How to go to live in Goa (India): immigration conditions, how to get a residence permit, permanent residence

Immigration to the mysterious India is a rather difficult task. It is very, very difficult for a foreigner who wants to go to live for permanent residence to obtain citizenship in this country; even obtaining permanent resident status is associated with certain difficulties. Most foreigners coming to Goa are content with a residence permit, periodically renewing it.

Features of immigration to India and Goa

To cross the Indian border, Russians will need an entry permit. Visas to India are single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry (multiple-entry), which require a corresponding number of entries into the country. India is one of the countries of the British Commonwealth. As a rule, the immigration laws of these countries are quite strict and strictly regulated. Moving to Goa, which is considered the most colorful of the 28 Indian states, has its own characteristics, however, Indian immigration laws apply.

What advantages does a Russian acquire who decides to settle on ancient Indian soil? Let us briefly list the main ones:

legal long-term residence in India, a country with rich cultural traditions, Buddhist philosophy and mysterious history;
the opportunity to legally work in India;
the right to purchase real estate in Indian territory;
the opportunity to do business and invest in the Indian economy;
life in India is incredibly cheap (by Western standards), so a resident of the country can feel rich even with minimal funds;
the right to receive higher education in India.

India is not a priority immigration destination for Russians. The number of compatriots moving to the Hindustan Peninsula is stable from year to year.

India is a mysterious and enigmatic country with a thousand-year history

What are the pros and cons of immigration to India?

It is difficult to talk about general criteria for assessing life in India and moving to this country for Russians. A businessman engaged in the export of Indian medicines will have his own priorities, and a Russian woman married to an Indian will consider the situation from her own point of view.

In India you can find beggars at every turn.

A few words about the benefits

The undoubted advantages of moving to India include:

residency in India gives the right to long-term residence in this country, which has rich cultural traditions and history, professing the philosophy of Buddhism,
the right to legal work in the republic,
the opportunity to purchase housing or real estate for other special purposes (for example, commercial) in the country,
a resident of India can register and run his own business, invest money in the economy,
Indian life will seem simply incredibly cheap to a Russian. Even a person with below average income in Russia will feel rich here.

What are the disadvantages of immigration?

It is impossible not to mention the following disadvantages of immigration to India:

very strict immigration policy,
An extremely difficult epidemiological situation in the country, especially in its large cities. India is in first place in the world (!) in terms of tuberculosis incidence,
a radical difference between the local mentality and the Russian one,
There are very few Orthodox Christians in India,
the crime situation in many large Indian cities is extremely tense,
In India, bureaucracy and bribery are developed. When filling out any paperwork for an immigrant, they will try to put a spoke in the wheels of the immigrant and transparently hint at gratitude. Registration of resident status will require a large amount of paperwork,
Indian citizenship is very difficult to obtain,
The level of wages for highly qualified specialists from Russia in India is lower than, for example, in South Korea or China, not to mention the countries of the European Union.

Categories of residence permit in India

There are two types of residence permit in India: temporary and permanent. A temporary residence permit is valid for one year and then requires renewal. It can be extended an unlimited number of times.

A permanent residence permit (analogous to permanent residence) is theoretically unlimited, but in practice it will require confirmation every five or ten years.

A residence permit (temporary and permanent type) does not equate its holder to a citizen of India. Along with the advantages, the status of a temporary or permanent resident of the country has several disadvantages:

the residence permit may be canceled by the Indian authorities;
at the next renewal, you may be refused due to failure to fulfill the conditions on the basis of which it was originally issued;
the presence of serious problems with Indian law may cause an immigrant to automatically lose his resident status.

Russians in India

Russian people are attracted to India by its warm climate, exoticism and marriage contracts. There are many examples when Russian entrepreneurs connect business with an exotic country. The bulk of Russian Indians are women who managed to marry local men.

Video: interesting nuances of the life of Russian immigrants

Another “caste” of Russian-speaking immigrants are citizens who have passive income in Russia and who decide to use this money to obtain a residence permit or permanent residence permit. However, obtaining a residence permit and, especially, permanent residence in India is not at all easy. The only relatively easy options for settling in the country are marriage or study.

