Germany: support for those who are against the war

In May, Germany made it easier for Russians who oppose the war to enter. Now human rights activists, lawyers, journalists and scientists will receive a German national visa D, a residence permit and the right to work under a simplified procedure. To do this, it will be necessary to prove that they are being persecuted. There are similar humanitarian visas in Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, they are issued to opposition journalists and activists. However, strong evidence is needed that a person needs international protection, and due to the influx of refugees, obtaining such a visa in these countries is difficult and time consuming. The period of validity of the visa is determined by the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Germany's proposal now looks the most realistic. In addition, family members can also enter the country on a long-term D visa.

How to come and stay:

1. You can enter Germany on a Schengen visa and apply there as a person from a risk group.
2. If there is no Schengen, you need to try to apply for a tourist visa at the visa center . Officially, he accepts applications for Schengen "only in exceptional cases and only in Moscow." Another option is to apply for a Schengen visa through a representative office of another country (Spain, Bulgaria, Belgium, Italy, France). The third option, if you need to leave Russia very urgently, is to go first to Georgia or Armenia, and already there, through German diplomatic missions, apply for a visa.
3. In Germany, you need to contact the German Foreign Ministry. Applications will be reviewed by German diplomats and the Minister of State for Culture and the Media.

The national visa D gives the right to live and work. The term of its validity is vague - while the reasons that forced the move remain.

Useful links:

• Guide to notion on relocation to Germany
• Brochure with information for migrants
• Job search platforms: new-start.media , karriere.de , connecticum.de .

Israel: expedited repatriation

With the outbreak of the war, Israel simplified the repatriation procedure not only for immigrants from Ukraine, but also for Russian citizens. Consular appointments in Russia are closed months in advance, but you can start the process directly in Israel. If earlier the decision on granting citizenship could be expected for months, now it takes a maximum of two weeks.

You can get citizenship if you have Jewish roots up to the third generation (grandparents). New immigrants are entitled to an absorption basket - financial support for the first year of life in Israel. You can learn Hebrew for free for six months. In addition, Russians can enter Israel without a visa.

Citizenship may not be given because of religion - Muslims and Orthodox may be denied. It is also possible that you will have to start with low-skilled work in a country where prices are very high.

How to come and stay:

1. Russians enter without a visa on a passport.
2. Directly at the airport, to passport control, you need to follow the signs to Consul Nativ and provide documents proving Jewish roots. At the same time, Russians and Ukrainians now do not need to provide police clearance certificates, apostille and translate documents.
3. The consul first checks all the documents and starts the process of changing the status from a tourist to a repatriate. You have to wait a couple of weeks for a decision. If it is positive, the person immediately receives citizenship.

Dasha Grozovskaya moved to Israel with her husband, mother and two children. Her husband has Jewish roots.

“There, right at the airport, we went to a special door to the consul and applied for repatriation. Everything happened quickly - in three days we were already issued passports. We did not occupy crazy queues, did not rush to different places. During this time, we lived in a hotel in Jerusalem, which is paid by the state (since June, the Israeli authorities have stopped paying for hotels for new repatriates).

We were given an absorption basket. The allowance is calculated depending on the composition of the family. This money comes to the bank account every month. In addition, those who entered the country from February 23 to July 1 are entitled to additional money for renting housing - they also depend on the number of family members. These payments go on for 12 months. The five of us live in the same apartment in the local science city of Rehovot. Rent - 5,000 shekels per month. The state gives us this amount. If the family is smaller, then their apartment will be smaller, and the amount of support will be different. There are good schools here, you can walk everywhere, and although it is not easy for children to adapt, we like it here.”

Useful links:

• Description of emergency repatriation on the website of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration
• Google Doc with useful information for repatriates
• Telegram channel about emergency repatriation

Sweden: Residence Permit for Master and Specialist Graduates to Find a Job

From June 1, Sweden issues a residence permit for a period of three to nine months for those who have a master's or specialist (not a bachelor's) degree. The year of release is not important. It is assumed that during this time it is possible to find work in Sweden. If nine months is not enough, you will have to leave, and if you find a job, you can get a new residence permit on a work visa. Also during this time you can open your business in Sweden and then get a business visa.

The application can be submitted to the Swedish Embassy at the place of stay (in Russia there may be technical difficulties, it is better to try from the nearest visa-free countries). It is not necessary to know Swedish.

