If a foreigner receives a temporary residence permit in Ukraine for several years in a row, can he count on permanent residence or citizenship?
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It is not uncommon that a foreign citizen intends to move to Ukraine for some reason. For example, in recent years a large number of IT specialists have moved to Ukraine, as they could register in Ukraine as sole proprietors and work here in their specialty paying significantly lower tax rates than in the USA or Europe.
Many foreigners move to work or start a business here. In most cases, if such persons have legal grounds and the desire, they apply for a Temporary Residence Permit in Ukraine.
But a Temporary Residence Permit is a temporary document, which must be extended from time to time, and a foreigner must again gather the needed documents. If a foreigner is not planning to leave Ukraine in the near future, the natural desire is to get a permit, which will be more long-term - the Permanent Residence Permit. Or even better - to apply for citizenship.
And many foreigners are surprised that even after getting a Temporary Residence Permit in Ukraine, and even after extending it a couple of times, it does not mean that you will be able to obtain a Permanent Residence Permit. You must have legal grounds, which we will talk about today.
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Temporary Residence Permit or Permanent Residence Permit in Ukraine through Marriage
We should dispel a common misconception that if you are married to a citizen of Ukraine, it does not mean that you can immediately apply for a Permanent Residence Permit or citizenship. Getting married gives you the opportunity to get a Temporary Residence Permit for 1 year.
But if your marriage lasts for 2 years or more, you have the ground for obtaining a Permanent Residence Permit. Please check the documents needed for the Permit on this basis here.
Processing takes at least 1 year, and after the first stage - obtaining an Immigration Permit, you can also freely stay in Ukraine for a year.
Note: Sometimes the marriage does not stand the test of the first household problems and ends, in fact, before it has even begun. If this happens, provided that you have already obtained the Immigration Permit, the procedure for issuing a residence permit will not be suspended.
You may also like: May I Stay in Ukraine While Waiting for the Residence Permit?
Who exactly has the opportunity to get a Permanent Residence Permit in Ukraine?
In the first place, as we have already said, the husband or wife of Ukrainian citizens. Also, a Permanent Residence Permit may be obtained by those persons whose spouse already has a Permanent Residence Permit in Ukraine, as well as their children.
Secondly, close relatives of citizens of Ukraine - grandparents, parents and half-brothers and sisters - may apply for a Permanent Residence Permit. Read more about this procedure here.
A separate group of people who can apply for a Permanent Residence Permit are those who have a territorial origin in Ukraine. This means that he/she should have been born or resided in Ukraine before August 24, 1991, or have a close relative who was born and lived here.
You can apply for a Permanent Residence Permit if you previously had Ukrainian citizenship, but renounced it. However, persons in this category are subject to a quota - which means that each year only a certain number of “permits” are assigned to people from this category.
You can also count on a Permanent Residence Permit, if you intend to invest in the Ukrainian economy. Suche cases, of course, have their own procedure and rules. You must transfer funds in a special investment account in Ukraine, and the amount of investment should not be less than 0,000.
If you have served in the Armed Forces for at least three years, as evidenced by a military certificate, you can also apply for a Permanent Residence Permit. Such a ground is also limited to a quota each year.
Recently, a popular quota and the basis for obtaining a Temporary Residence Permit is “availability of a profession and qualifications that are needed in Ukraine”. Highly skilled workers in certain categories, such as IT specialists fall within this ground.
Scientists and persons whose immigration is of particular interest to Ukraine may also obtain a Permanent Residence Permit.
The only option other than marriage, when a person may obtain a Permanent Residence Permit after residing in Ukraine and extending his/her Temporary Residence Permit is a stateless status of a person. If such a person has obtained a Temporary Residence Permit in Ukraine and lived on its territory for more than two years - he/she can apply for a Permanent Residence Permit.
Our staff provides full legal support of the procedure for obtaining a Permanent Residence Permit in Ukraine on a variety of grounds, as well as help solve the issue of immigration to Ukraine as a whole - suggesting the most appropriate option for you.
See our service fees and details on obtaining a Permanent Residence Permit here.
A Permanent Residence Permit allows you to live in Ukraine without extending the Permit during the next 10 years, and frees you, for example, from the restriction of changing jobs. If you get a Temporary Residence Permit through employment in Ukraine, and then you want to change jobs, or, for example, work for a volunteer organization - getting another job requires you to obtain a new residence permit. With a Permanent Residence Permit you can avoid this situation.
Do you intend to move to Ukraine for a long time? Don’t hesitate to contact us! We will help you find the most suitable option and translate it into a reality.
Didn’t find an answer to your question?
Everything about obtaining a Permanent Residence Permit in Ukraine here.