Features and cost of study

Admission to an Indian university or other educational institution opens the way to quickly obtaining a residence permit. After completing his studies, a Russian specialist with an Indian diploma in his pocket has a real chance of permanent residence in India. Moreover, studying with “excellent marks” is an almost guaranteed position in the country. It should be noted the level of the Indian educational system . The quality is no worse than European, despite the lack of education of most of the population. The average cost of training in India is 15 thousand dollars for a full course.

India successfully competes with America and China in the field of higher education. The country's prestigious oldest and new universities open their doors to foreign students. The total number of educational institutions is more than 500. The following can be highlighted:

Nalanda University,
Modi Institute of Technology and Science,
Anna University,
Jawaharlal Nehru University,
technological management institutes,
Gandhi University,
and others.

University in the city of Varanasi in northeast India

The initial period of the 21st century shows the steady development of the Indian economy. In this wave, qualified engineers and technologists are becoming increasingly in demand. The Indian education system, built on the foundations of British higher education, produces really good specialists. Russians are no exception.

The ITEC program, the Indian technical and economic cooperation program, allows you to study for free in India. Russia is a partner of this program, within the framework of which more than 1 thousand Russian citizens received higher education in India. Students are provided with a hostel and a stipend of about 5 thousand rupees is paid. At the same time, expenses for staying in the country do not exceed $300 per month. Knowledge of English is a prerequisite for applicants.

Work for Russians

The employment situation with a population of 1.3 billion people theoretically requires no explanation. It is very difficult for a Russian immigrant to get a job in India. Even if he is an immigrant, he is a so-called expat - a highly qualified foreign worker.

Naturally, we are talking about legal employment. However, there are many Russian-speaking citizens who are trying to get a job by coming to India on a tourist visa. The authorities react very negatively to such facts and expel them from the country. Meanwhile, shadow employment in the Indian labor market reaches 70%.

To qualify for a work visa, an expat must earn at least $2,100 per month. In total, this is more than 25 thousand dollars per year. The most profitable option for a Russian immigrant is employment in some foreign company operating in India . Such companies usually set salary levels close to average European values.

A little about medicine

Indian medicine, of course, stands out for its peculiarities, this is indirectly confirmed by many reviews of Russian immigrants. All medicine in India is a vast and separate topic. However, given the high interest in India among Russian women - future wives of Indians, it is worth touching on the topic of pregnancy and childbirth.

Indian medicine prefers to give birth through caesarean section

Indian gynecologists begin treating pregnant women from 12 weeks of pregnancy and not a day earlier. Until this point, the entire observation process is limited to a one-time referral for testing and confirmation of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, standard monitoring is started, but the technique itself is somewhat surprising.

Here, for pregnant women, unlike Russia, there is complete freedom . Women should not expect complaints about excess weight and bans on eating any food products. No one will be forced to undergo tests or be sent for examinations to doctors of narrow specialties. No one will dare to tell the expectant mother the sex of the child, since this information is secret, and disclosing the secret is a criminal offense.

The Indian delivery system is set up exclusively for the Caesarean section technique. This approach is explained simply: less risks for doctors - more money from women in labor. However, no one forbids giving birth on your own, but you must first discuss this point and sign an agreement before entering the maternity hospital.

...In Hindustan, giving birth to boys is always welcome. A boy is considered an investment in the family. He will take care of his old parents. And girls are seen only as sheer expenses. In addition, the girl also needs to be married off...

Marina

https://russianindia.ru/

…It’s difficult to talk about the prices of Indian medicine. They depend on the needs of the patients. But medicine is cheaper than in Russia for sure. There is no free medicine. There are a lot of private clinics with a narrow specialization. Private services are cheaper than the so-called. "state" institutions. True, the treatment conditions there are more modest. “Public” medical centers are the height of perfection. In fact, any whim for the patient’s money. Indian food and specific ideas about hygiene are a little confusing...

Daria A

https://forum.awd.ru/

Ways to obtain Indian Resident status

Registering your own business . Opening a business in India involves many bureaucratic hurdles, financial costs and other difficulties. The main criterion for evaluating a business by Indian officials will be the number of jobs for indigenous residents that a commercial enterprise registered by a foreign citizen can and will certainly create. India has a catastrophic job shortage. Foreign businessmen who register their companies or their branches in India are helping to solve the problem, among other things. When registering a company, you will need to agree with the Ministry of Economy on a business plan, which involves not only the profitability of the enterprise, but also assistance in the fight against unemployment in the country.

