Immigration Agency Reopens, but Government Operations Remain Unpredictable

The ongoing political unrest in Kiev has subsided to some degree, and Ukraine’s immigration agency has reopened and started accepting and processing cases.

Government closures remain a possibility, however, and employers should continue to identify individuals with potential immigration issues in their foreign workforce in Ukraine. Additionally, due to application backlogs that developed during the government closures, processing delays will likely persist through the near future.

The government closures may have caused foreign employees in Ukraine to experience status overstays, visa expirations and other inadvertent immigration status issues. Employers should contact their Fragomen representative to develop strategies for moving affected cases forward now that government offices are reopening. Foreign nationals who have overstayed their immigration status or resident permits may ultimately be given special consideration. However, the government has not confirmed its policy on work permits that expired during the closures.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Employers should expect immigration processing in Ukraine to remain delayed and unpredictable through the immediate future. Although immigration officials are returning to work, application backlogs developed during the government closures. As a result, employers sending foreign staff to Ukraine will continue to experience delays.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].