Job Discussion Forums

[Larry Paradine]

It's that time of year again (contract expires in two weeks, visa a week later) and suddenly all my summer arangements have fallen through because the University I expected to work for has just notified me that it can't get me a work visa after all, and my would-be fall-back employer, a private school, wants to know if I'd mind working unofficially on a private visa (answer: yes, I definitely would mind: nearly eight years in Russia has taught me not to take chances.) The next step should be to post my resume on this site, but experience (three years ago) taught me that even if I head my submission in capitals and bold type RUSSIAN FEDERATION ONLY, the only replies I'll get will be from China, Taiwan and a few oddities in Africa. So, if the monitors will excuse this blatant piece of advertising, here goes:

Sextuagenarian (61) Briton with considerable experience of living and teaching in Russia, seeks work anywhere (literally anywhere, would actually like to work in eastern Siberia or the far North, am familiar with and love the Volga, would even, though reluctantly, work in Moscow), available end of May, can teach all ages and levels (English for lawyers as a speciality): will accept a peanut salary with free flat and a work visa. Wife, Russian, normally resident in Cheboksary, would probably join me for six weeks in late July and August. She's a doctor, could be useful in a dyetski yazikovenniy laager (chidren's summer camp) when casualties need medical attention. Any serious replies welcome.

[leroy]

Hmmm...thought this was going to be a thread about Chelsea getting knocked out of the FA Cup....

Seriously, what's wrong with working for a couple of months on a tourist visa? I wouldn't advise it in the long term but just for a Summer would be ok?

[Confederate]

From what you have said, it looks like you are going about everything wrong. You say your married to a Russian, then why the heck have you not applied for temporary residence? that would solve a lot of your problems right there, you could stay in Russia for three years, even apply for permanent residence after you've had temporary residence for a year. You do not need any work permits at all you can work where and when you choose, even easier than it is for a Russian citizen who has to have work permits (tax records really).
It looks like your going about everything assbackwards. I have been here for three years, came in 2003 and been here ever since, completely legal and on the up and up. And your married to a Russian, man you have it made as far as visas, work permits and residence goes. You're making things a lot harder for yourself.
JD

[zaneth]

Confederate, you are living some kind of charmed life. How you lucked into it I don't know. Clean living in your past. Good karma.

But it isn't the typical experience. Being married to a Russian isn't any kind of ticket to anything from what I saw. Fortunately, the divorce was the easiest piece of paperwork I ever had to deal with in Russia.

Larry, I can't see how your years in Russia haven't taught you to cut corners for expediency from time to time. To each his own. I remember the stress. Everybody has to figure their own way to deal with it. Good luck.

[Confederate]

I know quite a few Americans here married to Russians, along with a Turkish guy, and several others, never has any of them been turned down for temp. residence. I know for a fact because one of my clients is an attorney here, she says it does make a difference, and believe me it does. I see it every day. Your right, as long as that guy has been here, he should know how to handle these things, there sure are many ways to make things easier. One is you have to play the game by the Russian rules, and do everything way in advance of the time limit set, you do that like with visa issues, apply way before the time limit expires and you usually will have no trouble. Russian officials can be some what resentful of Americans and will not go out of their way to handle any problems, but anybody who has been here awhile knows or should know how to deal with that. It's easy when you play the game by Russian rules.
JD

[zaneth]

Yeah, I guess it helps if said Russian wife actually WANTS you to have a residence permit! That could have been my problem.

[mongrelcat]

oh i thought this was a thread about Radiohead

[jinji]

larry send me you phone number
if your good
you have a job
but you must be able to adjust to different teaching style

there are other ways
jinji

[Larry Paradine]

I'm afraid I'm very unreliable as a correspondent; I haven't revisited this post since I solved the job problem several weeks ago and meantime several of you have sent replies. Confederate and Zenith, I take your points about temporary residence. When I got married, more than seven years ago, I could have got a 5 year residence permit which would have paved the way to Russian citizenship if I wanted it. I won't go into the reasons why I didn't apply, now I regret it. The main bureaucratic reason for my reluctance to apply for the new 3 year residence is that I would have to go back to Britain to obtain a certificate stating that I'm not an international terrorist/drug smuggler/ white slave trader/ money launderer etc: I went back there for a few weeks in April 2004 and had such a miserable time that I'm in no hurry to repeat the experience. Another reason for my lack of enthusiasm for the residence solution is that residency automatically expires if you leave Russia even for a day, so I couldn't take my wife for the foreign holiday that I've been promising her for so long. Hope that clears things up. I'll send a pm to the latest respondent.

[rusmeister]

Hi Larry,
I have that 3-year doohickey and went through several of the circles of hell to get it, so you can take this from the horse's mouth.
One inaccuracy I'd like to clear up for you. You don't lose your residency if you leave the country, BUT...
You CAN'T leave the country without obtaining an exit-entry visa from OVIR (the exact opposite of the entry-exit visas that most people get). It's not too hard to get, depending where you go and when (I found that the place is fairly deserted and easy to get seen on Saturdays). I've already been on a Turkey trip (gobble-gobble!). The border guy (upon my re-entry) didn't know that those dumb immigration cards are not required - a check with a colleague cleared that up for him, so not many people actually have this particular status. The good news is that after one year on that status, you can apply for the so-called permanent (5-yr) status, and don't have to get another "no criminal record - yes, that was a pain in the patootie).
If you have any questions you can pm me, because I'm deeply sympathetic.