India has the fifth largest number of billionaires in the world. Rich Indians own huge enterprises and have unhindered access to the country's natural resources. Most of their capital is transferred outside India, thus leaving virtually nothing for the state’s social support of a huge nation, the second largest in the world.

So, if a foreign entrepreneur promises to create a significant number of jobs for Indians, then he is guaranteed to receive resident status. The second condition will be the payment of taxes to the Indian treasury. A year later, during the procedure for renewing a residence permit, the Indian authorities will inquire about the results of the foreigner’s promises. If he does not fulfill them, then his residence permit will simply not be renewed and he will be forced to leave the country.

Mumbai, with its population of twenty million, is one of the centers of business activity in India.

Residence permit based on investment. A foreign investor can invest significant funds in the Indian economy and then he can be issued a residence permit. The minimum entry threshold is considered to be an amount of one and a half million dollars invested in the public or private sector of the economy. In this case, an indispensable condition will be that the investment will operate in India for at least five years. The foreign investor receives a residence permit for a period of one year. In a year the residence permit will be extended, in a year it will be extended again, and so on. If, of course, investments continue to work in the Indian economy.

And if you think that you can be a yoga teacher or get enlightened in some heavenly, God-forsaken place, then leave these delusional thoughts in the past. There are enough of these turned people, all the places are already taken and they often live differently from how you imagine. And there are a lot of stories about how our citizens came to cleanse their souls and minds, and then were left without money, housing, hungry and with an expired visa.
Leonid
https://pora-valit.livejournal.com/3303862.html

Marriage to an Indian citizen. Marrying an Indian or marrying an Indian citizen is a great way to become a resident of the country. The onset of legal consequences becomes possible only upon entering into an official marriage with an Indian citizen. You can meet your future spouse through marriage agencies, on the Internet or in person. Entering into an official marriage with a citizen of India gives the right to obtain a residence permit for a period of one year, then obtaining permanent residence, the next step will be obtaining Indian citizenship. It is possible to become a citizen of India after one year as a temporary resident of the country, then two years as a permanent resident. Thus, after three years of marriage, the right to apply for Indian citizenship becomes available. The disadvantage of this method of immigration to India will be the possibility of divorce within the specified three years. In this case, the foreign ex-spouse is left with nothing. Indian authorities are very categorical about fictitious marriages, so this method should not be considered for immigration to India.

Marriage to an Indian citizen gives the right to resident status of the country

Work in India. You can obtain a residence permit in India by concluding a formal agreement with an Indian employer. The basis for obtaining a residence permit will be a signed contract with an Indian company (regardless of the form of ownership). In this case, all organizational issues are taken over by the receiving party. The contract must specify the working conditions of the foreign specialist, including the duration of the employment agreement itself. The initial issue of a working-type residence permit is for a year, then the status is extended if the employment contract continues to be valid. The disadvantage in this case will be the inability to change employer, since with a residence permit you can only work in the company that invited a foreign specialist to India. When obtaining permanent residence, freedom of choice appears in this matter.

Moving to India to study . This is the fastest way to obtain resident status in India. It is associated with considerable material costs. An international student must enter into a study contract with an accredited university in India and pay for the first year of study. In this case, training on a budgetary basis, of course, is not considered. To obtain resident status, a foreign student must provide a valid study contract, which specifies the chosen specialty, duration of study and guarantee of payment. When renewing a residence permit, the student will again need the specified contract and a certificate from the university about regularly attending classes and passing exams. Despite the low level of education of the population as a whole, higher education received at Indian universities is valued not only directly in India, but throughout the world.

During the entire period of study, an international student can reside in India only with a residence permit. Upon graduation, he is assigned to further employment. If a young specialist finds work in India, then the time spent with a residence permit during his student years will be counted towards obtaining permanent residence.

The University of New Delhi is famous all over the world and has many departments

Moving to India to live with relatives. You can immigrate to India under the family reunification program if close relatives live in this country: parents or children, grandparents, blood brothers or sisters. Moreover, they must have Indian citizenship for at least five years before inviting relatives from abroad. An official invitation, which they should issue from the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will become the basis for the move. Indian relatives must officially guarantee financial support for those who have moved, as well as provide moral guarantee for them.

Violation of immigration rules in India is strictly prosecuted. A foreigner who overstays his or her legal stay in India by just a few days could even end up in an Indian jail for a couple of weeks, not to mention a hefty fine.

