TEACHING ENGLISH IN RUSSIA - SOME SCAMS TO BE AWARE OF
Posted: 08 Apr 2020, 21:30
I should prefix this by saying that in 2 years in the Russian Federation I have met many, many lovely, honest, kind, gentle people.
However. However. It seems that amongst the management of language schools there is a tendency to be dishonest. Well; maybe I've had bad luck - but 3 out of 3 schools misled me - some more seriously than others.
1. A well-worked and very dishonest scam. The school made me the offer and then for several months led me by the nose sending a series of emails giving the impression that the Work Visa application was progressing. At the very last minute (when I had made all my plans to leave) they said that there was a temporary delay with the Visa and could I come in on a Business Visa just while this was sorted out. It is illegal to work on a Business Visa in Russia. When I arrived, it turned out that they had not even started the application for the Work Visa and were soon asking me if I could renew the Business Visa....
2. Much the best. At least all the Visa paperwork was in order. But they specifically promised me in reply to a question that I would be working at one site only and when I arrived I found I was expected to travel on a daily basis between their two centres in different towns.
3. Visa paperwork was ok but they registered me in one city and then had me working in another. Only after some months did I discover that they had mislead me over the registration - they had not registered me with the authorities in the new city - rendering me illegal and liable to penalties. In Russia visitors need to register with the authorities in any town you are in for more than 7 days. This was particularly crazy because there was no reason why they could not have registered me - with the cooperation of the landlord of the provided flat - in the new city. The kind of illegality which has no purpose and is simply born of stupidity.
Another scam I've noticed on the Jobs Boards is offering you a contract salary of say, 20,000 rbl but promising you much more. Most likely this is a tax evasion scam - so they only pay tax on the lower figure in the contract. But you'd be crazy to accept this because at any time they could just turn round and say - your salary is what it says in the contract.
I hope i haven't put anyone off going to Russia - a beautiful country with an interesting history and many decent and kind people.
But. Watch out.
However. However. It seems that amongst the management of language schools there is a tendency to be dishonest. Well; maybe I've had bad luck - but 3 out of 3 schools misled me - some more seriously than others.
1. A well-worked and very dishonest scam. The school made me the offer and then for several months led me by the nose sending a series of emails giving the impression that the Work Visa application was progressing. At the very last minute (when I had made all my plans to leave) they said that there was a temporary delay with the Visa and could I come in on a Business Visa just while this was sorted out. It is illegal to work on a Business Visa in Russia. When I arrived, it turned out that they had not even started the application for the Work Visa and were soon asking me if I could renew the Business Visa....
2. Much the best. At least all the Visa paperwork was in order. But they specifically promised me in reply to a question that I would be working at one site only and when I arrived I found I was expected to travel on a daily basis between their two centres in different towns.
3. Visa paperwork was ok but they registered me in one city and then had me working in another. Only after some months did I discover that they had mislead me over the registration - they had not registered me with the authorities in the new city - rendering me illegal and liable to penalties. In Russia visitors need to register with the authorities in any town you are in for more than 7 days. This was particularly crazy because there was no reason why they could not have registered me - with the cooperation of the landlord of the provided flat - in the new city. The kind of illegality which has no purpose and is simply born of stupidity.
Another scam I've noticed on the Jobs Boards is offering you a contract salary of say, 20,000 rbl but promising you much more. Most likely this is a tax evasion scam - so they only pay tax on the lower figure in the contract. But you'd be crazy to accept this because at any time they could just turn round and say - your salary is what it says in the contract.
I hope i haven't put anyone off going to Russia - a beautiful country with an interesting history and many decent and kind people.
But. Watch out.