Immigration rules changing for Expats in Russia

[mendeleyev]

On Wednesday President Medvedev signed the Federal Law On Amendments to the Federal Law on Migration Registration for Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation (yes, that is the title of the law).

The new law is a first step at improving Russia’s immigration laws, particularly as it concerns visa, employment, and registration requirements for foreign citizens coming to Russia to work as highly qualified specialists (and their family members).

The amendments simplify, in particular, visa requirements for highly qualified foreign specialists by making it possible for them to obtain multi-entry working visas for the duration of their employment contracts. The amendments also apply to visas for foreign specialists’ family members.

This should eliminate the issue of leaving for a period of time and then returning in order for a visa to renew.

It also amends the requirements on registration when visiting another city (for expats who live in Russia) and allows foreign citizens a period of time to present documents if stopped by police. Currently a foreigner must present documents immediately and often pays bribes for mistakes, not registering, or for traveling without documents. If the foreign citizen cannot produce documents then the Russian company which hired them is required to present evidence as required by a court.

This is for EXPATS only at this point and does NOT APPLY to short term visitors and tourists.
 

[acctBill]

Mendeleyev do you have a link?  English or Russian.  It's really too late for me.  I've been offered a permanent job in Russia several times before but turned them down mainly because neither my wife or I were too fond of having our children grow up in Russia, even under the conditions of the expat life in Moscow. Now my life is a little too settled.  My wife isn't overly thrilled with Canada but all that means is that in a year or two I'll be looking for a job back in London.       

[chivo]

Here's a little more about it.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/medvedev-signs-law-easing-registration-for-expats/433599.html

You can see it means less hassle for registration, even for tourists (from 3 to 7 days) so that helps if you live close by and want to come for less than a week.

The burden is put on the company or sponsor to register and not the landlord which is a big relief for the foreigner because landlords often refuse to do this and it creates a big problem with adequate housing usually paid for by the expat's company as you may well know.

Also no city to city registration. Not a big deal for most but for permanent expats who are sponsored by a company it could be, just to reiterate everything Mendy said. I have to deal with to a lesser degree, so it's good news for me as well.

This was mentioned in another thread recently. Again, it comes down to better relations with the west, Russia's desire to enter the WTO, and reciprocity. In my mind it's just the first step in what I think will be the easing of restrictions for visas and travel for foreigners. What is most surprising is the speed in which it happened. For Russia, a minor miracle.

[mendeleyev]

In my mind it's just the first step in what I think will be the easing of restrictions for visas and travel for foreigners. What is most surprising is the speed in which it happened. For Russia, a minor miracle.

Good points, Chivo. When PM Putin suggested to VP Biden on his recent visit that the USA and Russia should drop visa restrictions many saw it as a "imagine, what if" kind of idea. Like you, I see that coming eventually but its hard to say when something like that could happen.

You are totally right on the speed at which this was pushed thru and then signed. It was just introduced to the Duma last year and Mr Medvedev worked with Boris Gryzlov (Duma Speaker/leader) to put this issue on fast track.

The good news is that this is just the first amendment to the law. Further modifications which will make immigration less stressful on professionals living and working inside Russia are supposed to be in the works. Many of the changes are being put in place as Russia is making a major push on two fronts:

- Making it possible for foreign professionals to comfortably immigrate as Russia builds the Skolkovo project a "Silicon Valley" concept just outside Moscow.

- Russia is working on the establishment of a global financial centre in Moscow to compete with other major world financial centres for financial and banking services. One of the goals is to assist the Ruble to achieve the status of one the world's reserve currencies. Presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich is in charge of the project and while the Ruble as a reserve currency idea was shot down by the World Bank this past October, World Bank economist Lucio Vinhas de Souza visited the project late 2010 and while in Moscow acknowledged that Moscow as the world's 11th largest city with 15 million population made sense as a global financial hub for the region.

Both of these are "pet projects" of President Medvedev and so Russia is concentrating on easing immigration restrictions in order to recruit skilled professionals from around the world for these projects.