HIV test for long-term visa

[Renee Stillings | Alinga]

This type of visa "ucheba" is generally intended for long-term students -
degree study for example, as it is easily extended for each year. While in
some consulates this may fly as a "short-term visa" since only one month is
shown (this is I think also done to limit abuse of this type of visa amongst
students of some countries who might get the visa and neglect to pay for
studies) the Seattle consulate did definitely recognize this type of visa as
long-term and necessitating the HIV test. For a period, MGU was only issuing
this type of visa (even for 1-2 month courses!) and so our students were
even having to get HIV tests for short courses! But we have managed to get
them to use the "stazhirovka" visa now whenever possible.

Also, "ucheba" visas are entry only - meaning that the student must remember
to request the exit visa a couple of weeks before departure.

On more visa-related issues, it appears that the Russian Embassy in the US
has come up with a new visa application form - it sort of merges the
original application with the Form 95 (required for males) and adds a few
more questions. At the moment, it seems that they will still accept the old
formats by mail, but I suppose as some point they will refuse - or come up
with yet another format.

> It's also possible that this has to do with the visa type.  It is standard
> practice in some universities to set up a one-month visa which they extend
> up to six months once the student arrives.  The reason for this, if I'm
not
> mistaken, is that it allows them to process the invitations through their
> local OVIR rather than deal with the MVD, which is slower and more
> expensive.  I got precisely such a visa through the RGGU International
> Office two years ago and didn't need HIV documentation to extend
> it.  However, Russian immigration law can change at the drop of a hat
(e.g.
> the "immigration card" system introduced last year with no provisions for
> foreigners already in Russia), and there is always the possibility that
HIV
> documentation will suddenly be required to extend visas.  So, better safe
> than sorry.
>

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