Additional immigration methods. These options are relatively rarely used by Russians to move to India. However, you should be aware of them. You can obtain a residence permit if a foreigner participates as a volunteer in various international missions of a humanitarian nature. To obtain a residence permit, you will need to provide a confirmation letter from the mission management, which indicates the nature of the volunteer activity, as well as the expected period of the volunteer’s stay on Indian territory. A residence permit is issued for the first time for a year, then renewed annually. If the expected period of work in the mission is less than a year, then the Indian authorities will issue a residence permit for precisely this period.

Representatives of religious denominations can also obtain a residence permit. To complete the paperwork, you will need a letter of attitude from the head of the denomination in India. Moreover, the religious denomination itself must be accredited in the country.

Certain cases of issuing a residence permit. The Indian government may, at its discretion, grant a residence permit to a foreigner. New residents of India can be foreigners who came to the country for long-term treatment, foreign scientists, politicians, large businessmen, prominent artists and sports figures. A separate government order will be required to grant them resident status.

Video to watch before deciding to immigrate to India

I feel Russian

Mr. Singh, our countries have had years of friendship, but the mentality is different. Is it difficult to be Indian in Russia?

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

Of course, those who have lived in India for a long time have a very different mentality from the Russian one - their own customs and traditions. The Indians who work here are trying to adapt, but it is difficult. I was born here, so for me, in principle, there are no problems. I have a Russian mentality.

Were you born in Moscow?

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

Yes, I was born and studied here. In 1968, my father Jaswant Singh came to Moscow to work as an announcer and translator from the Urdu language at the Voice of Russia radio station, and my mother Surjit Kaur moved here with him. It was planned that after three years the parents would return home to India, but as a result, the father worked in Moscow for 35 years. I haven’t lived in India, but I visit often, so this is also my country.

You are the president of the Indian Diaspora organization. What does she do?

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

Officially, it is called the Regional Public Organization - the association of Indians “Indian Diaspora”. We have to primarily advise on legal issues that arise for Indians coming to Russia. For example, explain that if an Indian violates traffic rules three times in a row in his car, he will receive a fine and will be deported from the country without further discussion. After this, he will be able to enter Russian territory only in five years. This applies, of course, not only to Indians, but also to other foreigners. Thus, we try to prevent the serious consequences of such cases.

From the very beginning, relationships should be built on trust and openness

How do you participate in trade, economic and cultural exchanges between our countries?

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

We try to raise issues of interaction between our countries in the fields of trade, tourism, and culture at different platforms. So, last spring, a delegation from the International Center for Spiritual Culture and the Regional Public Organization - the Indian Diaspora Association visited the state of Uttarakhand, in northern India. It was discussed with the head of the state, Prime Minister Farish Rawat, how to make this region open to travelers from Russia, it was proposed to prepare information packages about the state of Uttarakhand in Russian, and create new directions in the field of tourism and hotel business.

You are also the founder of the Indian trading house in Russia. What Indian goods are most in demand in our country today?

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

Spices, medicines, tea, coffee, creams, shampoos, toothpastes, cosmetics. Today, India is also actively supplying various fruits and vegetables, including grapes, pomegranates, tangerines, as well as garlic and onions. We also plan to supply bananas to Russia.

Tell us how an Indian can create a successful business in Russia?

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

First of all, you need to understand who you are working with, what kind of partner you have. From the very beginning, relationships should be built on trust and openness. In addition, as in my situation, there must be start-up capital. It’s hard to open your own business here without financial investment. And finally, no gray schemes, the business must be legal. In my opinion, these three points should be taken into account by a foreigner planning to develop his business in Russia.

Yours specializes in beef farming. Sorry, to be honest, I can’t wrap my head around the fact that you, an Indian, have such a consumerist attitude towards cattle...

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

I live in a country where people want to eat beef every day. But it is in short supply. For example, do you know that today in Russia there are only about one and a half million heads of beef cattle? For comparison, in the Soviet Union its population reached more than four million heads. I have huge potential for development in this particular area of business. But our company is not limited to this; we grow wheat, barley, oats, corn, and sunflowers. We sow and harvest ourselves.

I heard that several years ago you specially brought Mandalong cows from overseas, which did not exist in Russia. How are they better than at least our Kalmyk breed?

