Immigration of Highly Skilled Professionals to Ukraine: Proving Qualifications

Foreign professionals with advanced skills may obtain a permanent residence permit in Ukraine, provided they meet specific criteria. This requires having a higher education degree or relevant work experience and belonging to a profession in demand within the country’s economy. 

In this article, we explain which documents demonstrate your value to the Ukrainian labor market, how to verify your work experience and education, and why it may be worth seeking the support of an immigration lawyer.

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Top In-Demand Occupations for Immigrants in 2025

Each year, Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy publishes a list of shortage occupations. If you work in a field included on that list, your chances to obtain a permanent residence permit increase significantly. In 2025, the most in-demand professions are:

• IT specialists (software developers, software engineers, cybersecurity experts, data analysts);

• Mid- and senior-level managers (managers, production shift supervisors);

• Engineers and technical specialists (electrical engineers, hydraulic engineers, energy specialists, process engineers);

• Healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, paramedics);

• Skilled trades (welders, electricians, machine operators, drivers, plumbers).

But this is not an exhaustive list of eligible professions. If you are considering immigration through this route, it is strongly recommended to consult a migration lawyer who can assess your specific qualifications.

Advice: If your profession is on the shortage list, take action now while the criteria remain in effect.

What Are the Mandatory Qualification Requirements?

In most cases, relevant work experience is the key requirement. For professionals, at least three years of experience within the past seven years is required (not necessarily consecutive). For laborers, the threshold is one year within the last three years.

For example, if you worked in your field for a total of 9 months in 2019–2020 and 27 months between 2023 and 2025, you meet the three-year requirement as a professional. For labor positions, any one-year total is sufficient.

In some cases, specific professions require two mandatory conditions. For instance, medical professionals must prove they have a higher education degree in healthcare and relevant work experience. Without meeting both conditions, your application for permanent residency will not be accepted for review.

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How to Confirm Work Experience

The easiest way to verify your experience is with entries in a labor book, though this method is mostly used in post-Soviet countries. If you worked abroad or for a large company, documents may include:

• Contracts, agreements, or offer letters provide the start date of employment.

• Completion reports outline the tasks you performed and the scope of your work.

• Payment documents, such as pay stubs or bank statements showing salary payments.

• Employment and termination orders indicate the official start and end dates of your job.

• Employment verification letters confirm that you worked in your professional field.

If your documents only include start dates without details about your job duties, employment letters and completion reports can help demonstrate that you actually worked in the relevant field.

Additional Requirements for Specialists

In addition to the required work experience, some professions have extra criteria. These may include:

• A university degree in a relevant field (e.g., "Information Technology" or "Mathematics and Statistics" for IT professionals, "Management and Administration" for executives).

• Certificates from international programs, such as courses from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

• Proof of income over the past year of at least ,000 (either as a one-time payment or as cumulative weekly/monthly earnings).

• A reference letter from a previous employer confirming your professional qualifications, such as experience in preparing technical documentation in CAD systems (Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, AutoCAD), implementing new information systems, or managing a project team.

You are not required to meet all of these conditions. One additional criterion + basic requirement (either experience or education), is enough.

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Your First Steps Toward Immigration

If you are an IT specialist, engineer, manager, healthcare professional, or skilled worker and want to settle in Ukraine, follow these steps:

1. Review your document package.
2. Collect and submit all proof of experience and education.
3. Begin preparing your application for the Ministry of Economy.
4. After receiving a positive decision, submit your documents to the migration service.
5. Obtain a permanent residence permit.

How LegalService Helps Foreign Professionals Immigrate to Ukraine

Without verified qualifications, even extensive experience does not grant the right to permanent residence in Ukraine. A properly prepared document package is your key to legal status and a career in the country.

LegalService is a team of practicing lawyers who have already helped dozens of foreign nationals immigrate legally. We have deep knowledge of Ukrainian immigration law and have been supporting clients since 2012. Thanks to this experience:

• We know exactly which documents are required for different professions.
• We provide a personalized evaluation of your credentials and help fill in any gaps.
• We organize professional translation and legalization of documents (apostille, consular legalization).
• We prepare your application to the Ministry of Economy for official support.
• We provide full legal support until you receive your permanent residence permit.