Ukraine further simplifies relocation requirements for IT professionals

In July 2020, Ukraine introduced quotas for foreign IT professionals that allowed local companies hire them using a simplified procedure. This fall, Ukrainian economy ministry adopted a revised document making the process even easier, BRDO reports.

What changed compared to the previous version:

Professions roster expanded from 10 to 23 and grouped by categories with common qualification requirements. The updated list includes managers, executives, information security specialists, softwae developers, computer scientists, analysts, and information processing operators. The complete list of the professions with qualification requirements may be found in the decree (PDF).

Vocational education requirement replaced with a combination of obligatory and additional qualifying requirements. Work experience currently remains as the only mandatory requirement, while vocational education, salary for the previous year, and internationally recognized professional certificates are now considered additional requirements. To meet the quota, immigrating IT specialist should meet the obligatory requirement and one of the additional ones.

Minimal work experience requirement reduced from 7 to 3 years. Ukrainian IT firms are in great demand for middle-level specialists with 3+ years of experience. The new decree accounts for that, lowering work experience requirements to meet the market needs.

List of documents confirming work experience. Previous version of the decree had no clear indication as to what documents a foreigner had to provide to confirm their work experience. The latest revision contains a complete list of such documents:

·        employment record book or equivalent document;

·        reference letters;

·        services agreements;

·        certificates of acceptance;

·        other documents officially confirming the work experience at the employee’s country of residence.

Vladyslav Andruschenko, Intelectual Property Specialist and head of law at Kyiv IT Cluster, comments: “Introduction of the quota might have a positive effect on Ukraine if the news about it is spread the right way. First of all, it will position Ukraine as a sought-after location for freelancers and digital nomads thanks to better taxation option. Second, it will result in more high-level IT professionals coming here and making Ukraine more popular among international investors and IT business owners, which, in its turn, will benefit the country’s economy. On top of that, Ukraine will be more often considered as a location for R&D offices and hubs.

According to BRDO, the next important facilitation step would be to reduce the time the State Migration Service takes to process the documents of incoming specialist. Now, this can take up to a year, while it shouldn’t be more than 10 weeks.