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nugget31



Joined: 29 Jun 2003
Posts: 19
Location: London, UK

PostPosted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:50 am    Post subject: Ukraine Visas Reply with quote

I don't work in Kiev and I have a work permit...

I'm in Western Ukraine..

There's a lot of hassle and paperwork (and cost) involved in getting the visas but it is possible..
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sarahrempe



Joined: 03 Nov 2009
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:23 pm    Post subject: any more info Reply with quote

can you sketch out what you needed to do to get your work permit? i need to look into and sort that out. cheers.
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nugget31



Joined: 29 Jun 2003
Posts: 19
Location: London, UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:43 pm    Post subject: visa Reply with quote

Hello,
The work permit would be really difficult to get if you don't have a school in Ukraine organising it for you... Ideally you need a degree certificate with an apostille which is a stamp by a lawyer in your country certifying your qualification is genuine... (Cost �100 in U.K) Then your school have to provide letters, contracts and other documents including registration in Ukraine... Apparently they charged our school over $300 for some of the process.. Then you must apply for the Visa in an embassy outside Ukraine - I got mine in Poland but it is supposed to be your home country.. You need advice from a school to do this..
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misteradventure



Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Posts: 246

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An Apostille is a certification by the SECRETARY OF STATE or FOREIGN MINISTER certifying that the document is legitimate and not something you made with Adobe Photoshop in your bedroom.

A Notary will NOT work.
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nugget31



Joined: 29 Jun 2003
Posts: 19
Location: London, UK

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:18 pm    Post subject: visa Reply with quote

Rules regarding apostilles may vary from country to country but I got my apostille stamp from a Lawyer in England who also had to send it to a government office as part of the process.. Now my degree certificate has a foreign office stamp plus written verification from the lawyer. You can have it put on a seperate piece of paper (apparently) if you don't want it directly on your degree certificate. My certificate was accepted by Ukrainian immigration and I now have my work permit. It's all a total waste of time and stupid bureacracy since no one who looked at my degree probably had any idea whether it was legitimate or not but nethertheless - it's necessary if you want the work permit.
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ecocks



Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 899
Location: Gdansk, Poland

PostPosted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The apostille itself comes from the government, not a lawyer.

In some countries though, the document must be notarized prior to being received at whatever government office is processing the request.

Most lawyers are happy to send it in for you and the fee isn't that big a deal.

A simple call to your lawyer asking where you can send it or a few minutes googling for information should let you know your options in your country.

Court actions are usually able to be apostiled by the court which issued them. Other documents involve different processes die to local laws and policies. In the US you can send things like transcripts, degrees, birth certificates, non-court documents and such to the Department of State in DC or your state government.
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vanillasky



Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Posts: 32

PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So, this can all be done from Ukraine? For instance, you can send your certificate by mail to the Dept. of State to be notarized, or do you need to do it in person. Is this usually something the school which is taking care of arranging your work permit can do for you, or do you usually need to have the certifications notarized already yourself? About how long does this process usually take?
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ecocks



Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 899
Location: Gdansk, Poland

PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You don't need to hand deliver it to the State Department. If necessary, you can get things notarized at ACS locations or watch for when their officers are traveling around to various cities and get it done then.

Timing? I don't know. The apostille I did came from a state level court and took about 3-4 days of processing time plus FedEx shipping times.

I doubt any Ukrainian schools would attempt to help you with the apostille. I gave my employer (university) my transcropts and they had them translated and sent through the system.
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jonpernick



Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 12
Location: Ukraine

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:29 am    Post subject: IM-1 visa & work permits Reply with quote

After completing Peace Corps service I worked for two ukrainian companies (IT and media - multi-million dollar companies) and both secured work permits for me. The first company wanted every aspect of my employment to be legal. The process took time. First, I needed to get a tax number. I did this myself with the help of my assistant. The company created a legal contract (both in english & ukrainian). These documents were submitted and I received a very official work permit that was specific to the company. I also received my offical "employment book" that the employer held onto an made recording in (it was returned to me upon leaving the firm).

Several months latter i applied for a new visa at the NYC Ukrainian consulate. I showed the agent my work permit and was told that to legally work in Ukraine it was necessary to hold an IM-1 visa. This is what I was given when I returned a week later. The IM-1 visa is an immigration visa for those working in Ukraine. This visa required additional hurrdles once I returned back to Ukraine.

When switching companies the new firm took my tax number and employment book, created a contract, and then issued me a work permit. In both cases it was the employer who secured the work permit since these permits are employer specific.

These are my two experiences. When a firm wants to be legal it will go through the proper channels. But, these were high profile companies and positions.

Just want to pass on my experience.

There are many stories passed around on these boards. I suggest you take you employment offer to the consulate and show it to that agency and let them make the determination. Remember that Ukraine has different visa regulations with countries. If you are an american go to a consulate in the US for accurate information. If an american goes to a Ukr consulate outside of the US the consulate may not know how to process a US visa. I've seen this happen to people. Advise the agent to call the Ukr consulate in the US for assistance - but, do it politely.
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Apollo1



Joined: 18 Apr 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 2:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have read that there are some law firms in Ukriane who offer to complete your registration, obtain a tax number and get you set up as a "private entrepreneur". This status allows you work within the country without a work permit. Mentioned cost was 350 USD and takes roughly 3 weeks. Anyone have information on this? Would it be possible and legal to contract your services to the language schools?
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SarahLundt



Joined: 15 May 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon May 17, 2010 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And the chance for deportation???
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charlesinukraine



Joined: 09 Apr 2010
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Wed May 19, 2010 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The chance for deportation or denied entry has grown. As I mentioned in a previous post a computerized database provides immediate access to days spent within country. It used to take math to determine days within country. On expat.ua some teachers claim they were denied re-entry. They even said the border guards didn't ask for a bribe (unusual for Ukraine).

