Russian Visa

[Irina Tarsis]

Dear Seelangers,

If you have the answer, please reply to Rachel Applebaum <
rapple at uchicago.edu>.

Thank you.
---------

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone on this listserve, especially those who work with
study abroad programs, can help me with some questions about a Russian
stazhirovka visa question.

My husband and I are grad students who will be doing research in the
archives in Moscow this fall, and we have arranged to get this kind of visa
affiliation from a university in Moscow. It will enable us to spend up to a
year in Russia, which is, of course, impossible now with a business visa.

Today I called the Russian embassy in Washington D.C. to find out whether
they would accept a scan of the invitation for this kind of visa, and also
if the 5 day waiting period after the visa is issued will apply. The woman I
spoke to had never heard of a stazhirovka visa and insisted that they don't
process them there. She asked me what I would be doing in Russia and when I
said working in archives she said "then you need a business visa." So
obviously I was unable to get the answer to my original 2 questions since
she had no idea what I was talking about.

I would like to hear from people who've gone through the D.C. embassy to get
this kind of visa—both to reassure myself that it can be done, and to
ask—were you able to submit a scan of the invitation? Did the 5 day rule
apply?

Also, is there another term for this kind of visa which might explain why
the woman had no idea what I was talking about?

Thank you very much,

Rachel

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