More than likely, Russia will grant National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden his request for an extension on his temporary asylum status.

On Wednesday, the former U.S. intelligence contractor petitioned the Russian government to extend his one-year renewable asylum, which will expire later this month on July 31.

In response, Vladimir Volokh, the head of a key advisory council to Russia's Federal Migration Service (FMS), said, "I see no problem in prolonging the temporary asylum. The circumstances have not changed. As before, Snowden's life is endangered so the FMS has grounds to extend his status," Interfax news agency reported, according to Reuters.

In June 2013, the former CIA agent leaked top secret U.S. documents that revealed that the NSA has been secretly collecting data on citizens through phone companies like Verizon and AT&T and tapping into the servers of major web companies like Google and Facebook.

According to the The New York Times, the classified documents also revealed that the NSA has been building a comprehensive facial recognition database using the Internet to stockpile millions of photographs posted online every day.

The U.S. Department of Justice charged Snowden with two counts of espionage and theft of government property, which comes with a penalty of up to 30 years in prison. However, Snowden fled the country and was granted asylum in Russia on Aug. 1, 2013.

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama signed legislation that will authorize $564 million of funding to the U.S. intelligence community and provide more protection for intelligence agency whistleblowers.

The bipartisan bill "adopts and expands whistleblower protection proposals" the president made in 2012, protects employees who share information about potential misconduct within their agencies "to internal watchdogs or to Congress' intelligence committees," The Associated Press reported.

As a result, whistleblowers are encouraged to go through proper channels to voice concern, rather than leaking potentially damaging information, supporters of the law said. The new law, however, does not protect intelligence agency contractors like Snowden.