Job Discussion Forums

esvoytko · Joined: 10 Jul 2015 Posts: 5

Hello all, first post here.

I have seen many threads on this site extolling the advantages of arriving in a particular location in person so as to find work through in-person interviews versus trying to line something up in advance online. I already have a multi-entry tourist visa for Russia which is good until December 2016; is there any point in trying this myself? That is - arriving in a Russian city on the tourist visa and then canvassing for work in person?

Has anyone tried this? If so, was the process of swapping the tourist visa for a work visa smooth? I would be particularly interested in checking out the major population centers in the Urals / Siberia / Far East like Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, or Vladivostok.

My quals: BS, MS (unrelated to TEFL), CELTA, no TEFL experience yet, upper-intermediate command of Russian (wrote my thesis on Peter I so dabbled in 18th-century Russian legalese as well - I do not wish this on anyone!).

Foma87 · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 116 Location: Moscow

Depending on your resourcefulness, level of maturity and Russian skills, I suspect that you could easily arrive in person and interview at schools. I have no doubt many would offer you work, even without experience. The problem will be getting someone to sponsor your visa so you don't have to leave the country to get a new one every 3 months (if you're American you won't have this problem, as US citizens can get the 3-year business visa and just hop the border every 6 months). Granted, as many here have warned, freelancing on a business visa is not exactly legal. Plus, you'd have to go about finding a place yourself. But in my opinion this is a viable short-term option.

Unfortunately, a tourist visa can't be "transferred" to a work (teacher) visa. That is, you'd have to leave the country to get a work visa.

On a completely other note: Was Peter a true enlightened despot? Was he actually on the Neva Delta during the founding of St. Petersburg? Was he present during the torture and killing of his son? Why did he continually forgive Menshikov?

esvoytko · Joined: 10 Jul 2015 Posts: 5

Ah, I see your point about needing to leave the country to obtain the work visa. Could anyone advise on what the processing time typically is for a Russian work visa? Maybe it would be possible to shop for employment while on my existing tourist visa, receive an offer, then leave the country and apply for the work visa at a nearby Russian embassy (say, Tallinn or Helsinki, though these are not exactly nearby if I'm in Siberia). If the processing time is only a week or two I could kill time in that country before re-entering Russia and beginning work?

More importantly: with little to no teaching experience, would interviewing in person actually expose me to better opportunities than English First, Language Link, etc.? Because if not, it would certainly be more convenient to apply online ahead of time.

Foma87 · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 116 Location: Moscow

People usually go to Vilnius, where you can get the work visa in a couple days. It costs about 250 Euros I think for the expedited processing.

Stirlitz17 · Joined: 11 Mar 2015 Posts: 14 Location: Russia

Gamajorba · Joined: 03 May 2015 Posts: 357

Getting interviews in Russia is a snap. I've literally walked into schools in Moscow, told them I was an English teacher looking for a potential job, got interviewed and 98% of the time got offered a job on the spot.

Why not go for it...

Deats · Joined: 02 Jan 2015 Posts: 503

Gamajorba · Joined: 03 May 2015 Posts: 357

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 10:34 am Post subject:

I doubt that it would really be worth coming over on spec - unless you want to have a holiday anyway. You'd be just as likely to get a job offer after a Skype interview as in person.

Not sure at all about getting a work visa if you were successful in finding a job. Usually one of the Baltics will do fine, but this is actually a little dicey, as there doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule as to which Russian embassy will give a work visa, and which won't. All to do with school connections etc. Some schools are better at this than others. And flights from the far east of Russia to the Baltic republics could run up a fair bill too.

Also, it might be worth considering a larger chain school, for experience's sake. While a smaller school may hire you without any previous EFL job history, there is less of a chance that they'll be equipped to support you academically. Very much sink or swim, and with a more limited number of classes to choose from.

nemnoga · Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Russia

Just as a chance to be a bit helpful - if a school is getting you your work visa, the letter of invitation typically takes up to a month. FMS says "20 working days" but I've heard they can be 'persuaded', you know, if the school's need is on the high side. But best of luck! Smile

esvoytko · Joined: 10 Jul 2015 Posts: 5

Thanks for the help everybody. I will try to remember to update this thread with my experience if I end up going through with this plan.

esl_prof · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2015 7:50 pm Post subject:

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2015 10:58 pm Post subject:

Best of luck!