The couple left Belarus, fleeing the threat of criminal prosecution. To obtain residence permits in Spain, they need help paying for document preparation and the assistance of an immigration specialist.
My name is Viachaslau Krestinin, and my wife’s name is Sviatlana. We are both 66. We have already asked for help before, and it is not easy for us to do so again. But the situation is now critical: our humanitarian visa is about to expire, and it cannot be extended. If we do not manage to obtain residence permits in Spain, where we have been living for more than two years, we risk being left without legal status, with all the consequences that entails.
We left Belarus after facing the threat of criminal prosecution for comments online, moved through three countries, and eventually settled in Spain. The climate here is better for my health because I have respiratory problems; it suits my wife as well, and most importantly, a real path to legalizing our status has opened up.
An opportunity recently became available, and we applied for residence permits under an accessible legalization procedure. If our applications are rejected, we have a backup option: applying on the basis of our period of residence, because we have already lived here for the required amount of time. But this requires properly prepared documents: certificates, apostilles, proof of residence, and assistance from a specialist.
Spanish bureaucracy is extremely meticulous. The slightest mistake can lead to a rejection, and then we would have to start all over again. That is why we cannot manage without an immigration specialist.
At the moment, we have no stable income. Our children help us pay for housing, and I sometimes take one-off jobs as an auto mechanic. I run two YouTube channels, but they are not monetized yet. My wife is unable to work. We cannot save the necessary amount on our own. A residence permit will give me the right to work and access to social programs. In addition, I will be able to participate in Spanish programs for settling in small communities – in other words, villages. I am an auto mechanic and can be useful in places with agricultural machinery, vineyards, olive farms, and a constant need for repairs.
To properly prepare and submit our residence permit applications, we need €1,800 for both of our cases. I spent a lot of time finding a lawyer who would take on our “cases,” as it is fashionable to call them these days. If my wife and I obtain legal status, we will be able to get out of this state of limbo. We try to cover our modest needs ourselves, but we definitely will not be able to raise such an amount, especially within a relatively short period of time. We will be grateful to everyone who supports us on our path toward obtaining residence permits. And if you’d like, come to Spain – we’ll organize a Belarusian village in the Spanish countryside and build a life together!
Fundraiser amount:
€1800
€450 – translation, apostilles, and document preparation
€1350 – certificates, assistance from an immigration specialist, and submission of residence permit applications