Matharu Harjinder Singh:

We brought the Mandalong breed from Australia six years ago. Professor Alexey Vasilyevich Cherekaev, a well-known Russian specialist in beef cattle breeding, told me about it at one time, saying that it is unique in productivity. And I was not mistaken. Now we are the only owners of this breed in Russia. The Kalmyk breed is very good, we started with it and learned a lot. But today marbled meat is more in demand among consumers. This is exactly what we get from the Mandalong breed. By the way, very soon we will open a specialized store in Moscow where you can buy this high-quality meat.

Documents for obtaining a residence permit

To obtain a residence permit you will need a fairly large package of documents:

current passport and its photocopy;
four color photographs of passport size, on a white background and without corners;
certificate of no criminal record in your home country;
a valid visa to India, on the basis of which the applicant is legally present in the country;
confirmation of the availability of housing (ownership or lease agreement);
bank account statement, which should not contain less than 2.5 thousand dollars. The bank must be a resident of India. If members of his family intend to immigrate with the applicant, then a certificate of family composition and additional funds in the bank will be required (at the rate of $1,200 for each dependent). This rule does not apply to immigrants receiving a residence permit to work in India, volunteers, representatives of religious faiths and those to whom a residence permit was issued by a separate government decision;
a written explanation of further intentions regarding residence in India (the desire to subsequently obtain permanent residence or citizenship).

Depending on the method of immigration, the immigration authorities will require additional documents. This could be, for example, a contract for studying at a university or an employment contract with an Indian employer, confirmation of family ties during family reunification. All documents will require translation into Hindi or English (the country has two official languages). Almost all of them will require notarization, except for those issued in the countries of the European Union and the British Commonwealth.

Living in India is very difficult from a climate point of view. Summer begins in March and delights local residents with 50-degree heat, to which our women are by no means accustomed. Even if the Hindu husband earns enough to pay the huge electricity bills, the chance of having an air conditioner at home is negligible.
Marina Shevkoplyas
https://www.happy-giraffe.ru/community/21/forum/photoPost/148770/

What documents will be needed to obtain a residence permit?

Seasoned immigrants say India's bureaucratic system is nearly impossible to overcome. Migration service employees will definitely require additional documents: certificates, confirmations, and so on. The list of papers in the basic package consists of the following documents:

current passport and its photocopies,
4 color passport size photographs,
certificate of good conduct in the Russian Federation,
a valid visa, which serves as the basis for legal stay in the country,
documentary evidence that the applicant has a place to live. This may be the right to own real estate or a lease agreement,
statement from the bank. It must confirm that the applicant’s account has more than two thousand US dollars. In this case, the bank can be Indian or foreign, but in any case it must be a resident of India.
short autobiography,
document on marital status,
a written explanation of future plans for living in the country. This means that the applicant must declare his desire to subsequently become a permanent resident or citizen.
basis for applying for status,
certificate of absence of HIV infection,
a driver's license and registration certificate for a vehicle of international standard, as well as insurance for those traveling by car,
receipt of payment of the administrative fee.

Documents are translated into Hindi or English. For translations, it is better to contact a specialized bureau, where you can certify them with an apostille.

For each category of immigrants, there are specific features in documents. For example, pensioners must confirm their status with appropriate pension certificates and certificates stating that they receive a pension indicating its amount.

For pensioners, you will additionally need a pension certificate

For minor applicants, a birth certificate will be required. If residence is requested only with the father or mother, then you will need to ensure that the absent parent formalizes his consent to obtain a residence permit for the child in India. If it is impossible to physically obtain this consent, it is necessary to justify this with relevant documents.

Where to apply

In India, migration issues are dealt with by the Department of Migration Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

India is a country where ancient temples and ultra-modern buildings coexist

It has representative offices in all more or less large populated areas of the country. Consideration of the issue of issuing a residence permit for the first time takes place within a month. When extending the status, the period for making a decision is reduced to 10 days. You can renew your residence permit as many times as you like, there is no limit. The cost of administrative services for obtaining a residence permit will range from 200 to 480 dollars, depending on the type of residence permit requested. Representatives of humanitarian missions, religious denominations, and those foreigners who have been granted a residence permit by the Indian government are exempt from payment.

