Getting Another Visa

[Lord Ducky]

Hi, I currently have a 1 year Private Visa in my USA passport. It's a multiple entry visa issued to me as the spouse of a Russian citizen. It's one of the new deal visas, where I don't have to be subject to any 90/180 rules. As soon as I get to St Petersburg I expect to apply for the Temporary Residence Permit and then Permanent.

However, I had a setback and wasn't able to leave for Russia right away. So by the time I get to Russia there will only be 4 months left on this Visa.

The local Russian Visa people who are the official handlers for all Russian visas here where I currently am, Australia, told me that once in Russia, if I wanted to get another Private Visa I would have to apply diectly via MVD ministry of RF, or via gosuslugi portal. Upon reading Gosuslugi portal I saw where it says that this visa can not be extended so I assume that they meant that I could apply for another Private Visa through my spouse from St Petersburg....but I saw no conformation of this on that website.

It would be next to impossible for me go to another country to re-apply if I need more time to get the Temporary Residence permit. I will have no home in the USA or Australia to go back to.

So, I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience on


1) If I can re-apply for another Private Visa through my spouse, from St Petersburg?
2) If 4 months is long enough to get things together to apply for TRP?
3) If you think that I will be asked for a police check from the USA or Australia? My Russian visa is in my USA passport but I applied for the visa from Australia.
4) Is it possible to keep my muth shut about one of those countries and only get a police check from one?

The Russian Consulate is next to useless in Sydney and it's 1,000 miles away anyway.

[Benedikt]

i think, and many people would agree to that, contact VADIM at + sorry, for all the tea in China can't get the name +. But - Fat Andy - for sure does know?

[xt-tsi]

i think, and many people would agree to that, contact VADIM at + sorry, for all the tea in China can't get the name +. But - Fat Andy - for sure does know?

Yep, Vadim at Liga Consulting http://www.rusvisa.org/index.php?sel=home&lang=eng is the man to contact. Tel no is +7 499 978 7805. He saved my bacon several times, also helped family members, colleagues and friends with visas.

[Benedikt]

Yep, Vadim at Liga Consulting http://www.rusvisa.org/index.php?sel=home&lang=eng is the man to contact. Tel no is +7 499 978 7805. He saved my bacon several times, also helped family members, colleagues and friends with visas.

that is the one. thank you for helping me out!

[Lord Ducky]

Yep, Vadim at Liga Consulting http://www.rusvisa.org/index.php?sel=home&lang=eng is the man to contact. Tel no is +7 499 978 7805. He saved my bacon several times, also helped family members, colleagues and friends with visas.

Well,....I am sure as hell going to follow up on that because I after searching around the MVD website which my local Russian Consulate directed me to, I find nothing to do with Visas..... In fact I am about to call Vadin Rus-Visa right now.

[Lord Ducky]

Hmmm....... Vadim is hard to pin down. ... Still trying.

[Benedikt]

Hmmm....... Vadim is hard to pin down. ... Still trying.

suppose he is only ONE of the people who work at Liga consulting? for sure there must be more people there? it is just that -we- know only - Vadim-.

[Benedikt]

suppose he is only ONE of the people who work at Liga consulting? for sure there must be more people there? it is just that -we- know only - Vadim-.

and if you can't get through to him,might help to read through the comments here and try another one? https://www.whodoyou.com/biz/1788479/moscow-moscow

[xt-tsi]

Hmmm....... Vadim is hard to pin down. ... Still trying.

No need to talk to Vadim only. Others who work for him at Liga Consulting have helped me out fast in times of critical need.

Ask anyone who answers the phone at Liga for advice.

[Lord Ducky]

No need to talk to Vadim only. Others who work for him at Liga Consulting have helped me out fast in times of critical need.

Ask anyone who answers the phone at Liga for advice.

Oh...I wish I had know that to begin with. .... I finally did get in touch with Vadim.

I don't think there is a safe way for me to do procede with my situation. Both of my choices could equally suck or be equally successful...... but persistence will win in the end.

He seemed to think that I could run into another problem..... because my marriage certificate from 14 years ago in St Pete's, was filled in using my AU citizenship but the the passport with my current Close Family Private Visa is stamped into my US passport.

Personally, I don't see why that should cause a problem and neither do my Russian in-laws.....but they never went through this process.

[BigBear]

He seemed to think that I could run into another problem..... because my marriage certificate from 14 years ago in St Pete's, was filled in using my AU citizenship but the the passport with my current Close Family Private Visa is stamped into my US passport.

Personally, I don't see why that should cause a problem and neither do my Russian in-laws.....but they never went through this process.

When I was married in Moscow I was “only” British. Later on I also became Belgian and all my applications for visas, residency and nationality were done using my Belgian passport. I never had any problems.

[BigBear]

The marriage certificate doesn't mention the passport details either, or at least mine doesn’t. Obviously the application tp get married does but I’m not convinced that officialdom bothers (or even has the tools necessary) to cross check everything.

[Lord Ducky]

The marriage certificate doesn't mention the passport details either, or at least mine doesn’t. Obviously the application tp get married does but I’m not convinced that officialdom bothers (or even has the tools necessary) to cross check everything.

I am leaning towards using the Australian passport based on being cheaper to get and Apostilled.

Now I am faced with another problem...that of getting money out every month from my banks in USA and Australia due to SWIFT being shut off.

I have been reading another tread on this subject and I see no solution.

[xt-tsi]

I have been reading another tread on this subject and I see no solution.

You might already be following Moscow Expats on FB where this question is discussed often. Someone mentioned Tinkoff has SWIFT. First step though is to talk to your bank in the US and ask them about making transfers to Russia. Make sure you don't tell them you will be living in Russia, if that's your plan. I once spilled the beans and told one of my US banks I live full time in Russia. They made me shut down the account. I now maintain a US address and call my US bank using a paid SKYPE account tied to my US phone number, carefully telling them I'm in Everett Washington. I also keep a US phone number and SIM to confirm bank transfers. Something to think about before moving here.

[Lord Ducky]

You might already be following Moscow Expats on FB where this question is discussed often. Someone mentioned Tinkoff has SWIFT. First step though is to talk to your bank in the US and ask them about making transfers to Russia. Make sure you don't tell them you will be living in Russia, if that's your plan. I once spilled the beans and told one of my US banks I live full time in Russia. They made me shut down the account. I now maintain a US address and call my US bank using a paid SKYPE account tied to my US phone number, carefully telling them I'm in Everett Washington. I also keep a US phone number and SIM to confirm bank transfers. Something to think about before moving here.

Thanks..... I don't do FB ...they won't let me register an account...... just tried agian. Mrs Ducky is on FB though......but asking her for help about anything other than taking selfies is futile and sometimes can be dangerous.

My US bank told me the exact same thing as yours in no uncertain terms. And the AU bank told me that they have zero contact with Russia.
I just got a CitiBank Global account because they told me they would let me use their debit card in Russia....I made the bank operator I was talking to check on that and she affirmed to me it was so. However, I don't quite believe it. So I'm looking into using Bitcoin to get money out of the West just in case.
I may have to get a US phone sim like you too in order to use my US bank to buy Bitcoin with. What a stupid planet. Who are these sanctions supposed to be hurting again?