I'm planning to take my CELTA course and certification in Moscow using a student visa. After I get a certification, can I just find English teacher work in Moscow and convert my student visa to work visa without leaving Russia? Or do I need to leave Russia to get my work visa? Thanks!
Russia - 1 Answers
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1 :
Yes you will have to leave Russia. The issue of changing your visa is going to be an annoying process. If you have your student visa, it only allows you the opportunity to study in Russia and you could, in theory, just due private tutoring and stuff like that, but again, all unofficial. But once you want to work in Russia, you will have to find a company that is willing to sponsor you, they will have to get your visa prepared and then yes, you will have to leave the country. The problem is that Russia, like almost all other country, does not allow for 2 visas in someone's passport from the same country. What you could do is get a company to get you a visa invitation, then go to somewhere like Kiev, Tallin, Riga, Vilnius as they do not require a visa for Americans, spend a few days or however long you need, and then get your new Russian visa.
2 :
New rules limit foreigners working in Russia to 180 days annually out of a 365 day year. And those 180 days are broken into two 90 day periods, not back to back. So it's 90 days in, then 90 days out. Sure you want to give up a student visa? Here is the Russian embassy website on visas: http://www.russianconsulate.org/russian-visa.html