Corruption is rampant in India. It spread its tentacles from the lowest levels of the state apparatus to the very top. Indian officials are sure to smile ingratiatingly, implying the widespread expression in English-speaking third world countries: “Give me something,” meaning “give me something.” At the same time, clear criteria for “something”, as a rule, do not exist. Officials will be happy with a five or a hundred dollar donation. At the sight of a white man, almost all Indians trigger the same beggar reflex. The white man is looked upon with respect and considered a demigod, but in practice he is seen only as a big wallet. Hindus are convinced that a white person cannot be poor a priori.

Refusal of a residence permit

The Indian authorities may refuse both the first receipt of a residence permit and its subsequent renewal. Despite the optionality inherent in the Indian mentality, the letter will definitely indicate the reason for the refusal (English pedantry, although colonial, still took weak roots). The main reasons for refusal may be:

the real absence of reasons stated by the foreigner for issuing or extending a residence permit;
the applicant’s connection with international crime or terrorism, his search by Interpol, a request for extradition by the authorities of the country of citizenship;
offenses committed while residing in India;
public service in your country, including service in the army, police or intelligence services.

Also, the Indian authorities, for example, may consider the operating enterprise of a foreign businessman unprofitable and, on this basis, deprive its owner and top manager of a residence permit.

There are several realistic ways to solve the problem. The first will be to “discuss the issue with Indian officials” on an individual basis. If the reason for the failure is not critical, then a positive outcome is very likely.

The second way would be to file an appeal in an Indian court against a negative decision of the immigration authorities. You can prepare it yourself or use the services of a lawyer who has sufficient experience in resolving immigration issues. The court will accept the appeal for consideration. The court verdict can be rendered within one month. During the consideration of the case, the basis for legal residence in India for the applicant will be a certificate from the court.

If the reasons for the refusal lie in the lack of any documents, then they should be reported and the application for a residence permit must be submitted again.

Video: reviews of Russian immigrants

Obtaining permanent residence in India

Obtaining permanent resident status in India is quite difficult. Sufficient reasons are needed for this. Firstly, you must live in India on the basis of a residence permit for at least five years, unless you are married to a citizen. Secondly, you will need to justify your desire to become a permanent resident. Thirdly, it is necessary to obtain a positive test result for knowledge of English or Hindi, as well as for integration into Indian society (knowledge of the basic legislation of the country, the traditions of the Indian people, the main events of Indian history, the names of its leaders, etc.). Permanent residence in India is called a permanent residence permit and gives more rights to a foreigner than a temporary type of residence permit. But it does not at all equate him to a citizen. Permanent residence in Indian realities can become a variable value, as discussed above.

To obtain a permanent residence permit, you should apply to the same Department for Migration Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The authorities make a decision on granting or refusing permanent residence within two to three months. Indian permanent resident status does not require renewal. But every five or ten years it will have to be confirmed. The confirmation period directly depends on the reasons for issuing permanent residence. For example, if you are employed in India, it will be five years, and if you are married to an Indian citizen, it will be ten years. To obtain permanent resident status, the applicant will need to live in India for the last year without leaving it at all.

The cost of obtaining a permanent residence permit is slightly higher than a temporary one. Confirmation is free, you will need to confirm your presence in the country and provide documents about the source of your livelihood, as well as provide a certificate from the police about the absence of problems with Indian laws. Status in the same Department is confirmed.

Obtaining Indian citizenship becomes possible only after ten years of legal residence of a foreigner in the country, of which the last five must be spent as a permanent resident. Consideration of an application for citizenship takes a long time, sometimes up to two or three years.

Indian citizenship can be obtained no earlier than 10 years of legal residence in the country.

The direct purchase of real estate in India does not constitute grounds for its owner to obtain resident status. According to Indian laws, a foreigner can buy real estate only after 186 days of legal residence in the country. When applying for a temporary or permanent residence permit, ownership of Indian real estate will be a big plus when considering your application.

How did you decide to go abroad in the first place? And how did you end up in India?

In 2009 we went just to try. They worked under a contract, and after its completion they had to return to Russia. As a result, I worked for 7 months, returned to Siberia in November, and I so wanted to go to work in Turkey again that I could barely wait for spring. In March, I flew to Antalya again, but to a different company. Already there they offered me to go to work in India for the winter, and I agreed.

I knew nothing about the country. I just heard from a guide friend that the salary in India is good, and I saw a couple of Indian films as a child. In general, there were three options for work - Thailand, China and India. The first two countries did not suit me, since I had to go there for at least two years. What if I don't like it? I was not ready for this. That’s how I ended up in October 2010 in the land of gods and cows. I still remember my first working day in India. All I did then was cram all the gods, tried to learn the names and sequence of beaches and find at least one dish that wouldn’t make my mouth burn.

