Over 5,000 People Relocate Under Kazakhstan’s Voluntary Resettlement Program

Since the start of 2025, more than five thousand people have taken part in Kazakhstan’s voluntary resettlement program to regions facing labor shortages. Many participants have not only found employment but also started their own businesses, Orda.kz reports.

According to the Ministry of Labor, 5,213 people have relocated under the program — including 1,725 Qandas (ethnic Kazakhs returning from abroad) and 3,488 domestic resettlers. By the end of the year, the total number of participants is expected to reach 9,653.

The most popular destinations have been:

• Pavlodar region – 1,886 people
  
• North Kazakhstan region – 1,516
  
• Qostanay region – 575
  
• East Kazakhstan region – 490

People are also moving to the Abay, Aqmola, Atyrau, Ulytau, and Qaraganda regions. Most Qandas have arrived from Uzbekistan, China, Mongolia, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

Of the total number of resettlers, 2,307 are of working age. 1,041 have found permanent jobs, and 38 have opened small businesses, mainly in healthcare, education, agriculture, and industry.

A Family Success Story

The Kurmeshov family, who relocated from the Mangystau region to Qostanay, shared their experience.

Kanat Kurmeshov said he learned about the program at a career center, collected the necessary documents, and joined the regional quota. The family received financial assistance for the move, along with subsidies for rent and utilities.

Kanat now works as a karate coach at the Olympic Reserve School for Children and Youth, while his wife Lyazzat opened a fitness club after receiving a grant through the Bastau Business project. This year, Kanat himself obtained another grant — nearly 1.6 million tenge — to open a pastry shop.

State Support for Resettlers

Participants in the resettlement program are eligible for:

• A one-time relocation payment of 70 MCI (275,240 tenge) per family member
  
• A monthly housing and utilities subsidy for one year — 15 to 30 MCI (58,980 to 117,960 tenge)
  
• Economic mobility certificates

Employers who provide housing and hire resettlers for at least two years receive 400 MCI (1,572,800 tenge) for each such employee.

In September, the government also released updated data on Qandas who have returned to Kazakhstan and their countries of origin.

Original Author: Alina Pak