I am a citizen of Russia, and I am currently legally residing in Latvia. I have applied by post for the residence permit on the basis of marriage with a citizen of Latvia. I received a notification from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia that a decision regarding my case would be made not in 30 calendar days (a standard period), but in 90 days instead. What could be the reason for such a long processing of documents?

There are Cabinet Regulations Regarding States for the Citizens of which in Issuing a Visa or a Residence Permit an Additional Assessment shall be Performed. Among these countries, for example, is Iraq, Pakistan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, etc. Until recently, Russia was not included in the list of such countries, although according to amendments to the above-mentioned Regulations adopted on August 30 this year, now citizens of Russia are also subject to additional scrutiny when applying for a residence permit. The term for processing the documents for citizens of Russia (when applying for a residence permit for the first time) is currently 90 calendar days.