News
New, Tougher Rules for Business
Visas
By Alexander Osipovich Staff Writer, St.Petersburg Times
The government is tightening the
screws on foreigners who want to work here full time without a work visa and
itinerant English teachers look likely to be the first to feel the squeeze.
Multiple-entry business visas, which
used to let foreigners stay in
Under the new rules, such visas will
still last one year. But they will only let people stay in Russia for up to 180
days of that year, and for no longer than 90 days at a time. Moreover, if a
foreigner stays in
Zubkov's decree also says foreigners
might have to obtain the visas in their native countries -- which implies that
What is clear, however, is that
expats can no longer stay in
"Now, any foreigner who wants
to come live here has to either go through the immigration process, and eventually
obtain a residence permit, or else find an employer who will prepare a work
visa for them," Filippenkov said.
Foreigners with work visas are not
affected by the change.
It is unclear whether the new rules
will affect foreigners with multiple-entry business visas issued before
Zubkov's decree. But Filippenkov said it was unlikely.
Spokespeople for the Foreign
Ministry and the Federal Migration Service declined to comment by telephone
Friday, saying that all questions had to be submitted in writing. E-mails sent
to the agencies were not answered as of Sunday.
The new rules could complicate life
for expat English teachers, many of whom have multiple-entry business visas.
"If people have to come for 90
days and then leave, this will be very disruptive for the teaching
process," said Helen Panovich, academic director of ITC, a company that
hires English-language native speakers to give lessons to Russian businessmen.
Amy Cartwright, a spokeswoman for
the Association of European Businesses, said most of AEB's member companies
would not be affected because their foreign employees had work visas.
But she singled out expat English
teachers as a potential trouble spot. "It's very worrying because it means
that if you're a teacher, for example, and if you're on a business visa, you
can't stay here," Cartwright said.
AEB has met with representatives of
the Federal Migration Service to find out how the rules will be implemented,
and one of the open questions is whether expats will have to return to their
home country to obtain a business visa, she said.
"We don't have an answer yet,
but we have asked them," Cartwright said.
Representatives of visa agencies had
different takes on the provision in Zubkov's decree about returning to one's
home country for a visa.
Timur Beslangurov, managing director
of Vista Foreign Business Support, said foreigners would be able to obtain
visas in the Russian embassy of any country as long as they could present a
residence permit for that country, or at least some document proving that they
had the right to live there for 90 days.
Filippenkov, of Visa Delight, said
the provision about returning to one's home country did not apply to Westerners
and was instead directed at countries like
Russian embassies are notoriously
inconsistent in their approach to issuing visas. In the past, it has often
taken several months to see how rule changes are implemented.
Zubkov's decree puts Russia on the
same footing as many Western countries, which also draw a distinction between
visas designed for short visits and visas that grant one the right to work.
"The government is making
things work the same way as they do in
Russian citizens face the exact same
90- and 180-day restrictions in
Still, such comparisons have not
reassured expats accustomed to the ease of obtaining multiple-entry business visas
and daunted by the obstacles of getting Russian work permits.
"What will they think of
next?" asked one visitor at RedTape.ru. "Shooting all foreigners?
Might be quicker to get rid of us that way!"