dutchdragon
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Joined: 28 Nov 2004
Posts: 67
Location: Netherlands
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 Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe I should copy the article from Passport Magazine, so that you can read it without leaving the forum:
| Quote: | Visa, Registration Rules to be Revolutionized
Vyacheslav Postavnin, deputy head of Russia’s Federal Migration Service told a spirited American Chamber of Commerce audience at a Moscow breakfast meeting that migration policy has undergone substantial changes recently. Policy is moving away from the restrictive measures applied to prevent illegal migration towards a policy driven by social and economic policy.
A new law on migration registration, signed into effect on July 18, and taking effect January 15, 2007, means foreigners will no longer have to seek permission, but only to notify the authorities by mail to register a visa.
Amendments to other laws easing the bureaucratic burden on foreign companies and their foreign employees are pending.
Mr. Postavnin impressed the Chamber audience as a clearheaded, pragmatic and accommodating government official. Time and again he invited individual participants who raised specific questions to refer the matter to him. He gave the audience his address and gave Andrew Somers, the president of Amcham his e-mail and web site address and handed out all the visit cards he had with him to eager lawyers and company representatives who greeted him at the end of the meeting.
He promised that procedures were being developed to ensure that no one seeking migration documents would have to wait more than 20 minutes.
A graduate of the Moscow Aviation Institute and holder of a law degree, Mr. Postavnin announced that he has issued instructions to all offices of the Foreign Migration Service reaffirming to them exactly what the new rules and procedures entail and holding them liable if they create their own ad hoc discretionary orders at the local level.
He acknowledged this has been a problem for business throughout Russia. “Representatives of our service do not always correctly implement the principles locally, or interpret the laws in their own way.”
The intensity of the debate was evident from the opening question when Chet Bowling of Alinga Consulting Group asked who should be getting a work permit for foreign employees of a foreign company, who have no representation in Russia but who are sent to Russia to work in a Russian organization.
“I anticipated this question with horror,” said Mr. Postvanin. “our legislation does not envisage (such a situation). I can only hope you will initiate a proposal and we may then consider passing appropriate legislation.”
Asked by one incredulous participant if it could really be true that a work permit would be issued in 20 minutes, he said “I understand that for our country it sounds like something out of a fairy tale. I must say it applies not only to the Federal Migration Service but also Rosregistratsiya, which deals with agencies interacting with people on issues such as Russian passports and the registration of real estate. Everyone who lives in this country knows it sometimes can be complicated and stressful. One hates to stand in queue and deal with gruff officials. We are aware of all this but now there is a commitment and a confidence that we will be able to reduce this procedure and make it acceptable to our society.”
All this streamlining of bureaucracy is being spearheaded by the Federal Commission on Administrative Reform headed by Mr. Sergei Naryshkin, the Kremlin chief of staff.
“The notification procedure will apply to everyone, whether it is registration at the place of residence or registration at the place of temporary stay, you will not need a permit. You only need to notify the authorities”, Mr. Postavnin said.
Expanding on how this will apply to registering your visa and place of stay upon arrival, Postanin made clear that if the sojourn was up to three days there was no need to register at all and if longer than three days then the inviting party will be able to obtain a special form from any post office. By completing it and mailing it, the proof of postage becomes the proof of notification.
A representative of oil service company Schlumberger said they had difficulties in the regions where branch offices could obtain work permits for foreign employees but could not make invitations for working visas. “What should we do,” she asked.
“As for invitations, such problems do exist in some regions, but we have reversed the trend.”
Asked if she could bring such cases to him, Mr. Postavnin replied, “Of course.” He recalled that there had been a big problem with Sakhalin, the oil field development centre off the Far East coast of Russia, and he personally had to address it with the help of Amcham’s Somers.
Mr. Postvanin announced that pilot programs in St Peterburg and Moscow Oblast would start this year offering a ‘one window’ service for work permits. He also said his service was preparing to introduce remote access which would allow people to send data for work visa and work permit applications and registrations by e-mail. “We only have to prepare a couple of instructions and we will start to work this way shortly, without waiting for further documentation. So, if you have a large volume of documents, let’s cooperate and tune up this system.”
A full transcript of the meeting is available at: www.amcham.ru. On the same site the complete list of documents required for foreign work permit applications by organizations is displayed. |
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