Job Discussion Forums

buntingblue · Joined: 19 Sep 2009 Posts: 13

Hello everybody, I have noticed a few references here to people who (and I quote) "have moved to Moscow and started off with schools like BKC and LL, but are now working for themselves freelance".

OK, this sounds great. Here's my question: how does a person who initially moves to Moscow working for a particular language school (and hence is obviously supported by this school getting their visa and residence permit) move on from this "sponsored-and-hence-tied-to-the-one-employer status" to a residence/visa status which enables them to work for any language school they want and/or simply work for themselves exclusively on privat students.

Please note that my enquiry is solely concerned with visa/residence permit conditions: I'm not concerned with the issue as to how easy/possible it would be for somebody to survive solely working for themselves or how easy/possible it would be for somebody to move from one company/school to another.

Many thanks in advance for all contributions!

Regards
buntingblue

ithos · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Posts: 40

My knowledge of this is very basic but I think you could have a Russian friend personally sponsor you for the visa thus freeing you to work freelance. Others will no doubt know better/more.

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

Multiple entry business visas were the preferred entry method to Russia until they changed the rules about 18 months ago because they were used for freelance work and the yearly one allowed up to six months continuous stay at a time.Nowadays 90 days is the maximum,followed by a minimum of 90 days abroad,even on a yearly visa.The only practical way round this is find someone who can sponsor you for a work permit, which does not have these restrictions.Some schools which employ teachers also do this,as you have rightly said already,but obviously how much freedom you will have to do freelance work depends on how they want you to work for them and what you can negotiate.Remember that there is an enormous and corrupt bureaucracy which firms have to deal with in Russia to arrange this for you,and some will not get involved with this because they are afraid of tax demands from the authorities.It is a well-known secret that many firms who previously employed teachers freelance did not make any declarations for this,for reasons which are obvious!

buntingblue · Joined: 19 Sep 2009 Posts: 13

Hello Maruss and thanx for your reply.

Say, that multiple entry visa lark you mentioned which used to be good for 6-months. I have a question:

regardless of whether this be valid for 3,6 or how many months you wish, what does the particular person do for that remainder of the year which he/she is not "allowed" to spend in Russia due to the X-months a year restriction clause. Do they leave and spend time in another country? Yep?

Yep, ok then fine. But does this mean they have an apartment in Russia which they can only live in X months a year? Or does this mean they have to get a new apartment every time they come back with this yearly visa?
Man, that all sounds extremely inconvenient to me.

Velocipedaler · Joined: 23 Jun 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Earth

The business "delovaya" visa Maruss is referring to is valid for one year, but only grants the bearer the right to be in Russia for 90 days out of every 180 days. This is designed for frequent business travelers, not someone who plans to stay in Russia for an extended period.

To specifically answer your latest question, yes, you would need to return home (or to a neighboring country) for the balance of the 90 days which you cannot be in Russia. I'm sure no one would have a problem with you paying rent for your unused flat in Russia when you're gone for three months if it's too inconvenient to get a new flat every time you return.

In short, it's practically impossible to freelance in Russia. The only realistic option is to work as few hours as possible at your official place of employment and freelance with privates the rest of the time. Or marry a Russian...

jpvanderwerf2001 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 1117 Location: New York

Velocipedaler basically nailed it. Unless you can find an employer who will let you work a minimum number of hours (unlikely since getting you the work visa is a pain in the bum), or you get residency (generally quite difficult unless you're married to a Russian), freelancing for more than three months is tough.
Good luck!

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

Our friend from V.V. is quite right-when the Russians brought in this' 90 day in 90 day out' rule they effectively killed it for people like myself and others who used to work quite lucratively freelance without any real hassle.There are various rumours why the rules changed:one is that they wanted to copy Schengen practices on visas,while another,much more plausible is that it was to stop non-Russians from coming there on 'business' and then working illegally without paying tax etc!
Whichever it was,especially with the recession, paying for a flat for the three months you are forced to leave each time is going to cost you around $2.500 each time in Moscow at todays rates and there is not so much work available to enable you to save that while you are there.Renting one for only three months at a time when you come will probably end up costing more anyway so maybe our friend is right,it would be cheaper to marry a Russian girl who already has a flat where you can live with her!(Assuming of course that you will not have to share with two or three generations of her family as well,which is not uncommon in Russia!!)

kazachka · Joined: 19 Nov 2004 Posts: 220 Location: Moscow and Alaska

I am on a work visa via my employer. I had been working 10-12 hrs max (often less)over the past yr as we had little work during the crisis. I just quit asking for hours as I started picking up privates again and have how had to turn some away as I have no more room in the inn. My boss said, they have been getting tighter on quotas to apply for work visas and hire new ppl for the following yr. So, I'll have to pick up a couple more classes but he said no more than 14-16 hours total thank God and it's reasonable with Friday's off(well not as I have privates 2nd half of the day in a nice block...). I could never handle 30 because of all the chasing around and I think it's ridiculous that so many schools feel that's the norm. Sure, 30 would be cake if it were all blocked but I doubt it is in some of these places.

buntingblue · Joined: 19 Sep 2009 Posts: 13

Further to this I wanted to add that there is info on the Internet regarding socalled "Temporary Residence Permit" and then a "Permanent Residency" including info about a very scary-sounding medical examination.
Any takers on this?
Cheers

buntingblue · Joined: 19 Sep 2009 Posts: 13

I just wanted to give a few URLs regarding this topic:

http://www.passportmagazine.ru/article/285/

buntingblue · Joined: 19 Sep 2009 Posts: 13

Here are a few nifty URLs I have found.

http://ufmsrf.ru/med.html

The following has everything you need to know!

http://www.fmsmoscow.ru/rvp_text.php?nid=32&

Velocipedaler · Joined: 23 Jun 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Earth

Wow, Buntingblue, you've really gone above and beyond! The links are very informative; thanks for locating and posting.

buntingblue · Joined: 19 Sep 2009 Posts: 13

Well since posting URLs is making me popular, I've decided to keep up the trend!

OK, here goes. Take a butchers at these:

http://forumyuristov.ru/showthread.php?s=897c97c7d00778a0e69796a8a1d72e05&t=6492

http://forumyuristov.ru/showthread.php?s=897c97c7d00778a0e69796a8a1d72e05&t=6492

WANNA see what your TRP looks like? Look no further!

http://forumyuristov.ru/showthread.php?s=897c97c7d00778a0e69796a8a1d72e05&t=6492

PS: TRP? Temp. Residence Permit

http://www.fmsrm.ru/doc_126.html

These websites even have the forms you need to fill in for residence permits and samples of what the permits look like: they are all simply giant stamps in your passport.

If anybody has problems locating exactly what they need then let me know and I will look and try to post the exact URL.

jpvanderwerf2001 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 1117 Location: New York

I'm not hoping to bust anyone's bubble here, but it is extremely difficult to get a TPR (not to mention PR) without the following:
* marriage to a local; and/or
* ownership of a flat or a very nice landlord who will "sign off" on you for three years.
Or, of course, a ton of cash to grease a few palms.
I'm not saying it's impossible (though I suspect it is) to attain a TPR without the aforementioned points, but people shouldn't get the impression that getting a TPR is as easy as submitting a few documents (at least not in my experience).
Also, bear in mind that each region (and/or city) in Russia has its own "procedure" (I hesitate to use that word as it implies organization of some sort) for getting a TPR.
Good luck!