Kazakhstan MFA urges citizens to follow visa rules after 200 students left homeless in US

September 16, 2026 at 05:22 PM2 min

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Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry urged citizens to comply with visa and migration rules of host countries after about 200 Kazakh students were left without housing in the United States. Spokesperson Zhanbolat Usenov said the ministry has recorded emergency situations involving citizens abroad, most often due to ignorance of local laws. He cited violations of stay periods, attempts to transport prohibited goods, and failure to follow transit rules.

Key Facts

About 200 Kazakh students were left without housing in the United States, according to MFA spokesperson Zhanbolat Usenov.
The MFA urged citizens to study visa and migration requirements of destination and transit countries before traveling abroad.
On September 15, a Kazakh woman was detained by US immigration services in Florida for lacking legal migration status.
The ministry recommended obtaining medical insurance and buying air tickets only through official services.

MFA Warning

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry issued a public appeal on September 16 urging citizens to comply with visa and migration rules abroad. Spokesperson Zhanbolat Usenov said the ministry has recently recorded emergency situations involving Kazakh citizens overseas. The most common problems are violations of stay periods, attempts to transport prohibited or undeclared goods, and failure to follow transit rules. The ministry called on citizens to carefully study the laws, visa and migration requirements of destination and transit countries before departure.

Student Incident

Usenov cited a recent high-profile case in which about 200 Kazakh students were left without housing in the United States. He noted that diplomatic and consular offices of Kazakhstan provide necessary consular and legal assistance within their competence. However, responsibility for compliance with host country legislation rests directly with the citizen. On September 15, a Kazakh woman was detained by US immigration services in Florida for lacking legal migration status.

Travel Recommendations

The MFA advised citizens to pay special attention to the validity of passports, visas, residence permits and other official documents. It recommended obtaining medical insurance and purchasing air tickets only through official services. Citizens were also urged not to hand over their documents to third parties and not to carry bags or parcels whose contents are unknown. Those traveling abroad for work, study or treatment should verify that invitations, employment contracts and permits are legally issued.