Among the disadvantages of this method is the need to prove the availability of the required amount on the account - 13,000 kroons per month (about 76 thousand rubles), while you cannot work while looking for a suitable job in Sweden. Plus, you will need to buy medical insurance for the entire stay.

You can't bring your family with this visa.

How to come and stay:

1. You need to fill out the form at the link .
2. Submit a form to the consulate with the following package of documents:

• international passport
• A translated copy of the diploma with a list of disciplines
• Bank statement or other documents proving the availability of funds for living at the rate of 130,000 kroons for 1 month.
• Medical insurance
• Consent for the Swedish consul to contact your educational institution to verify the diploma (provided at the end of the form )

This program is completely new, the decision-making deadlines are not specified, but there are no special conditions for the Russians.

Useful links:

• Description of residence permit for job search on the website of the Swedish Migration Service
• Website for job search in Sweden

Argentina: residence permit for rentier

In Argentina, there has long been an understandable and uncomplicated way to obtain a residence permit - you need to prove a permanent passive income abroad. There can be three options for such income: renting real estate, income from debt repayment or income from investments. The first one is the most popular. According to official requirements, the amount must be at least 30,000 pesos, which is about 10,000 rubles. However, there has long been talk in the country that the bar should be raised, so everyone is advised to focus on $1000-1500 per family when submitting documents.

Another option is to have a baby in Argentina. He immediately receives citizenship, and parents - permission for permanent residence. After the outbreak of the war, the conditions for the Russians did not change.

Russians do not need a visa to enter the country. Residence permit for rentier is given for one year, and it can be extended. Three years of living in Argentina give the right to citizenship of Argentina (according to the passport - visa-free entry to Europe, the UK and Australia). This is a suitable option for those who have a remote job with a salary in foreign currency: there are few jobs in Argentina itself and they are poorly paid.

How to come and stay:

1. Russians enter with a passport without a visa. You can stay in the country for 90 days.
2. To apply for a rentier visa, you need to apostille all your documents in Russia, including the basis of ownership of real estate and an extract from the USRN.
3. In Argentina, you need to translate documents from Russian into Spanish by contacting a board of certified translators .
4. Then submit the translated documents online with an apostille.
   They include: a foreign passport, a certificate of good conduct from Russia, a certificate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Argentina stating that you have not committed offenses in the country, a certificate from the place of residence in Argentina, a document confirming a regular monthly income (agreement on the lease of property / agreement on installment sale of real estate).
5. Then you cannot leave the country until they issue a precaria - a document confirming that your documents for a residence permit are being processed. With precaria, you can already enter the country and leave it.
6. Within 90 days, an invitation will come to the migration service for an interview, where you need to come with the original documents.

Residence permit is given for one year, it can be extended. After three years of living in Argentina, you can get permanent residence.

Anastasia Chizhevskaya moved with her husband to Argentina and talks about it in her blog .

“We decided to move to Argentina, because it is quite easy to get citizenship here, there are 14 grounds for a residence permit. There is also beautiful nature, free medicine and education, low prices (if you get income in dollars), and Buenos Aires is the spitting image of Barcelona.

We will apply for a residence permit very soon. The translation of the entire package of documents cost us 60,000 pesos (a little over 20,000 rubles). They need to be certified by the college of translators, after which they can be submitted electronically. Then we will wait for the precaria - this is a temporary document that confirms that our case for a residence permit is under consideration. With it, you can register in local services, in taxis, on marketplaces, and even leave the country.

There is no negative attitude towards Russians here. On the contrary, they sympathize that we have such a government. The history of Argentina has something in common with the history of our country, so they separate the people and the authorities and do not blame people for the decisions of the government.”

Useful links:

• Website about immigration to Argentina
• Guide to notion
• Russian chat about Argentina

Serbia: residence permit when buying real estate

To obtain a residence permit (for the whole family) in Serbia, you can buy an apartment or a house, and the minimum price is not indicated by the state. This is a big plus - after all, for example, in Turkey you need to buy real estate for at least $400,000 (the amount increased after February 24, before the issue price was $250,000). There are two requirements for this type of residence permit: the property must be registered in the cadastre and habitable. At the same time, after the purchase, it is imperative to live there, and not elsewhere - this is checked. Prices per square meter range from $500 to $2000.

This is a visa-free country for Russians, and Air Serbia has direct flights from Russia to Serbia.

