Co-authored by Anna Babych of AEQUO
Amendments to the procedure for foreign workers to obtain
employment permits came into effect in late 2017. The Amendments to
Certain Legislative Acts Concerning Elimination of Barriers to
Attraction of Foreign Investments law removes the previous rule
that a company could only employ a foreigner in the absence of
finding a suitably qualified Ukrainian employee, or where able to
show a well-grounded explanation of necessity.
Whilst that will make it easier for foreign workers to work in
Ukraine, it is counterbalanced by the fact that the new law also
sets minimum salary levels for foreign employees that vary by
sector and are generally higher than those provided for local
employees. The intention here is to incentivize employers to hire
local specialists over foreign ones, who will be entitled to a much
higher "minimum salary." In addition, when a foreign
worker is nonetheless hired, the minimum salary requirement ensures
high
