Visas and Other Foreign Policy Issues

[Josh Wilson]

Dear SEELANGers! 

 

As I know many of you are watching the current visa changes with great
interest, I am forwarding you the latest information as those changes come
into force (pasted below). 

 

If the hyperlinks don't work for you, another copy of the text can be found
on our site at http://www.sras.org/five_issues. It is part of a larger
article written for our newsletter to give fairly extensive briefings of
what I personally believe will be the five biggest issues in US-Russia
relations this semester. 

 

Perhaps it will be useful for launching classroom discussions as your
semester kicks off. P.S., the newsletter is free and you can sign up for it
on our homepage at SRAS.org. 

 

 


New US-Russia Visa Regime


 


A deal  <http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=35723>
long-negotiated and
<http://rbth.ru/articles/2012/07/11/moscow_ratifies_agreement_to_ease_visa_r
ules_with_the_us_16277.html> finally ratified, a new, simplified US-Russia
visa regime will take effect on September 9, 2012. Both countries will issue
business, tourist, private, and humanitarian visas that allow for stays of
up to six months, and are valid for three years of multiple-entry travel. US
citizens will no longer need an invitation processed by the Russian
government in order to apply for a visa. More details can be found on the
<http://moscow.usembassy.gov/pr_visas-082912.html> US embassy website.

This new agreement will not affect student visas or other visa types.
Students on  <http://www.sras.org/programs> SRAS programs will continue to
receive visa support and guidance from SRAS. SRAS will also continue to
provide visa assistance to  <http://www.sras.org/research_travel_services>
researchers and for  <http://www.sras.org/flt> faculty led tours.

Previous visa reforms have typically needed time to start running smoothly -
for example, when the embassy switched to
<http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/destinations/chrisaroundtheworld/post/2
011/11/Russia-With-Love-Tips-for-Applying-for-a-Russian-Tourist-Visa/574409/
1> all-electronic applications before the online form was
<http://inflightinsider.com/2012/01/09/visa-updates-embassy-and-consulate-cl
osures-for-january-2012/> glitch-free. The recent switch to a
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/getting-a-russian-visa-takes
-a-lot-of-application/2012/07/05/gJQAgArxRW_story.html> contractor to accept
visa applications has also not been without problems. Problems are also
commonly created by the fact that
<http://www.waytorussia.net/RussianVisa/RussianConsulates.html> individual
consuls interpret instructions from the Foreign Ministry individually.

This reform will likely be no different. The Foreign Ministry
<http://www.russianembassy.org/Embassy_eng/Consulate/general.html> issued
instructions on its implementation only on the weekend before September 9.
Thus, details like actual procedures, updated forms, etc. will probably not
be ready in time. The instructions also state that applicants will still
need a document from a registered tourist services provider or a host
organization. This means that an "invitation" will still be required,
probably in the same form for tourist visas and probably in a less formal
(and probably less expensive) form for business visas.

The consul head for the Foreign Ministry's North America department has
stated that he
<http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/under-new-visas-mind-the-fine-pr
int/467760.html#ixzz25mu9ZIRS> believes that "old style" visas will be
available to Americans upon request for a period of one year while the new
system is implemented. This should help to alleviate major difficulties
during the transition.

So, while business and tourist visa processing may be a bit more confused
over the next few weeks or months, the reforms should make visas a little
easier in the end. In other good news,
<http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120118/170822070.html> the Russians have
expressed interest in continuing to negotiate further simplifications.

 

 

 

Best

 

Josh Wilson
Assistant Director
The School of Russian and Asian Studies
Editor in Chief
Vestnik, The Journal of Russian and Asian Studies
SRAS.org 
jwilson at sras.org

 


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