Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Fishbulb · Just Starting Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

I am a US citizen, married to a Russian citizen. We are planning to move to Russia in a few months and I intend to apply for temporary residency. It is my understanding that I must enter the country on a private invitation visa (my father in law sends me the invitation every year, so I am fairly used to this). Immediately upon arrival I intend to go to OVIR to apply. My question is, the maximum length of a private invitation visa is 3 months while I am told that the average time to recieve temporary residency is 5-6 months. Will I have to enter Russia, apply for temporary residency, leave after 3 months, and then return once residency is approved? Am I allowed to stay in Russia while my residency application is pending?

Also, I have seen several lists of documents needed for temporary residency application. Is there any 'official' list?

Is there any service that is available to expedite the temporary residency application?

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide...

easy_driver · Just Starting Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 2

Hello,

At this moment i have the same "problem" as you encounter.
The thing is you can come here with any visa you want, but at the moment you recieve your temp. permission to stay you have to leave the country.
This because you have to close your visa.

The best thing to do is, i dont know if your wife is at the present time in Russia, but she can already apply for the temp. permission to stay.
This will safe some time.
The problem here, i life in Moskow is that there is not realy an official list for this.
Typical Russia,.....you have(or your spouse) to go to the OVIR and ask there what they need for this.
I am a Dutch citizen so for me there are other rules for this.
I know for sure that you need a lot of medical test/blood test to show them.
I don't know if you are married here or in the states?
This is also important because you have to translate everything including birthcertificate and stuff like that.

If you have any quistions please let me know and i'll try to answer them
I am going to apply for it next week.

alberto · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject:

Hi,

What do you mean by "You have to close your visa" ?? I don't think you have to close anything, they will just cancel your current visa (big ПОГАШЕНО thing) and stamp the residence permit in the passport.

Fishbulb,
You will submit your Temporary Residence Permit while on a Private visa. Then, when your 3 month visa expires, you will have to apply for another 3-month visa and so on till your TRP is issued. Or stay out of Russia till FMS says your TRP is ready.

As we all know, in the old times you would have a 1-year multientry business visa, but the 90/180 rule prevents it from being adequate since the last regulations went into force.

Fortunately, short term visas seem not to be affected by the 90/180 rule.
If I were you, I would inform yourself about the most suitable visa run (If there is still any possibility and you want to avoid going to the States).

BR,
Alberto

BELS · Lounge Lizard Joined: 30 Mar 2005 Posts: 107

I totally agree with the above post. As soon as my application was accepted I could stay in the country. I soon had my two stamps of residency on the back of my passport, and no more visas to get.