By Irina Lakaeva
04/13/2001
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow recently launched an initiative to
streamline the issuance of business visitors' visas to applicants from
select Russian companies. This new program facilitates visa issuance
without a personal interview provided that the sponsoring companies
maintain a solid record of proper applicant visa use. Discussions with
several firms located in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, the major centers of
Russian software development, highlighted the shared interest in applicants
returning to Russia following their travel to the US, and in the
appropriateness of using business visitor's visas for qualified travelers.
The initiative reaffirms an Embassy-wide commitment to facilitate business
travel, and recognizes the growing importance of the IT sector in bilateral
trade with Russia. End summary.
1. The availability of highly talented and inexpensive computer
programming personnel in Russia has resulted in the growth of the "offshore
programming" business, especially in the regions of Moscow, St. Petersburg,
Nizhniy Novgorod and Novosibirsk. Offshore programming is the term used to
describe the business outsourcing of software development beyond national
boundaries. Currently many Russian companies serve as sole contractor with
a U.S. partner that often invests in the Russian company's infrastructure
and outfitting.
2. The outsourcing arrangements require frequent travel of Russian
technical personnel to the United States for training and project support.
Training visits occur at the site of the US company and provide technical
and administrative staff the opportunity to learn new equipment and develop
detailed contractual arrangements. They may also include participation in
IT conferences and events. These trips are brief, no more than several
weeks, and are usually sponsored by the US partner. Project work is more
variable, and includes final installation and testing of software,
troubleshooting, and maintenance visits. While most firms prefer to send
their seasoned veterans, it is often the case that a new hire will be sent
overseas in a supporting role.
3. Despite the legitimacy of the business travel to the United States
undertaken by employees of reputable Russian IT companies, such
applications for visas have proved difficult to adjudicate. The U.S.
Embassy in Moscow regularly receives visa applications from Russians who
work, or claim to work, in the computer software industry and wish to
travel to the United States. Many of these applicants do not appear to be
well qualified during visa interviews, as they tend to be young, single,
and without a record of previous foreign travel. In addition, many do not
own property, have only recently received post-secondary degrees, and do
not have a strong work history. Taken together, these factors might result
in the denial of such an applicant's visa.
4. From the perspective of legitimate Russian IT companies, there is a
clear need to retain talented employees in-house, and realize long-term
returns on their investments in employee training programs. The
competition for talent is high, and many firms actively recruit and train
new employees through extensive partnerships with the local technical and
state universities. Recent graduates typically earn between US$400 and US
$ 600 per month, while experienced employees earn upwards of US$1,000. In
addition, some of the more established Russian software companies have
initiated recruitment and retention bonuses, including relocation benefits,
stock options, and lump-sum relocation benefits to attract and retain
talent. While such remuneration is considered princely in many parts of
Russia, it still allows Russian offshore programming shops to be highly
competitive in the global market for software development.
5. The need to train IT personnel in the United States, and their
consequent need for visitors visas posed a challenge for the applicants and
for Consular Officers alike. Many of the sponsoring firms are relatively
new and small. They acknowledge that their visa applicants often presented
marginal cases during visa interviews because of their youth, and lack of a
solid professional track record.
6. To address these issues, the Non-Immigrant Visa Section of the U.S.
Embassy has begun developing a program which, through cooperation with
reputable Russian IT firms, will streamline the visa application process
for qualified applicants. The Commercial Service in Moscow is participating
by helping identify suitable Russian firms for inclusion in the program.
7. In order to better understand the unique circumstances and
qualifications of these applicants, as well as the visa needs of companies
involved in this rapidly growing sector of the Russian economy, the
Non-Immigrant Visa chief and staff members traveled to Nizhny Novgorod and
met with several software firms there. Based on the results of such fact
finding, the Embassy's Consular Section is currently finalizing a procedure
which, within a strict set of conditions, will waive visa interviews for
employees of select IT firms that meet the criteria for participation in
the program.
8. The level of development and initiative exhibited by many new dynamic
software companies in Russia is impressive. The creation and growth of such
small and medium-sized enterprises may prove crucial in establishing the
market economy there on a firm base. While unlocking the huge potential of
Russia's human resources they offer their young employees not only
interesting work for good wages, but also the promise of a bright future
without leaving their homeland. The U.S. Embassy recognizes that increased
business travel by computer professionals resident in Russia will benefit
both nations, and will continue to explore mutually beneficial, trade
enhancing initiatives with Russian partners.
This report is provided courtesy of the Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS)
Posted on: 08/17/02
Source: http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/country/010413visa.htm
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