The decision was taken because of the implementation of a new immigration law that came into effect at the beginning of the year.

The submission of new applications has been postponed until April 30, except for residence permits that represent the national interest of the European Union country.

The old regulations will apply to requests filed before December 31, 2023, but will be decided upon only after March 1.

According to the law, there are 24 types, including eight for the purpose of employment. The previous law specified 18 types of residence permits.

The new law has abolished the residence permit for other purposes and added a new permit for investors. It has also introduced work permits that are categories for highly and low-skilled workers separately.