Arend Feenstra took his wife and eight kids to Russia last year, mostly to get away from the gays and other aspects of modern life he finds undesirable. (I'm not sure how much of a problem that is in rural Saskatchewan, but whatever). Turns out, though, that if he wants to stay in Russia permanently, he'll have to sign a military contract. That'd most likely mean going to fight and die in Ukraine. That'd cut his life expectancy down to about 20 minutes once he reached the frontline.
Russia needs more men and changed the rules for foreigners late last year.
Source: Meduza
Canadian farmer Arend Feenstra, who moved to Russia through a streamlined immigration program for citizens of “unfriendly” countries who share “traditional values,” has complained that he cannot get a permanent residence permit. The news outlet Nizhny Novgorod Online drew attention to his YouTube video.
Feenstra received a three-year temporary residence permit in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region in early 2025. He then brought his wife and eight children to Russia and began farming.
But Feenstra has now learned that to replace his temporary residence permit with a permanent one, he must sign a contract with Russia’s Defense Ministry.
We’ve already […] grown attached to this place. I didn’t come here to sign a contract. I understand what it’s for and why [the authorities] want you to sign it. But I have eight young children at home and a farm. […] In that case, I’d rather take my chances in Canada, though I think living there is risky too.
Feenstra said that once his current temporary residence permit expires, he will be able to apply for temporary residence again without signing a contract. He also said his family no longer recommends that other foreigners move to Russia because the authorities keep changing the rules and “there’s no way forward.”
Since "there's no way forward," as he says, it's likely he'll be headed back to Canada in the not-too-distant future. Whatever assets he has will be sold at rock-bottom prices, if he's lucky, or seized by the Russian government after his failure to sign the contract if he's not.
The Canadian family that was conned by Kremlin propaganda into selling all their assets and moving to Russia under the "traditional values" visa is now facing a dilemma after months of finding off pressure to sign a military contract.
After investing their life savings into… pic.twitter.com/RPzloVgbLr— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) October 2, 2026
Well, there you have it! A Canadian farmer complained that he is being offered to go to war in order to obtain a residence permit in Russia
Canadian Arend Feenstra moved to the Nizhny Novgorod region with his wife and eight children.
To obtain a temporary residence permit, he… pic.twitter.com/BXzh0VL1Lk— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 2, 2026
