Job Discussion Forums

[No Moss]

Hi, I'm an experienced English teacher currently teaching in SE Asia. I'm moving to Moscow in June. I've got questions, so hopefully some kind soul will take pity on me and answer a few. I can afford a three month double entry business visa, so I'm going to try to get one. Is it easy to get? Can your school convert it to a working visa without your leaving the country? I'm looking at Moscow State University (Center for International Education) for taking Russian lessons ($100/week for 18 40-minute lessons a week). Can anyone comment on that? And do most people work on a working visa, or are most working on some kind of business visa?

Thanks!

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Greetings No Moss:

I wish I could answer all of your questions in detail, but the school I work for handles all of these visa issues for me, so I'm not the best qualified person to be giving advice on this subject.

I can tell you this much: getting a visa for Russia is not a difficult proposition these days, especially if you're coming here to study.

As for your question regarding 'converting' that visa into a working visa, maybe Rogan will jump in here with some solid advice? He seems to know quite a lot about these visa regulations.

Also worth mentioning: If you haven't found it yet, there is a link down toward the bottom of this page entitled "Updated Visa Regulations for Russia", which may be useful to you. There's a lot of info on that website, so you may have to 'hunt around' a little for your answer, but it's probably there.

Otherwise, feel free to come back and ask as many questions as you may have. There are quite a few regular posters on this forum now who are glad to help out.

Regards,
keNt

[rogan]

********

[No Moss]

Thank you. My intention is to study the language before I start work, since most people say there are more jobs in September than in June. My question was whether a business visa could be converted into a work permit without leaving the country. I don't recall your having answered that questions anywhere.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Dear No Moss:

First the bad news: I checked with the director of the school I work for, and according to him: if you enter Russia without a working visa ... you would have to leave the country and come back with a new visa. In other words, he says you can't change the status of the visa while you're already living here.

Now the good news: Leaving Russia and coming back again is no big deal. I prefer flying roundtrip from Moscow to Istanbul, which can be done for less than $300. And ... the Russian Consulate in Istanbul is very easy to find. If you pay for the express-service (about $130), your new visa will be ready on the same day. Plus, you can find a decent hotel in downtown Istanbul for about $30 per night, including breakfast.

I made a visa-run like this last year, and it was a piece of cake.

Regards,
keNT

PS: Belarus is much closer to Moscow than Istanbul, but Istanbul is much more interesting in my book. I lived there for a year, so ... going back is always fun.

[rogan]

No Moss

My first line answered your question

Entry visas are NOT the same as work permits.

Maybe if you read the rest of my message (and others I have posted) you will find all that you need to know.

Most folks in Moscow do the visa run to Tallin - overnight train, 5 mins walk to the Embassy, pop round the corner to Maggie Mays resto for an English style breakfast, trip down to the harbour.
Then 15.30 back to the Embassy, pick up passport and new visa, drop down to the station and jump on the late train back to Moscow.

Hope that helps.

Rogan

[No Moss]

Thanks for the replies. One more question--does anyone have an opinion on whether it's best to try to obtain a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month visa? I met a lady at the consulate today who said that it was difficult to get a long visa (at least at that consulate), and being refused for a long visa made it difficult to get a 3-month visa. Thanks in advance for any replies.

[rogan]

The whole visa system changed on Nov 1st 2002 and even the visa authorities in different Consulates and in the Registration offices are not all up to speed on what that means.

The most up to date info can be obtained at .expat.ru from people who work in the tourist industry, or who work with the authorities.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Hello No Moss:

Given the advice of the lady at your local consulate, maybe it would be smart to shoot for "middle ground" and apply for the 6 month visa?

After you're here, it's not too difficult to 'extend' your current visa, provided you can show some realistic purpose for being here. If you do find that teaching job, you just take Rogan's or my advice and hop on the night train to Estonia or fly to Istanbul for a couple of days ... and come back with a new visa. Bingo, Presto, you're 'LEGAL' again.

Rogan is correct: the entire visa & registration of foreigners 'system' has been recently overhauled ... and the left hand rarely knows what the right hand is doing these days.

I'll give you an example: Part of this system overhaul includes a new requirement that ALL foreigners residing in Russia be issued a "Migration Card", which is designed to ensure that we all pay our fair share of taxes.

Fair enough. My school sent our business manager to the local immigration office here in Samara a couple of months ago to apply for these new "Migration Cards". After standing in line for an hour, our business manager was assured that this new regulation DIDN'T apply to people already living here.

Two weeks ago, we got a bulletin from the USA Embassy Warden informing us that we DO need those migration cards, even if we arrived here many years ago. So ... we sent our business manager BACK to the immigration office again. This time, she came back with 3 brand spanking new migration cards; one for each of the three foreigners currently working here. hmmmm.

Anyway, that's life in Russia. You just 'go with the flow' and hope that your papers are in order.

Regards,
kENt

[M.]

Dont pay a hundred a week. How long are your lessons and for how many weeks. I can give you tips on living there. I lived in Moscow for five years till last august. email me qs. if you need to.

M.

[M.]

Actually that is pretty cheap for lessons. I had a brainfart and didnt see the details. Where are you going to live in Moscow. Universitat. Is a nice area I lived there for a year. and only a few stops out from the circle line........M.