how RP holders interact with the states they have legal obligations to. Key words: institution of permanent residence, residence permit acquisition, residence permit holders.