Archive for January, 2010
No To Working In Moscow
All matters related to the arrival of a foreigner in Russia are dealt with in Federal Law entitled On the rights of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation also known as the Law on Foreigners. Among the items this law covers is the one regarding an expatriate working in the Russian Federation. Under this law all foreigners are free to exercise their capability to work choose their career and profession and have the right to freely utilize their personal property in any enterprise or economic undertaking not prohibited by law. Like many other Russian laws this one certainly sounds appealing and democratic.
The dilemma lies in the fact that this law can at least for the time being be considered Utopian but in practice foreigners in Russia cannot use their means freely because back in 1993 a procedure was established for employers to attract and use foreign labor. This system is still in force even with the passage of the new law. In order for a company registered in Russia to have the right to legally employ a foreigner it has to secure two permits. The first is the permission to invite and employ foreign labor; the second is a work permit for every foreign worker.
The permit procedure consists of five steps and takes an average of five months with the help of a company that specializes in registering foreigners. This time period it should be noted is approximate and comes from information garnered from the State administration which essentially means that it could take much longer. If a company decides to seek a permit independently without recourse to a professional company the time may drag on indefinitely.
The tour of the offices consists of the following:
1. The first step for an employer who wants to hire a foreigner is to apply to the district employment office at the place where the company is registered for a permit to invite and employ foreign labor IRS a temporary document that allows him to receive the actual permit at a later date. At the Office it is necessary to explain in detail the reason for inviting a foreign employee and to answer the question why can the company not hire a Russian citizen; to present registration and charter documents for the Company; to fill out statistical forms on the Company need for foreign workers and their future salary; and to provide a copy of the proposed employment contract. The Company must also specify what country the worker will be coming from and what position he will occupy.
This way the employer is registering not some theoretical worker but rather a person he knows personally and with whom he has already reached an agreement about a specific position.
2. After receiving written permission at the center the employer takes all the necessary documents to the appropriate department of the Federal Employment Administration according to the Subject of the Federation for example Moscow. Examination of the documents takes place without the presence of the employer which on the one hand avoids additional running around but on the other hand increases the time necessary for reviewing the documents.
3. After receiving official permission and a conclusion the employer must go to the territorial department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs MVD. In Moscow these functions are fulfilled by the Moscow GUVD municipal militia or police Foreign Migration Department. The employer will be subjected to more detailed scrutiny and the list of documents he must present will be substantially longer. In addition to the above documents the employer will also be asked for his last financial statement with the stamp of the Tax Inspector and a number of other documents that testify to the economic state of the Company.
If all his documents are in order and the GUVD is ready to give its assent the employer will have to pay a federal fee.
4. With this permission payment order and the packet of documents the GUVD demanded in hand the employer next goes to the Federal Migration Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs MID of the Russian Federation. This is the department that will issue him a definitive permit to invite and hire a foreign worker or workers.
5. Having secured this permit the employer returns to the territorial department of the MVD migration section to receive permission for a specific individual. It is at this stage that the foreign citizen whom the prospective employer is trying to register is checked out. The company must have been in contact with the prospective employee and must have secured several necessary documents from him including his diplomas and a physician certificate including negative results of an HIV blood test and must provide the MDV with copies of these along with copies of his passport and visa.
Only after successfully completing all these procedures can an employer or company intending to hire a foreigner or the foreign employee consider themselves invulnerable and protected from any untoward incidents in case of a verification or check by the authorities.
But they cannot rest easy very long as a work permit is good for no more than one year and as soon as a foreigner receives his first permit he must immediately begin the procedure for obtaining the next one.
Because of all the difficulties involved qualified foreign experts frequently lose out to illegal immigrants from neighboring countries illegally working in Russia. Obtaining a permit is so involved that employees are not always able to complete the renewal process in time and as a result runs into the problem of being unable to continue working.
Will the procedure for registering foreign workers on the Russian market be simplified? And to what extent do the Russian authorities acknowledge the difficulties and inadequacies of the existing system?
About the writer: Winston Johns is a correspondent of the famous Danish newspaper in Moscow Russia. For the past 2 years he has been working as a freelance journalist and editor for Moscow Hotels web site.
Nostalgic Tales About Lapta
It has not achieved its high status recently but enjoyed it for a very long time even if we go back far in history we realize it was as popular as tody. The kingdom of Lapithos is one of the best examples for its prestigious standing.
Lapta: Cyprus was invaded by pirates repeatedly in the period from 5001200. The invaders and plunderers were mostly Arabic pirates. Thus the residents of Lambusa weary of the constant attacks abandoned their town and moved to the area of Lapta Ba?p?nar which corresponds to the village of Lapta today. In the ancient times settlements were built close to rivers or water sources; Lapta is one of these. The treasures and valuables found in the abandoned town of Lambusa are on display in several large museums of the world. Some of these are the Laon Museum in Paris the British Museum the large museum in New York the Museum of Berlin in Germany and Russias largest museum in Moscow. Lambusa is one of the most ancient towns of the world and its legacy is Lapta.
