From the
Mendeleyev Journal:
So how serious is the announcement that by autumn Russia and the USA will introduce some sort of 3 year visa regime for certain types of travelers? The only thing we know for certain at this point is that Moscow and Washington have agreed for a new visa regime to be in place by this autumn.
For many Russian travelers it's hard to believe. While both countries have concerns about opening borders to additional immigrants, the year 2010 saw a record of visa rejections for Russian citizens applying to travel to the USA. 70% is the number reported by Russia Today television with 2 out of 3 applications being rejected by interviewers at the US Embassy in Moscow. Those percentages left many Russians discouraged about the possibility to travel to the USA. US officials cited concerns about unemployment in the States as many travelers from the former Soviet Union tend to overstay their visas, often finding low wage employment in the service sectors.
At the same time Russia is possibly just as hard on certain types of visa applications, especially for students who wish to study and for independent business people who plan to live and work in Russia. Currently Russia has no visa program at all for a short term work regime, making it near impossible for students who desire to spend a summer working in Russia while perfecting language and skills and other study disciplines.
Russia has many of the same concerns about unemployment and loss of jobs to non-citizens. Russia faces it's own immigration issues from an influx of those seeking jobs from poorer countries on Russia's borders with former Soviet states. In a recent RT interview with Andranik Migranyan, director of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation, and Ed Verona, president of the US-Russia Business Council, both men expressed hope for an improved visa regime but also warned that on the Russian side, the 3 year visa may not be extended to business travelers. Depending on the outcome of negotiations, US Citizens who live and work in Russia may continue to live under the so-called 90/180 rule as it currently exists.
On the other side, the USA could extend a 3 year visa but might craft it around restrictions similar to Russia's 90/180 rule in order to prevent Russian citizens from taking jobs from American citizens. Under the 90/180 rule a foreign person may stay in Russia up to, but not more than 90 days at a time and then wait outside the country for 90 days before returning, thereby living in Russia for 180 days per year broken into equal 90 day stays. With some exceptions both countries have rules requiring that a person leave the country once a visa is expired and reapplying for reentry while outside the country.
A limited number of critical skill level professionals in Russia already enjoy exceptions to the 90/180 rule but President Medvedev has recently said that the critical skill list may be expanded as Russia grows it's high-tech sectors.
So who would benefit from a 3 year visa? Details are still sketchy as they're being negotiated by the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US State Department. A week ago US Ambassador Joe Beyrle gave one of his frequent interviews on Echo Moskvy, the most popular talk station in Moscow, saying that eligible business travelers and tourists would be issued visas valid for 36 months at a unified and reciprocal fee.
"I think that in two months maximum we will sign an agreement to issue new multiple entry visas for three years. The presidents instructed us to complete negotiations on the issue, that's why I expect the agreement to be ready by summer, maximum by fall."Of course there is also consideration on how a visa regime would impact the Customs Union, the reuniting of customs, trade, postal services, emergency military communications and then eventually currency in a union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Signed into law in 2010, the Customs Union is being prepared for implementation and at some point may include Ukraine as part of the alliance.
Key concepts are the ideas of a new regime being unified, reciprocal and multi-entry in nature. If Russia holds to the 90/180 rule, so likely will the USA. Sources say that both countries are more eager to extend the new visas to tourists and short term business people, opening up more tourism revenue for both countries while avoiding the problems of uncontrolled immigration and unemployment. That would suggest an easing of the number of times a person could travel yet holding to a set of restrictions as to how long a person could stay.
At this stage at least, the idea of obtaining a 3 year visa and then staying in the host country for 3 years is not in the cards. But in the world of politics anything could change, so stay tuned.