How to come and stay:

1. Russians enter with a passport without a visa. You can stay in the country for 30 days.
2. On the first day, it is necessary to issue a “white cardboard” - a certificate of the stay of a foreigner. The owner of the apartment or hotel that receives you fills out this certificate online on the E-uprava portal, or goes with you to the nearest police station. It is important to issue a "white cardboard" in the first 24 hours - a certificate is needed for a residence permit.
3. Then, through an agency or on your own, look for a suitable property.
4. Sign the contract of sale at the notary in the presence of a court interpreter.
5. Then you personally submit documents for a residence permit to the Office for Foreigners:

• international passport
• "White Cardboard"
• Proof of ownership of real estate
• Medical insurance
• Paying an administrative fee
• Two color photographs
• Questionnaire

Documents are issued up to 8 weeks. After submitting the documents, the country cannot be left until the residence permit is ready. It is given for 6 months, then it can be renewed every year. It does not give the right to visa-free entry to Europe (but it is easier to get a Schengen with it). After 5 years of life, you can get permanent residence, after another 3 years - citizenship.

Vladislav Chuprov, administrator of the Facebook community “Come in large numbers! Serbia”, moved to Serbia with his wife.

“I realized that I needed to leave after the events of May 6, 2012. My wife and I sold everything and went where it was easier - to Belgrade. They hired a local translator and spent 30 days looking for accommodation from morning to evening. Contacting Russian-speaking Serbian agencies is a bad idea. They believe that every Russian has his own oil rig in the yard, so prices are inflated. In principle, they were created in order to spud those who move, for whom it is obviously easier to sell more expensive than the locals.

We found a house on the 29th day, on the 30th we made a deal. Then we made an extract from the cadastre and took the documents for a residence permit. Two weeks later received a residence permit.

In three years, 14,000 people have joined my Facebook group, and in the three months since February 24, another 26,000. Naturally, now there are queues, but this is not scary, because they still give a residence permit for buying real estate. The main thing is to apply for a residence permit in the first 30 days.

There is a myth that Russians are very fond of Serbia. In fact, the Serbs do not care. All taxi drivers will tell you that they adore Russia, and Putin is a great leader. They want more tips and think Russians like to hear that. Only a lazy neighbor didn't tell me that. I immediately indicate: “Putin is a dictator, don’t come to me with this again.”

There is a myth that Russians are very fond of Serbia. In fact, the Serbs do not care

Useful links:

• Guide to notion
• Telegram chat about moving to Serbia

USA: programs for students, scientists and researchers

In the US, as well as in Europe, students , researchers and scientists can still leave. The American funds Scholars at risk and Scholar Rescue Fund announce and open new positions for researchers whose lives and work are at risk. Preference is given to Ukrainians, but applications are also accepted from those scientists from Russia and Belarus who are subject to political persecution. These are mostly short-term positions, but on-site university staff are usually looking for options to leave a colleague to work on. Now there are many positions, the criteria for admission have been reduced, but you need to independently look for a suitable program, apply and complete all the documents.

Preference is given to Ukrainians, but applications are also accepted from persecuted scientists from Russia and Belarus

This option is suitable for those who want to continue working in an academic environment. You can move with your family, and some places don't even require IELTS/TOEFL certificates anymore.

The problem may be that it is now impossible to obtain a US visa in Russia, you have to apply to consulates in other countries. In addition, the work is provided for a certain period, then you will have to come up with other options.

How to come and stay:

First you need to apply to the Scholars at risk and Scholar Rescue Fund or find an academic position on your own (for example, in an aggregator ). Now there are offers from the following American universities:

• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Harriman Institute
• Hunter College of the City University of New York
• NYU School of Law
• University of Chicago
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Stanford, Taube Center for Jewish Studies
  

1. After a positive answer, you need to apply for a visa for participants in academic exchange programs (visas category "J") or student visas (visas categories "F" and "M").
2. In Russia, you can’t apply for such a visa right now - they only accept applications for non-immigrant visas. For an immigrant visa, you need to go to Warsaw, where the US Embassy has become a point for issuing immigrant visas for Russians.
3. Category J, F, and M visas must be applied for at US consular offices in Kazakhstan, Serbia, and Armenia, or at US diplomatic missions in other countries at the place of current residence.

Useful links:

• Telegram-channel of mutual assistance for displaced scholars Dear colleagues
• A network of academic institutions for scientists at risk Open Society University Network (OSUN)
• List of grant programs for free study in the USA