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dpolk
Just Starting
Joined: 15 Aug 2009
Posts: 2
Location: Washington, DC
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 Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:24 am Post subject: Is my situation special? Help |
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So here it goes, and I thank you in advance for your help and support. I currently live in Washington, DC with my girlfriend. She is a Russian citizen who has lived in the states for the last four years. She is from Chelyabinsk. Her visa expires at the end of this year and we are planning to move back to her home in Russia. I am very excited about moving to Russia, but like many others I feel very confused and frustrated with the whole visa application process. So far I have come to the concensu that I need a multiple entry business visa, to me this is the only visa that will allow me to leave and return to the country even though I am not doing business while I will be there. I might work while I am there but my main concentration will be school, which I will be doing online. So here is the question, Am I pursuing the correct visa, do I need to lie about doing business to be approved for this visa, when I get to Russia and go through customs will I need to lie to them? I know this seems like a conspicuous post but it seems like lieing is my only option to get into Russia and have the ability to come back to the states, which I need to do for family obligations. Please help. I am looking forward to your responses. Thank you.
Daniel |
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romdur
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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To put the first things first, if the two of you marry, you can then obtain permanent residency, which is practically the only way you can legally LIVE in Russia. This would also make it simple for you to leave Russia and return whenever you need to.
Another option is to apply for a private (home-stay) visa, with the help of a Russian resident (perhaps a member of your girlfriend's family in Chelyabinsk, or the registered resident of whichever home you plan to stay in). This can allow you to stay for up to 90 days, and is completely legitimate, but it only allows one entry. Probably, you could get a new private visa each time you return to America, and continue this process indefinitely. By doing this, you can do what you need to do, and follow all of the rules. Each time you leave Russia, perhaps you could bring your next invitation with you. If you will be getting your own apartment, your girlfriend could register there, and then invite you for private visas.
Otherwise, you can apply for a long-term business visa as you mentioned. While I don't recommend lying, you can have difficulties unless all of your answers to Russian consular and immigration officials are consistent. Understood?
A long-term business visa allows you to stay in Russia half of the time (specifically, you CANNOT be in the Russian Federation more than 90 days out of ANY consecutive 180 days).
To be there more than half-time without residency, you could look for a school to enroll in in Chelyabinsk, that is willing to do the paperwork for a student visa. Or, you could apply for a series of 90-day business visas, getting a new one each time you return to America.
Good luck! |
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dpolk
Just Starting
Joined: 15 Aug 2009
Posts: 2
Location: Washington, DC
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| Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| If we get married, what is the proccess for obtaining the residency permit? Can I do it in the US (that is start the application proccess)? |
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polarrrbear
Frequent Guest
Joined: 31 Aug 2007
Posts: 53
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:37 am Post subject: |
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No you can't do it in the US. You have to do it in Russia. Getting married doesn't provide you with any special status when it comes to moving to Russia except you are exempt from quota (there's limited number of residency given).
I went through this process only about a month ago. You won't be able to get a permanent residency right away. You'll have to get a temporary residency first. Since residency thing is really inconsistent depending on which OVIR office you go and which OVIR person you deal with, it all depends on your luck. I was rather lucky with my residency application and it wasn't as bad as I expected. BUT if you are going to get married and apply for a residency, your girlfriend/prospective wife has to do quite a bit of homework (locally) to get correct information (if there is such a thing in Russia) and you both have to prepare paperwork beforehand. Otherwise when you go there to apply for residency and missing a paper, they might tell you to bring a paper you don't have and need to go back home to get it. Some papers you can request and get at the embassy or consulate, but normally it takes considerably longer time to get it (weeks to months).
Basically you prepare papers you need, you 'think' you need, and you 'don't think' you need. All the same, get them all apostilled, make copies, translations with notary's seal. In the end, if you didn't need it, that's good. But preparing everything sure beats having to go back home and gather papers and then make another trip to apply again. Same for your girlfriend/prospective wife.
Oh one thing. Applying for temporary residency doesn't let you stay in Russia right away. You have to wait six month (plus minus a couple of months depending on where and how lucky you are). Your visa won't last that long, or visa's stay duration isn't long enough for you to wait around in Russia, so you'll have to leave Russia at least once. When temp residency processing is done, your girlfriend/prospective wife gets a notice in a mail (Russia's postal service is notoriously unreliable, and they know that. So they'll give you or her the paper on the spot for picking up residency papers and tell you to bring it in six months).
By the way, multi-entry business visa doesn't allow you to work. While some people still do, it's not going to let you 'settle' in Russia. I think you can only stay for certain length of period within a year anyway. Unless you are an investor loaded with cash or qualified specialist with prospective employer, your only option is to get married and apply for a temp residency, wait a year and apply again for a perm residency. Either way, if you are going to get married, you probably won't be moving to Russia for at least another year. Even for getting married, you have to 'book' a wedding date, summer months is busy, with 'spill over' couples from summer months filling the available spot up until about October. Winter months is definitely easy. To get married you'll have to gather another set of papers. For getting married, you can do it on tourist visa if you want to ease the burden on your girlfriend's side. If you want to apply for a residency right away, you need a private visa. Your girlfriend has to make a few runs to OVIR, send the invitation to you while you and she have to gather all the papers for marriage and residency. That is a lot of work.
I'd say, take one thing at a time. Otherwise you might get frustrated enough and give it up in despair. In the end, with some luck, it's not as bad as it seems as long as you do what you have to do.
One last advise to you is that don't trust what you and she find on the internet. Some are bogus, some are outdated, and Russian side of regulations are inconsistent. So have your girlfriend do major homework like going to OVIR (tell her to take a camera and take pictures of all relevant info on the board). Because unless you know how to navigate Russia's frustrating bureaucratic ways, you won't be able to do much, especially while being away.
Edit: fixed typo
Last edited by polarrrbear on Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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polarrrbear
Frequent Guest
Joined: 31 Aug 2007
Posts: 53
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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Addition to the above post to clarify a few things.
As far as I can gather, you are 'supposed' to be able to submit residency application at the embassy/consulate. BUT it seems getting paper accepted is a rather rare case. Some embassy/consulate flat out refuse to accept the paper, some don't even know they can do that and some are simply refusing to do so. |
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overseas_expat
VIP
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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To your first reply polarbear--great post!!
Dead on. The system is whimsical, the law is transcendental, the local application and interpretation of the law means everything.
To the original poster, polarbear has given you the best reply you will ever get anywhere. Getting permanent residency in Russia with a Russian spouse will take several years, a myriad of processes, unmpteen apostilled documents translated and delivered within a tight time frame, and with no guarantee of success.
Heed his post and best of luck to you. |
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