Job Discussion Forums

teachertefl · Joined: 25 Feb 2014 Posts: 6 Location: United States

Hello all,

Are there any other Americans here who can tell me the steps to getting a work visa for the Russian Federation? I have accepted a job at a school in Saint Petersburg, and to start the work visa process they need an apostille (official seal) on a document. I sent the document to the Secretary of State in Washington D.C., they sent it back saying the Secretary of State of my -->state<-- must place the apostille, despite the document having nothing to do with my state. They took a week and-a-half to send it back, even though I provided contact information and called them twice.
Is there any way to speed up this convoluted, unnecessary mess?

Thanks in advance,

teacher X · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 7:41 am Post subject:

I have never heard of this stuff before.

Not being American, I never had to deal with this stuff myself.
But I have been involved in the recruitment process for some Americans and this is what we did;

School makes an invitation and a few other documents.
You fill out the online application form for a visa.
The school sends you the invitation by DHL or whatever.
You take invitation and a printed copy of your form to your nearest Russian consulate or visa processing centre and hand in all the shit.

Then you wait a week or so and you get your visa.

I've never heard of anyone needing to send shit to their secretary of state.
Also, why isn't your school giving you this information?

expatella_girl · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:18 am Post subject:

Since you haven't told us which document you are referring to, it's hard to figure exactly what is going on.

Many Russian employers demand apostilled academic degrees and certificates. These apostilles are issued by the university/institution which bestowed the degree.

State documents, i.e. marriage certificates, birth certificates, state police report and the like, are apostilled by the state, and the state government website usually has exact instructions for the apostilling process.

Federal documents, usually Social Security or SSDI income statements or other Federal agency matters, are apostilled by the Secretary of State's office. They would have no apostilling jurisdiction over any document issued by a state or a university.

Now if you will tell us exactly which document you're having trouble with, and which state you are from, we can probably help you more.

GotoRussia · Joined: 02 Jan 2014 Posts: 182

The document is most likely his/her university degree.

teachertefl · Joined: 25 Feb 2014 Posts: 6 Location: United States

Hello all,

Thank you for your replies.
The document in question is a teaching certificate that is not from my state. I would rather not list too many specifics about myself, save that I'm an American male going to work in Russia. What I was looking for were the specific steps anyone has taken to get a Russian work visa.

Apostilles are essentially state level and federal level in the U.S. States handle state documents, the feds handle federal-level documents. Colleges and universities do not apostille documents themselves.
I called the SOS (Secretary of State) of my ->state<- and they said to have a photocopy of the document notarized with a notary public (notarization is different than apostilization), to write an affidavit swearing it was legitimate, then mail that or bring it to them at the state capitol. It's $5.00 and they process documents the same day.
When I receive that back in the mail, I send it to the school in Russia, who then produce an invitation via the FMS. I apply for the visa here with the invitation, application-etc.

expatella_girl · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:26 am Post subject:

Well that still wasn't very helpful, except that we now know the document in question is a teaching 'certificate'.

The US Dept. of State will not apostille a teaching certificate.

Good luck to you.

teachertefl · Joined: 25 Feb 2014 Posts: 6 Location: United States

[quote=

The US Dept. of State will not apostille a teaching certificate.

[/quote]

Yes I know.

-->What specific steps have you taken in the past to get a Russian work visa?<--

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:17 am Post subject:

Dunno about situation in the States, but Russian embassies in other countries have never asked me for any copy of uni documents. I provided them to authorities in Moscow when 3 month visa was being extended to a yearly one. Got them apostilled through home embassy in Moscow.

All the OP's woes are new to me. Doesn't help much, I know. What type if visa is being applied for?

expatella_girl · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:53 am Post subject:

Sasha, embassies don't require diploma/certificate apostilles, Russian work permit regulations do.

I think that started in 2008? And with the work permit quota laws it has gotten more stringent, especially with the above board schools who pretty much have to abide by the law and regulations. I think most of them, if not all, require apostilled and translated educational documents.

(not to nose into your business) But I think you're married to a Russian, have residency, and have been there for a while? That certainly helps to grease the wheels.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:00 am Post subject:

Sure, I see what you are saying, but I never once got a work permit from outside of Russia. Has my brain totally succumbed to the vodka, or is the OP applying for his permit inside Russia?

Need another drink, I think...

teacher X · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:17 am Post subject:

I take it that this has nothing to do with the 12 Apostles.

expatella_girl · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:18 am Post subject:

Just put the vodka down for a sec -

Russian work permit regulations have become more and more restrictive every year since the big visa shakeup in 2008. Soon afterward there was a foreigner work permit quota introduced, and places on the quota had to be applied for by the company almost a year in advance, AND the hiring company had to show proof that qualified Russians could not be found for the job so that a foreigner was needed. And in order to be such a needed foreigner, the Russian regulation stipulated that the foreigner had to prove his qualification for the work permit with the appropriate credentials - notarized, apostilled, and translated.

So it's not the visa that is in question, it is the Russian work permit.

And yes, the work permit is issued only after arrival in Russia, not from outside the country in an embassy or consulate.

And now, I'll have a toast of my own Russki Standart to that.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:29 am Post subject:

Prost!

That's what I was groping around in inarticulatness to say. Thanks.

Mainly, while docs will eventually need to be apostilled etc., this usually doesn't need doing for the initial visa that is applied for in your home country. Not at all sure what the OP is going through. Sounds strange all round. But then again, the local variation of embassy requirements is astonishing.

expatella_girl · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:49 am Post subject:

Apostilling can be a biotch of a process. It's practically medieval, in some cases you actually get a document with a Magna Carta type wax seal securing the document. If the seal is broken, the apostille is nullified and the document is invalid.

Apostilling is nearly impossible from a foreign country. You pretty much have to get it done while in the country from where the apostille originates.

It really is a huge PITA.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:19 am Post subject:

Some embassies can expedite the process for a hefty fee. All a major racket of course.

It is almost as bad as needing your passport translated and notarised in order to open a bank account. The travel document that us good enough fir the national security services isn't good enough for private banks, it seems...