Russian Immigration Explained - Part 3

In the final part of a three-part article, Sophy King, of immigration consultancy Emigra Inc's Consulting and Compliance department, provides guidance on negotiating Russia's complex immigration system.

How have companies approached the issues discussed in part two of this article in the past? Despite the proliferation of stories about Russian immigration in the press, and the perception of constant changes and developments, the basic regulations have remained unaltered for some time. One approach taken has been to bring employees to Russia on business visas. Until relatively recently, it was possible for foreigners to apply for business visas that were valid for 365 days a year – effectively allowing them to reside long term in Russia on business visitor status. Individuals holding such visas were never legally permitted to work in Russia, but, in practice, such activity was common. In October 2007, the regulations were changed, and business visas are now issued for a maximum stay of 90 days out of 180, in line with most European countries. In practice, visas are often issued with an even shorter validity period, especially where the applicant has never had a visa for the Russian Federation before. Onsite audits and penalties for employing foreigners without permits have also increased, meaning that the old practice of bringing in expatriates with business visas alone is increasingly falling by the wayside. However, as foreign companies seek to regularise the status of existing expatriates and bring new employees in legally, they encounter the problems already described in detail above.

What should they be doing? It is possible to cope with the immigration process and to stay sane while negotiating through it. After all, even Dostoevsky wrote, "To live without hope is to cease to live." Below is our advice on how to keep your head when entering the tangled world of Russian immigration.

Read the full article - Russian Immigration Explained - Part 3