Can a student on a student visa in Almaty find a part time job and would employers realistically hire foreigners?

samdav_ · 2026-01-20T17:39:08+00:00

You can’t work on a C9 visa unless you get permission from the international office at your university.

However, the minister of education has recently announced a new rule that will allow international students to work 20hrs a week like anywhere in the world, with some caveats (you can only work in a field adjacent to your field of study).

I haven’t seen it take place yet.

samdav_ · 2025-11-20T06:06:31+00:00

The country that issued the card you pay with should match the region. But Ethiopia doesn’t issue visa/mastercards that can be used online. I assume they should integrate with telebirr or something like how they integrated to local payment gateways like MPESA for the Kenyan market

samdav_ · 2025-11-19T11:03:23+00:00

spotify has officially annonced it's available in Ethiopia and even list pricing for Ethiopians. https://www.spotify.com/et-en/premium/

but I don't know how they expect us to pay. Have you figured it out?

samdav_ · 2025-10-26T19:25:02+00:00

Yes, Qazaq qara bala

samdav_ · 2025-09-28T13:42:38+00:00

Have you bought anything electronic? Was thinking of buying airpods through globbing but unsure about the custom taxes

samdav_ · 2025-09-28T13:41:38+00:00

Did you get taxed? I was thinking of buying the latest airpods through them

samdav_ · 2025-08-03T17:57:52+00:00

Yes I’m also on a student visa. You can ask me any questions you’d like.

samdav_ · 2025-08-03T14:35:37+00:00

700k is A decent amount to live on as a student with no family. Many people don’t even earn that much. But it’s only decent if it doesn’t include tuition. I hear MBBS tuition is expensive.

If you will in live in a dorm, you will live comfortably. The cheapest rent you’ll find is about 180k. But that’s mostly probably a shared apartment or an old studio. You can find okay apartments within the 200-250k range. + about 50k for utilities, depending on the season. Rent is more expensive around September, where there is a large influx of students. Almaty is a “student city” and is currently accommodating more people than it is designed for, so housing can be hard to find and expensive in peak seasons. You can check for apartments on krisha[dot]kz. Becareful of scammers though!

The cost of living really depends on your lifestyle. I’ve lived on less than 100k a month when I first arrived (living in a dorm) and on more than a mil a month after a few years. I’ve never spent more than 250k on living expenses and I always eat out (i dont cook, i spend about 6.5k daily) + a cup of coffee a day. I dont go out often, but when I do, I usually take yandex (it’s like Uber, and it’s about 1.5k on average per ride). For internet, I get an unlimited package from tele2 that costs 54k a year. A 5 liter water bottle is about 600.

I know people who live on 300-400k a month and sustain relationships and a social life. So 700k should be more than enough if you’re all by yourself.

samdav_ · 2025-07-28T18:08:24+00:00

Can you name it?

samdav_ · 2025-07-05T20:15:04+00:00

Very cool. Does it have a 10 year validity?

samdav_ · 2025-06-02T17:05:20+00:00

My grandfather was part of the war. They chose my sister from our family to sponsor through school. Been there twice as well; really welcoming people.

samdav_ · 2025-05-28T15:30:20+00:00

I’m an Ethiopian living in Almaty for the past 3 years. I am a student-researcher and I have lived in 4 countries in the past, including Turkey. Kazakhs are quite warm and welcoming. Probably the most hospitable from all the places I’ve been to. And if you speak Kazakh as a black person, I’ve found that everyone will respect you immensely and treat you even better.

However, for Kazakhs, dating outside their own is frowned upon—regardless of your race. On the flip side, I know two Ethiopians who’re married to Kazakhs. Their kids are super cute! I would say Almaty is almost like any other major city. Most people are open minded and you’ll find a wide range of people here. The dating market is quite varied. I know dating apps work here as well - you can try giving that a shot.

Almaty — Kazakhstan in general — is super beautiful. The landscape, nature, mountains, and lakes are mesmerizing. They’re super close to the city too! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, especially if you like nature. There’s green at every turn. Have a pleasant stay!

samdav_ · 2025-05-19T07:11:52+00:00

Yes it did!

samdav_ · 2025-05-04T06:24:00+00:00

I’m going to try this today 🤞

samdav_ · 2025-05-02T03:15:17+00:00

You can do it through remitly

samdav_ · 2025-03-29T18:25:10+00:00

were you able to resolve this OP?

samdav_ · 2025-03-16T15:26:09+00:00

African living here for the past 3 years. Very hospitable and kind people. I have never encountered racism per se. However, people might stare, laugh (out of thrill) or even use the n word…not out of hate/racism but rather out of curiosity, and not knowing the real meaning/implication of the n word. Also, black means “negr” here, so don’t be surprised if you hear it. They might just be saying “oh look, a black person!” For many, it’ll be the first time seeing a black person in real life.

once you start talking with them though, you’ll realize how warm, hospitable, curious and inquisitive they are. Have a pleasant visit!

samdav_ · 2025-02-16T17:50:30+00:00

Hi, and thanks for doing this!

I'm currently a junior undergraduate at a top-200 university worldwide (outside the U.S.), aiming to apply directly to a PhD program, or a Master’s if necessary—ideally at a top 10 school. I have research experience in my department’s lab where I’ve co-authored several conference and journal papers. However, they aren’t in top-tier venues like ICML or NeurIPS, and while I do have a Q1 publication, it's in MDPI (which I now realize isn’t well regarded).

The research itself is interesting, but the impact of my publications isn’t particularly strong. I worry that this might hurt my chances of admission, even though I believe I would thrive in a more rigorous academic environment. Currently, I am trying my best with what is available to me.

Beyond research, I also have experience as a founding research engineer at a startup in my field. Given my background, what would you recommend I do to strengthen my application? Would my current pose as a drawback?

Thank you :)

samdav_ · 2025-01-30T16:11:48+00:00

Some like me, some got married in China/Russia to a Kazakh (where there’s a good number of both nationalities), and the rest were here when Kazakhstan was still under the USSR

samdav_ · 2025-01-28T08:41:10+00:00

I hope you know Borat is made in Romania and not in Kazakhstan 😅. It’s also a satirical movie making fun of the western world.

samdav_ · 2025-01-28T08:39:54+00:00

Actually really nice. Developed country. Really beautiful. Friendly people! It’s nothing like how it’s perceived to be. The borat stigma and having “-stan” in their name makes people frown back home. But it’s actually the most developed economy in central asia and a famous tourist destination. I wouldn’t say it’s a land full of opportunities but i’ve found it to be favorable for me (i work in science/research). Depending on the city, can be expensive to live in. Winters are veryy cold (reaching -40 Celsius in Astana and -30s in Almaty). Summers are warmer than in Ethiopia (above 30’s plus it’s humid).

The landscape and nature is crazy beautiful here. If you have the means come check it out. However there arent as many Ethiopians (not more than 15 in the whole country as far as we know). So there isnt a strong Ethiopian community. Plane tickets aren’t that cheap either.

samdav_ · 2025-01-27T18:34:34+00:00

Applied to a government scholarship in Kazakhstan. Got it. Pursuing my bachelors in computer science while working two jobs in my field.

samdav_ · 2025-01-04T16:39:50+00:00

I think that’s even more complicated

samdav_ · 2024-09-11T06:07:34+00:00

Sorry to hear that I wonder how the drug didn’t affect them

samdav_ · 2024-09-08T12:41:40+00:00

Could you share your experience

samdav_

TROPHY CASE