Receiving a visa to enter and stay in Russia has become increasing difficult over the last few years. There are a few signs that things might be getting easier and hopefully changing in years to come, but right now this is how our visa situation looks.
How are you planning on staying in Russia?
· Residence Visa (3-year visa): If we own property or have a three-year lease on an apartment, we can apply for a residence visa. This is the most ideal option for staying in Russia, but also the most difficult. We currently know of zero foreigners who have been able to receive this type of visa in Tuva, but there are other missionaries throughout Russia that have had success.
· Work Visa through InterAct Russia (3 months) following by a Work Permit (which extends visa to 1 year). It would be ideal to receive this through InterAct Russia to work for them in assisting Tuvan churches. Receiving the 3 month visa has worked for missionaries so far, but everyone has been denied the 1-year extension. We are praying that as InterAct Russia, which was started in 2008, becomes more established, that this option will become more viable.
How are you planning on staying in Russia?
· Residence Visa (3-year visa): If we own property or have a three-year lease on an apartment, we can apply for a residence visa. This is the most ideal option for staying in Russia, but also the most difficult. We currently know of zero foreigners who have been able to receive this type of visa in Tuva, but there are other missionaries throughout Russia that have had success.
· Work Visa through InterAct Russia (3 months) following by a Work Permit (which extends visa to 1 year). It would be ideal to receive this through InterAct Russia to work for them in assisting Tuvan churches. Receiving the 3 month visa has worked for missionaries so far, but everyone has been denied the 1-year extension. We are praying that as InterAct Russia, which was started in 2008, becomes more established, that this option will become more viable.
Russian Visa Options
· Work Visa through other business (3 months) following by a Work Permit (which extends visa to 1 year). We could receive a work permit from an English school in Tuva to work for them teaching English. Obviously this would not be ideal because we would have to work and would not be able to put our full energy into ministry. However, this would give us the ability to live in Tuva on a regular basis.
· Bi-Locational Ministry. There are several ways to receive a 3-month visa, but following the 3 months we would not be allowed to reenter Russia until another 3 months has passed. We refer to this as the "90 days in/90 days out" visa option. Simply put, we would minister in Tuva for 90 days then relocate to another location (like nearby Mongolia for 90 days). Having a young child, we do not see this being a long-term (more than 2 years) option at this point.
· Student Visa (1 year). Currently we are in Russian under a student visa, studying Russian at Novosibirsk State University. The only student visa option that we have in Tuva is to enroll at Tuva State University, but it would be a 5-year program. Studying there would include 6 hours of classes a day, plus a lot of studying to be able to stay in the program (Can you imagine learning college-level- biology in a different language?) This would be a good option if we did not have Samuel, but for our whole family to be in Tuva, both of us would have to enroll in classes, which would be hard enough on our family, let alone not have any time for ministry.
So, is it a waste of time to be studying Russian, when we have to go through so much trouble to work in Russia? Absolutely, YES! There is a clear need for church planting among the unreached people groups of Siberia, and although it may be difficult, we strongly believe that God will provide a way. If we have to leave Russia for an unexpected 3-month period, we will still know the language and culture and can use technology like the internet, Skype, and email to continue relationships, train and encourage church leaders, and strategically plan how to best serve the Tuvan people.
· Bi-Locational Ministry. There are several ways to receive a 3-month visa, but following the 3 months we would not be allowed to reenter Russia until another 3 months has passed. We refer to this as the "90 days in/90 days out" visa option. Simply put, we would minister in Tuva for 90 days then relocate to another location (like nearby Mongolia for 90 days). Having a young child, we do not see this being a long-term (more than 2 years) option at this point.
· Student Visa (1 year). Currently we are in Russian under a student visa, studying Russian at Novosibirsk State University. The only student visa option that we have in Tuva is to enroll at Tuva State University, but it would be a 5-year program. Studying there would include 6 hours of classes a day, plus a lot of studying to be able to stay in the program (Can you imagine learning college-level- biology in a different language?) This would be a good option if we did not have Samuel, but for our whole family to be in Tuva, both of us would have to enroll in classes, which would be hard enough on our family, let alone not have any time for ministry.
So, is it a waste of time to be studying Russian, when we have to go through so much trouble to work in Russia? Absolutely, YES! There is a clear need for church planting among the unreached people groups of Siberia, and although it may be difficult, we strongly believe that God will provide a way. If we have to leave Russia for an unexpected 3-month period, we will still know the language and culture and can use technology like the internet, Skype, and email to continue relationships, train and encourage church leaders, and strategically plan how to best serve the Tuvan people.
