Unlike the regular worker who lives from payday to payday in the UK, a Ukrainian worker goes to the UK to work. The goal is to take home as much money as possible so the free time will be filled with working. Employees from Ukraine will be happy and motivated to do the job because the wages are also quite encouraging.
How to hire a Ukrainian worker in the UK
A consortium of UK businesses has launched an initiative to make it easier to offer employment to Ukrainians. Ukrainian nationals in the UK who have temporary work visas, will be able to apply to the Ukraine extension scheme. Successful applicants will get 3 years leave to remain in the UK and will have the right to work, study and access public funds.
Since the crisis began the government has introduced several schemes to help refugees settle and find work in the UK. Mostly, these schemes revolve around the individual being sponsored by someone. This may be where some confusion occurs, as there are already existing rules around sponsorship and immigration. However, you don’t have to sponsor in the usual way. You can ‘sponsor’ Ukrainians by complying with the necessary requirements.
Ukrainian worker in the UK
Are Ukrainians allowed to work under the Family Scheme or the Homes for Ukraine Scheme?
Under both schemes, successful applicants will be granted a visa for up to three years under the terms of which they can live, seek and take up employment in the UK. They can also access healthcare, benefits, employment support, education (including state schools) and other public services. There are no specific requirements in relation to the kind of work Ukrainians eligible under the schemes can take up once they are granted a visa.
Ukrainians who are not eligible under one of the available schemes and relying solely on a job offer to come to the UK will need to apply for a visa under the classic immigration routes and satisfy the requirements of that route.
Ukraine Family Scheme
British citizens are able to sponsor Ukrainian nationals who are immediate or extended family members to work in the UK. Individuals settled in the UK may also sponsor family members, so long as they meet the criteria. For a settled individual to sponsor a family member, they must:
- have indefinite leave to remain
- have settled status or have proof of permanent residence.
European individuals can sponsor with pre-settled status. Hiring a Ukrainian in the UK, the individual they sponsor for work, must have been a resident in Ukraine prior to 1st January 2022.
How does it work?
The application process is different depending on whether it comes from inside or outside of the UK.
When it comes to hiring a Ukrainian – if the refugee has a valid Ukrainian passport, and has been accepted through the family scheme, they’ll receive a letter confirming they have permission to travel to the UK without a UK visa. On arrival they’ll be issued with a six-month entry stamp. This is evidence of their right to work and claim benefits in the UK.
Within six months of arrival, the individual needs to submit their biometric information to extend their stay up to three years. If they choose to do this, they’ll receive a biometric residence permit (BRP). When you employ the individual, you should conduct a right to work check to ensure they have the BRP.
If the application is done inside the UK, the process is similar. The individual must complete an online application. Once this is done, they must go to a Visa application service point to get their biometric information taken.This will provide the applicant with a BRP and you must follow the same schedule for right to work checks following this.
Homes for Ukraine Scheme
In short, this scheme allows both businesses and individuals to sponsor a named contact, or contacts, and provide them housing for at least six months. How does it work? How the process works depends on whether you already have a named contact to sponsor. If you do, you must complete a visa application with details of the refugee and your business. The sponsored contact must have been living in Ukraine on or immediately before 1st January 2022, and currently be outside of the UK.
Once the application is processed, the individual will receive a letter confirming they may travel to the UK without a visa.They’ll receive a stamp giving them the right to work in the UK for six months. The individual will need to submit their biometric information to extend their stay up to 3 years via a BRP. As an employer you should conduct right to work checks during these deadlines.
Standard Visa Scheme for Ukrainian Worker
If an individual cannot apply through one of the other schemes, they may take this route instead. If you are already a licensed sponsor, you may recruit Ukrainian nationals by allocating a certificate of sponsorship so they can work under a Skilled Worker visa. The vacancy itself would need to comply with the usual criteria involved in the points-based system.
Checking a job applicant’s right to work
You need to check that:
- the documents are genuine, original and unchanged and belong to the person who has given them to you
- the dates for the applicant’s right to work in the UK have not expired
- photos are the same across all documents and look like the applicant
- dates of birth are the same across all documents
- the applicant has permission to do the type of work you’re offering (including any limit on the number of hours they can work)
Follow-up checks
If your employee’s right to work is time-limited, you’ll need to check their documents again when it’s due to expire.
Taking a copy of the documents.
When you copy the ukrainian documents:
- Make a copy that cannot be changed, for example a photocopy
- Make sure the copy is clear enough to read
- For passports, copy any page with the expiry date and applicant’s details (for example nationality, date of birth and photograph) including endorsements, for example a work visa
- For all other documents you must make a complete copy
- Keep copies during the applicant’s employment and for 2 years after they stop working for you
- Record the date the check was made
If the job applicant cannot show their documents for hiring, You must ask the Home Office to check an employee’s or potential employee’s immigration status if they cannot show their documents.
The Home Office will send you a ‘Positive Verification Notice’ to confirm that the applicant has the right to work. You must keep this document.
Job for Ukranians
Voshchevska, a Ukrainian living in London and co-creator of Jobs For Ukraine, said:
From the moment Russian troops set foot in Ukraine, my life and that of many Ukrainians changed forever and will never be the same again. My world now revolves around doing as much as I possibly can to support people back at home and those fleeing my homeland. You can offer work to people arriving from Ukraine if you’re an employer.
This includes:
- Full-time jobs
- Part-time jobs
- Voluntary work
It might surprise you on how many jobs are being published for Ukranians in the UK. Let’s explore some options below.
We know that many Ukrainians will want to work. You have the right to work as soon as you arrive in the UK. You need to be 18-years-old to work full time.
Find out more on ua.europa.jobs as we explore some of the possible jobs for Ukranians below.
Work categories
- Laboratory Technician – Gas Metrology
- Customer Service Advisor (Ukraine Appeal)
- Ukrainian translator
- Consulting, and engineering
- Research Scientist – Mass Spectrometry Imaging
- Early Help Practitioner
- Help Desk Specialist
- Warehouse worker
- Ukrainian To French Translator Job- Ukrainian to French translation services starts at £40 per hour, though may be higher depending on the complexity of the text.more jobs at ua.europa.jobs
- Ukrainian To English Translator Job In Leeds, UK
- Refugee Support – Interpreter working as a freelancer.
More detailed information about jobs for ukrainian in the UK, can be found on
The head of recruitment and resourcing opportunities on personnel in the UK, Asos said it was keen to recruit tech engineers via the new jobs initiative.
We know Ukraine has a strong skill set in this area. We are also working with our partners to explore opportunities at our distribution centres in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
As we can see, there are currently no changes to right to work processes for employers, including for the employment of Ukrainian nationals as long as the guidelines that are discussed above are followed.
Related entries:
Employing Polish workers in the UK
Ukrainians in the United Kingdom – stay, accommodation, work permit
