Moscow is a magnet for many people from C.I.S. countries and elsewhere who come to Russia's capital in search of a better job and a better life. Unfortunately for many, however, finding employment here can be easier said than done, due to the necessity of getting the much-dreaded worker visa. This week, Lucas Romriell takes a look at the trials and tribulations of many who come and try to find work legally - or not - in Moscow.

Slow and unfriendly bureaucracy is bad in anyone's book, and, for foreign professionals and laborers looking to work in Moscow, the need to register with the central visa-registration department (OVIR) branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs can seem like a forbidding chore. After passing through the gauntlet of passport control, the need to undergo the scrutiny of another check makes newcomers feel unwelcome and chases plenty of potential talent away. But, with the constant influx of illegal labor into Moscow's job market, it's unlikely the government will change the system any time soon.
The registration requirement is part of an outdated and cumbersome Soviet system developed to keep track of foreigners living in the country but, in Moscow, it has become a means for deporting undesirables from the capital. It's also a source of cash for police, the government and private enterprise.
Galina Panfilav, director of the OVIR office for Moscow's southern administrative region, admits that the registration requirements are outdated and irrelevant in today's "more open" Russia. "We'd like to see some sort of change. This system was built around Soviet rules and regulations that don't really make sense anymore," she said.
But she was careful to add that she had had little opportunity to make any changes, since her job is only to fulfill orders from above.
OVIR operates under a 1986 law requiring all foreign nationals to register with the central OVIR within three working days of arrival.
Registration is valid for a period of up to one year, depending on visa expiration date. OVIR demands a letter from the educational facility, employer or individual who issued the invitation, along with a notarized letter from their landlord and 20 rubles, before giving the registration stamp.
Officially, only those with worker visas are allowed to earn a salary, but many foreigners find jobs on student or commercial visas. This is technically illegal, but few employers check. Often workers from non-Western countries come with no visa at all, or obtain their invitations via some illegal means.
A recent report by Nezavisimaya Gazeta estimated that there are five to six unregistered workers for every "legitimate" employee, for a total of 5 million to 10 million illegal residents in Russia. Officials from the Ministry of Internal affairs are careful to point out that the majority of unofficial residents are from Asia, the C.I.S. and the Middle East.
While Panfilav insisted that only foreigners with worker visas are entitled to earn a salary, other OVIR representatives gave a different answer, saying it is possible to get a paycheck on a "commercial" visa.
Gayan Okhsyanov, manager of the visa department at Andersen, a consulting company, agreed that foreigners working in Russia without official worker visas have no right to be employed. But he admitted that finding a job is not a problem: "I suppose lots of foreigners are working here illegally, but that's just because the system is so poorly enforced."
Okhsyanov said a majority of his company's clients are either tourists or expatriates living in Russia. He said they do not bother to make visas for non-Western nationals, because it isn't worth the hassle. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs doesn't treat nationals of non-Western countries favorably," he said.
Before a company or organization is allowed to make visa invitations for foreign nationals, they need to be accredited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials refused to say how many organizations could invite foreigners, but Okhsyanov estimated the number to be between 35,000 and 37,000. But he added that "only half of these actually work."
Officials at the Ministry and OVIR are careful to point out that Westerners have little problem obtaining visas and registering with local authorities. But, given the heavy influx of foreign labor and Russia's tight labor market, it is unlikely the government will streamline the process any time soon.
To stem the tide of workers coming to the capital, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov recently unveiled plans to install a series of passport-control stations on all roads leading to the city. He also announced plans to move all railroad stations to the outskirts of town.
Of course, the effectiveness of police stops is questionable. Salaries for officers are a pittance, making the average bribe of 100 rubles a tempting offer. Police are often also openly racist about the individuals whose documents they check, preferring to stop Africans and Caucasians.
There are also no real rules regarding police procedure for what to do with unregistered nationals.
The weekly publication Kommersant Vlast reported that officers catching illegal residents are told to fine offenders the first time, threaten them with deportation and fine them again on the second offense and deport them on the third.
Experts say that, with the local government putting increasing pressure on illegal foreign residents, this tradition is unlikely to change.
Despite strict regulations, Russia's migration laws remain flexible, especially when compared with the standards being enforced by most Western countries.
According to OVIR's Panfilav, it's rare for her organization or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to turn down an application for a visa or registration. She said the usual cause for rejection "is because they come here and, don't know who invited them or why and can't give a good reason for being here," she said. "It's a common problem for Indians and Afghans."
Still, there are many who accuse the system of being little more than self-perpetuating bureaucracy. One woman who makes visa invitations for foreign nationals and did not want to be identified said she thought the system will never be reformed, "Because civil servants, police officers and private businesses make too much money off the situation.
"Everyone along the way gets a piece of the pie, there's no reason for them to change it."