The US, EU, IMF, and World Bank are providing Ukraine with large loans to enhance security.

Schools will continue to try to hire teachers as illegal workers in order to save on paying taxes, but do you really work to work for such a company. Will the school be there to support you in case of denied entry? The school simply forgets the teacher exists and hires another teacher. Problem solved.

Stick with the credible schools that provide teachers legal work and living status.
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Clark Montange



Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2010 11:19 pm    Post subject: Ukraine Visa Woes Reply with quote

Ukraine Visa Woes:

I have been viewing Dave's site's posts for many months. His has a great web site!! I did not see a need to post until now, however. I stumbled upon one speaking about Ukraine school visa problems by "Garvin," (don't remember exactly where, but somewhere here in the Job Discussion Forums) and felt it was an ethical obligation to join. I want to be as brief as possible, yet accurate.

This writer (Garvin) seems correct in some instances. In my case, a consulate in a bordering country completely rejected Ukraine school, American English Center (AEC) visa documents, the ones necessary to secure legal employment with AEC in Ukraine.

The consulate cited, among other reasons, that AEC's documents did not comply with standard Ukraine consulate requirements.

The visa application documents, I was told by the consulate representative, did not clearly address exactly what my job was to be, what the job title was, what I was being hired do to, the purpose of my employment with AEC, etc. I was also told the school's official "license verification," was inadequate, and third, that the consulate never accepts electronic copies (only originals), and that AEC should have known this.

These documents were written in Russian, so I had no way of knowing what they said. I flew thousands of miles from the U.S., preceding getting my visa, because there was not a Ukraine embassy anywhere near where I live. AEC advised me to go to a particular embassy bordering the Ukraine.

If you have visa concerns, and are interested in this school, pause and perhaps ask: Why would a legitimate school not be eager to call the consulate and sort out the mess (I had a current phone number, with a "real" person to talk to - - a person who was helpful to me)?
Why would a legitimate school also, not from the very start, send me original documents, knowing this is the requirement? I was informed that one cannot legally work in Ukraine on a tourist visa. This was the remaining option.

I am not a negative person, nor "trouble maker" type. I want to help prevent someone from the nightmare I was caused. Put your energies into constructive avenues. Everyone's time is precious, and the present job market is shrinking by the day out there.

Take care my Internet colleagues.
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Apollo1



Joined: 18 Apr 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

misteradventure wrote:
An Apostille is a certification by the SECRETARY OF STATE or FOREIGN MINISTER certifying that the document is legitimate and not something you made with Adobe Photoshop in your bedroom.

A Notary will NOT work.


And what of countries, such as Canada, which do not use an Apostille system? I believe there are a few Canadian teachers with work permits there, are there not?
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charlesinukraine



Joined: 09 Apr 2010
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2010 8:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Ukraine Visa Woes Reply with quote

Clark Montange wrote:
Ukraine Visa Woes:

I have been viewing Dave's site's posts for many months. His has a great web site!! I did not see a need to post until now, however. I stumbled upon one speaking about Ukraine school visa problems by "Garvin," (don't remember exactly where, but somewhere here in the Job Discussion Forums) and felt it was an ethical obligation to join. I want to be as brief as possible, yet accurate.

This writer (Garvin) seems correct in some instances. In my case, a consulate in a bordering country completely rejected Ukraine school, American English Center (AEC) visa documents, the ones necessary to secure legal employment with AEC in Ukraine.

The consulate cited, among other reasons, that AEC's documents did not comply with standard Ukraine consulate requirements.

The visa application documents, I was told by the consulate representative, did not clearly address exactly what my job was to be, what the job title was, what I was being hired do to, the purpose of my employment with AEC, etc. I was also told the school's official "license verification," was inadequate, and third, that the consulate never accepts electronic copies (only originals), and that AEC should have known this.

These documents were written in Russian, so I had no way of knowing what they said. I flew thousands of miles from the U.S., preceding getting my visa, because there was not a Ukraine embassy anywhere near where I live. AEC advised me to go to a particular embassy bordering the Ukraine.

If you have visa concerns, and are interested in this school, pause and perhaps ask: Why would a legitimate school not be eager to call the consulate and sort out the mess (I had a current phone number, with a "real" person to talk to - - a person who was helpful to me)?
Why would a legitimate school also, not from the very start, send me original documents, knowing this is the requirement? I was informed that one cannot legally work in Ukraine on a tourist visa. This was the remaining option.

I am not a negative person, nor "trouble maker" type. I want to help prevent someone from the nightmare I was caused. Put your energies into constructive avenues. Everyone's time is precious, and the present job market is shrinking by the day out there.

Take care my Internet colleagues.


You are correct in that American English Center is deceiving prospective teachers. I've read the schools letter and it purposely avoids the issues you point out because it doesn't want the consulate to view the applicant as an employee of a Ukrainian company and thus issue an IM-1 visa. By being less transparent AEC hopes that unknowledgeable consular officials will issue a business visa. The main reason if for tax avoidance. But, these days the problem is the teachers holding an Business visa or some other visa type will be the one to pay the penalty.

If you are considering going to Ukraine do it with the proper paperwork. Don't put yourself into a perilous situation when you are crossing the border.

best of luck to all
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