The Pashas Story
There are numerous tales told about Lapta. One of these is about a Pasha a General and his family. Once upon a time there was a General who wanted to arrange the marriage of his only daughter. Thus he prepares the new home of his daughter and the dowry. During these days of preparation however he is afflicted by nightmares of a whitebearded man saying I do not want adultery in my house. The Pasha shrugs the nightmare off as a mere dream and goes through with the planned wedding. On the wedding day however as the bride and groom walk up to stairs to their bedroom the house breaks down. The Pasha and his family leave Lapta in fear and move to Akatu the village called Esentepe today. Their descendants now live in the Meserya villages the settlements in the lowlands between the Five Finger and Trodos Mountains. Some say that Asil Nadir is also related to this family. You know the story of Asil Nadir buying back the house of his Pasha forefgathers you see his house in Lapta today is the house the story above is about. The ruin of the house still exists and there is a mihrabshaped cavity in one of its stone walls. A mihrab is the niche in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca. Earlier the Turkish part of Laptas residents went to this ruin to light candles and pray. Once the house collapsed it gained an immense importance. Nowadays however no one goes there to light candles and pray.
A Shared Place Of Prayer Of Turkish and Greek Cypriots Ayekserono was a olace with a religious value for both Turkish and Greek Cypriots. The Greeks believed it was the tomb of a holy lady named Ayeksorono. According to them she was Christian according to the Turkish Cypriots she was Muslim. The Greeks argued they saw her kneeling reading the Bible while the Turks argued they saw her reading the Koran deeply lost in prayer. Despite the disagreements Ayeksorono was a special place for both Greeks and Turks so they came to light candles and pray. Another story is about Ali Mavra Kara K?z a dark complexioned girl.
North Cyprus Hotels It is also a place to light candles. According the Tukish Cypriots the girl can be seen dressed in white praying in the church praying. This is the reason why both Greek and Turkish Cypriots came to pray and light candles. That is to say these two legends gave a reason to both Greek and Turkish Cypriots to worship these two places in Lapta in history.
About the writer: Write about cyprus villageslove to write about cyprus visiting village and historical places lots of information for cyprus visitors
Nice And The South Of France In January
For several years I have spent few days in January in the south of France staying near Antibes. The visits have usually taken place near the end of the month and have always been very lucky with the weather.
Visiting the picturesque village of VillefranchesurMer located a few kms along the coast to the east of Nice on a Sunday have seen on the sheltered sandy beach people in their bathing costumes and other people walking along the road a few metres away wearing fur coats.
Like anywhere there can be exceptional weather conditions there was thick snow at Antibes on the 24th November 08 and Marseille came to a grinding halt as a result of the snow on the 7th January. Along the coast at Nice it was just wet and windy. Riviera Radios local French news reported that city authorities were being blamed for the chaos and not being prepared for the bad weather. That sounds similar criticism of local authorities back in England who are often accused of not being prepared!
Last year I went up to GrolireslesNeiges which is a small ski resort approximately three quarters of an hour drive from Nice. It was very hot around sixteen degrees in the snow and as you walked along you certainly did not need a jacket.
This year although I did not visit the area apparently the snowfall had been much heavier and for someone wanting to take a ski holiday and many visitors stay closer to the coast and drive up to the resort each day. This means they have the benefit of more choice of accommodation and the towns and beaches along the coast to relax in when not skiing.
The city of Nice is well worth a visit at any time of the year in January it is ideal for climbing up to the top of Le Chteau. You can of course take the lift or even drive; however a walk on a mild January day to the top of La Colline du Chateau with the panoramic views of the city the mountains the sea and the airport in the distance. You can walk around to the other side and look down onto the Port. There are two cemeteries a Roman Catholic and a Jewish one standing side by side.
The new tram system is now well established. It opened in November 2007 some fifty three years after the old system was closed. The line has been incorporated well into the paving and grass on the streets and offers a very regular service.
There is an excellent choice of shops and department stores like Galeries Lafayette.
A visit to the Cte d’Azur would not be complete without a walk from Antibes old town to Cap dAntibes. Park near the port and walk through the archway into the old town. Walk up to the ramparts and take in the view across to Baie des Anges the interesting apartments built in a semi circle by the harbour Nice Airport Aroport Nice Cte d’Azur with the sun setting and walking along the coast past the beaches The Plage du Ponteil and Le Salis beach and start to walk around the Cap.
The area is full of expensive property and one such villa was for sale with a For Sale board reflecting the new cliental in the Cte d’Azur. It was written in French English and Russian.
A winter visit to the south of France would not be complete without going across the border into Italy. It takes under an hour to get there via the A8 autoroute and lunch by the sea at Bordighera. This area along the coast suffered a lot during the heavy storms in November with several sea front restaurants being destroyed.
Ventimiglia is the first town over the border. There is very large weekly market on a Friday attracting numerous visitors from Italy and over the border from France. The French are also attracted by the supermarkets and drink shops as the duty of alcholol in Italy is much lower than in France and at the border with Menton there are outlets within ten metres of the border.
Driving back along the coast road in January is a pleasure. It can be very crowded in the summer months back following the coast via Menton into Monaco and Nice is great.
If you are thinking of going self catering take a look at the selection of holiday homes available at www.jmlvillas.com or www.cotedazurrental.com and of course dont forget your travel insurance particularly if you are skiing from www.jmlinsurance.co.uk
About the writer: Philip Suter is a Director of jml Property Services; http://www.jmlproperty.co.uk a UK based company offering Insurance products on line at http://www.jmlinsurance.co.uk and a holiday home advertising service and management training within the UK. He is a very experienced property consultant with over 30 years work in the Residential letting business in the UK and served on the National Council of ARLA. He is a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents NAEA and a Member of The association of Residential Letting Agents ARLA