Helped a Foreigner Stay in Ukraine Legally: Migration Lawyer’s Case

Many foreigners in Ukraine face a difficult situation as their permitted 90-day stay is coming to an end, while their immigration documents are still under review. At this point, a serious question arises: how to stay in Ukraine legally and avoid the risk of fines, forced return, or entry bans.

For businesspeople and professionals, remaining in the country can be crucial for signing contracts, seeking investments, developing a company, or pursuing other plans. That is why today we want to share a real example from our legal team’s practice showing that even in such complex situations, there is always a lawful solution.

Client Case: A Highly Qualified IT Specialist

A foreign national, a highly qualified computer engineering specialist, contacted our company. He earned his degree more than eight years ago, worked with several international companies, and recently decided to start a business in Ukraine.

We studied his situation and helped him prepare the full set of documents required to obtain an immigration permit. The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine confirmed that he meets all the criteria as a valuable specialist.

The client arrived in Ukraine, and within a week we organized the submission of his documents and application to the migration service to obtain an immigration permit. However, as is well known, the review of such an application can take up to six months.

The problem was that the 90-day period of his permitted stay in Ukraine was coming to an end. He did not plan to leave the country, as he was already actively negotiating with partners about starting a business in Kyiv, seeking investments, and creating new jobs.

In other words, staying in Ukraine was not only personally important for him but also had significant commercial value.

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Main Risks for the Client

According to the law, a foreign national may stay in Ukraine only for a limited period, and submitting immigration documents does not automatically extend that stay. This created a risk that the client might:

• violate the rules of stay, which could lead to fines and forced departure from Ukraine, or in the worst case, an entry ban;
• lose the opportunity to legalize his status, as such a violation during the immigration review could become grounds for refusal;
• jeopardize business projects that were already in the final stages of negotiation.

Our Approach to Solving the Problem

Our team of migration lawyers is not afraid of complex challenges and always finds a way to achieve the client’s goal, even in the most difficult situations. So we quickly got involved in resolving the case. Here’s what we did.

Document analysis

We checked whether all the materials for immigration were prepared correctly to avoid a refusal due to formal errors.

Choosing options for legal stay

At first, we considered several ways to extend the client’s legal stay in Ukraine. In particular, we analyzed the possibility of obtaining a temporary residence permit. However, this option turned out to be quite costly as it required applying for a type D visa abroad and spending additional time and money, which went against the client’s plans to remain in Ukraine without leaving the country.

We then focused on a second and more practical solution, extending the period of stay based on the already submitted immigration application. This option was more relevant and better suited to the actual circumstances. However, a new issue arose since the foreigner did not have a hosting party in Ukraine.

According to the law, the hosting party can be either an individual or a legal entity. However, this status comes with serious obligations:

• covering all expenses of the foreign national during their stay in Ukraine;
• compensating any potential damages to the state in case the foreigner is forcibly expelled for violating the law.

Organizing the hosting party

Not everyone is willing to take on such risks. However, our client’s partners in Ukraine, having carefully considered all the circumstances and taking into account his reputation, agreed to become the hosting party. They issued an official letter of guarantee, which became the key to extending the client’s legal stay.

Preparing the document package

Our migration lawyer prepared the complete set of documents for submission to the State Migration Service and accompanied the client and the hosting party during the application process.

As a result:

• the foreign national’s stay in Ukraine was extended for 180 days until the residence permit is issued;
• he avoided fines and the risk of an entry ban;
• the client continued negotiations with investors and completed preparations to start his business.

This case proves that there is always a legal solution, even in the most complex migration situations. The main thing is to act in advance and with professional support.

You might also like: Refusal to Issue an Immigration Permit in Ukraine

Why It Is Important to Contact a Lawyer Immediately

Many foreigners wait until the last days when their permitted stay in Ukraine is almost over, and this is a big mistake. At that point, the risks increase significantly:

• there is no time to find a hosting party;
• the State Migration Service may refuse to extend the stay because the application must be submitted no later than three days before the permitted period ends;
• there is a risk of an entry ban.

By contacting a lawyer in advance, you get:

1. An analysis of all possible grounds for legalization.
2. Document support without errors or unnecessary expenses.
3. A legal mechanism that allows you to stay in Ukraine even in complex situations.

We help foreigners not only submit their documents correctly but also make their stay in Ukraine legal and secure.

If you are a foreign national and your permitted stay is about to expire, or you need help with other migration issues, do not take risks. Schedule a consultation with our lawyers today and we will help you find a solution tailored to your situation.