And then I was invited to go for a walk with the local boys... and then everything started to happen. It turned out so well that on October 10, my husband Oscar and I will celebrate 10 years of our marriage.

Features of moving to Goa

It is not for nothing that Goa is considered the most colorful and vibrant state in the country. Until recently, by historical standards, Goa was a colony of Portugal. Despite the fact that this state is an Indian jurisdiction, immigration to Goa has its own characteristics.

Immigration to India and Goa has its own charms. The average Indian's monthly income is no more than $30. If you rent an apartment in Moscow or St. Petersburg for 500–600 dollars, you can feel like a real Croesus in this country. Apparently, the Hindus are right in believing that a white cannot be poor. Everything is relative…

To travel to Goa, Russians, like other residents of the CIS countries, need to obtain an Indian visa. Its cost is 40 dollars, you should pay in rubles according to the official dollar exchange rate on the day of payment. By the way, the cost of obtaining an Indian visa varies significantly for citizens of different countries. For example, Afghans pay much less for entry than Americans.

Unofficial statistics indicate that Goa has become a place of concentration of immigrants from Russia. Many of them were put on the all-Russian wanted list many years ago, but today they feel great under the gentle rays of the tropical sun.

The basic immigration rules in Goa are similar to those in India. A special feature will be a more loyal attitude towards immigrants and a more prompt consideration of applications for resident status.

The validity period of a residence permit obtained in Goa is slightly different from that in India. The initial residence permit in Goa is issued for only six months, followed by an extension for another six months. In the future, the residence permit can be renewed multiple times in one-year increments. When crossing the border of this Indian state with broad autonomy rights, you will need to confirm a residence permit if it was issued elsewhere in India. Confirmation does not present any special problems; it is enough to simply register with the migration service within two weeks of arrival.

Goa has much stricter employment rules. For illegal work, for example, as a photographer or translator, you can go to prison or get away with a large fine. State laws state that employment within its borders can become the basis for issuing a residence permit only if the specified salary of a foreign specialist is not less than 2.1 thousand dollars. There is no such requirement in Indian laws.

Immigration to Goa means moving to the country of eternal summer, silence and warm ocean

Another difference in obtaining a residence permit in Goa will be its higher cost compared to the all-Indian one. A residence permit in Goa will cost the applicant 20 percent more.

Goa provides a good starting platform for starting your own business. For example, half of the restaurants in the state are owned by Russians. The requirements for obtaining a residence permit for foreign entrepreneurs in Goa are more flexible. They do not require centralized approval of the business plan from the Indian Ministry of Economy; it is enough to simply approve its main parameters with local authorities. Therefore, it is much easier for a foreign entrepreneur to obtain a residence permit in India in Goa. When traveling deep into Indian territory, a residence permit in Goa does not require any registration, being valid throughout Indian territory.

Permanent residence in Goa is also issued after ten years of residence, its validity is unlimited, and confirmation for all categories of permanent residents of the state also occurs after ten years (unlike India, where some permanent residence holders will need to make another visit to the immigration department after five years) .

Economics of your life in India: more/less salary, more/less spending?

The economy in India is developing very quickly. Despite the fact that there are many poor people here, there are also a lot of rich people here, and there is also a middle class. In Goa, this middle class lives much better than in Russia. And in principle, our standard of living here is much better than in Russia, at least for me when I lived in my homeland. Our earnings in India are higher than the Russian average. Economically, Goa is better off than Russia.

People think that India is a cheap country, but no, life here is much more expensive than in Russia. In India, they mainly eat flatbreads with legumes and rice - it is very cheap. Everything outside of flatbreads, rice and legumes costs more, and if you still want products of normal quality, then they are all imported and expensive.

Our sons go to a fee-paying school. There is essentially no free education here for our children, because they were born in Russia, so only paid education is available to them. We spend about 22-23 thousand rubles per month on school alone for both of us. One gets 15 thousand, the other 6-7 thousand, and this doesn’t include the fact that you need to spend money on gasoline to transport them there and back. During quarantine, they study online and we don’t spend money on travel. And so they have to be transported far away and gasoline is expensive in India - 75-78 rubles per liter.