Spoke to a couple of RFG folks, they all explain that the intent was to reach parity with EU and US, as to 90 days out of 180. Citing the Shengen (sic) and U.S. tourist and some other classes of visa restrictions.
The expectation is that the diplomatic(technical) visas are definitely exempt, and that a "duly registered" work visa will most likely, be exempt. As to student visas, they may not have thought it all the way through. So, likely... also exempt at some point, somehow. This is characterized as an effort to stop foreign folks from "abusing the visa regime" and full time running businesses or holding jobs off a commercial or tourist visa in Russia. Like many other potentially justifiable efforts here, just a bit hampered by lack of attention to legal drafting, perhaps they had gone to unaccredited law school, who can say? The amendment was stuck in the wrong paragraph (oops), it was intended to modify specific visa classes, but... as you know... one size fits all here. Note, as drafted, though there is broad expectation that it will be amended, this applies to ALL visas. I would not particularly count (in light of the holidays) on a resoultion, before the magic date of Jan. 3, 2008 (90 days from publication), so bring local currency to the passport control, as the first violation is a fine. Incidentally, there is nothing retroactive about this, AS the RFG 'merely' changed the rules of application. Somewhat analogously, if you have a driver's license and the highway speed is changed with 90 days' notice to 10 mph slower, that's an application not a retroactive change. Further: Proof of education - not a requirement. Getting visas only in home nation - not a requirement. OK... all of this intellectual activity is exhausting, I am going back to writing snarky and incomprehensible messages to my life mate (blush) A. Shifrin. _______________________________________________ Expat mailing list [email protected] http://www.lists.ru/mailman/listinfo/expat http://www.expat.ru/forum/
