Top (Non-EU) Immigration Friendly Countries to Consider for Relocating Ukrainian Employees

(Non-EU) Destinations to Consider for Relocating Ukrainian Employees

The unfortunate situation in Ukraine has brought to surface the importance of employee tracking and reporting for companies when it comes to location-based compliance and visibility. It has also demonstrated the significance of global mobility contingency planning. And though no one move (and certainly no one immigration process) is the same as the next one, companies can take a broad and strategic view as to understanding which locations within their corporate ecosystem make the most sense as logical short-term and/or long-term destinations in the face of a geopolitical crisis.

Aires and Audrey Lustgarten of LG Global Immigration have prepared a list of top corporate immigration-friendly countries. Companies may wish to use this as a starting point when preparing a global mobility contingency plan and understanding where strong options might exist for displaced employees or assignees.

Due to the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive by the European Commission for Ukrainian nationals on March 4, 2022, this list does not include any European Union (EU) countries.

Ultimately, each non-EU country on this list should be reviewed on its merits and companies should understand broader implications as to how their structure and employee-base lines up with each of these countries.

When preparing the list, three main criteria were taking into consideration: a) timing; b) qualifications/process; and c) cost of government and legal fees.

Argentina: Relatively low-cost jurisdiction offering immediate entry and ability to change status in country.

• Good to know: Must be employed and sponsored by an Argentine company and have no criminal record.
• Immediate entry on visa waiver basis: Yes
• Change status in country: Yes
• Qualifications/process difficulty: Low
• Timing of process: Quick
• Immigration Cost (Legal + Government fees): Affordable

Canada: Good option offering soon to be launched dedicated open work permit program for Ukrainian citizens and their families.

• Good to know: Details on the open work permit program are still forthcoming but we expect qualification requirements beyond evidence of Ukrainian citizenship and security/background checks to be minimal. The program is expected to open in approximately two weeks. Alternatively, employees who qualify for other work permit types, such as the intra-company transfer category based on sponsorship by a Canadian company following 12 months of work experience with an affiliated company outside of Canada, can apply immediately and their applications will be expedited.
• Immediate entry on visa waiver basis: No
• Change status in country: No
• Qualifications/process difficulty: Moderate now, easy under new program
• Timing of process: Quick
• Immigration Cost (Legal + Government fees): Moderate

Israel: Well-established visa waiver destination country allowing change of status in country for high skill, highly paid employees.

• Good to know: Israel has very high minimum salary requirements and prefers those with degrees, so this option will be best for senior employees.
• Immediate entry on visa waiver basis: Yes
• Change status in country: Yes
• Qualifications/process difficulty: Complex
• Timing of process: Moderate
• Immigration Cost (Legal + Government fees): Expensive

Mexico: Very business-immigration-friendly location offering an excellent option for employees of all skill and salary levels.

• Good to know: Employers must register with the immigration authorities prior to filing work visa applications and if employees enter on an initial e-Visa they will have to depart to obtain a work visa stamp once immigration approval is needed.
• Immediate entry on visa waiver basis: e-Visa required, can be obtained online
• Change status in country: No but work is permitted as a visitor if paid outside Mexico
• Qualifications/process difficulty: Low
• Timing of process: Moderate
• Immigration Cost (Legal + Government fees): Affordable

Singapore: Country offering a streamlined, digital immigration system open to skilled workers meeting minimum salary thresholds.

• Good to know: A labor market test is required for companies that have more than 10 employees unless the employee’s monthly salary will be very high. Quotas are imposed for lower skill roles.
• Immediate entry on visa waiver basis: No but visa issuance is electronic
• Change status in country: No
• Qualifications/process difficulty: Moderate
• Timing of process: Moderate
• Immigration Cost (Legal + Government fees): Moderate

UK: Expensive but streamlined jurisdiction that provides work visa options with moderate skill and wage requirements.

• Good to know: Companies must hold a sponsor license with UK Visas & Immigration or will have to first go through a lengthy process to obtain a license. Government fees for the existing employment-based visa options are extremely high; the UK is planning to implement a special program for Ukrainians, and it is hoped the fees for this will be more moderate.
• Immediate entry on visa waiver basis: Yes
• Change status in country: No
• Qualifications/process difficulty: Moderate
• Timing of process: Moderate
• Immigration Cost (Legal + Government fees): Expensive

**Note that this information is current as of March 8, 2022. As the situation is developing rapidly, we expect that new options specifically for Ukrainian citizens will become available. These options may offer visa-free entry, expedited processing, and potentially low or waived government fees. Companies will want to consider these options in addition to the more traditional employment authorization options.

This post was a collaboration between Bobby Bartle, General Counsel, Aires (bbartle@aires.com, www.aires.com), and Audrey Lustgarten, Principal Attorney, LG Global Immigration (audrey@lgglobalimmigration.com, www.lgglobalimmigration.com).