During March 2022, the UK Government introduced new visa
routes to allow persons affected by the war in Ukraine to come
to the UK. You can offer them full time, part time and
voluntary work.
Introduced on 4 March 2022, the
Ukraine Family Scheme
allows applicants to join family members in the UK.
The
Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
was introduced on 18 March 2022 and allows Ukrainian nationals
and their family members to come to the UK if they have a
named sponsor under the
Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
The UK government also allowed Ukrainians already in the UK to
apply for extensions to stay longer via the
Ukraine Extension Scheme. Under this scheme they can live, work and study in the UK
if they’re Ukrainian or the close family member of a
Ukrainian.
If a Ukrainian job applicant is already in the UK, you will
not need to become a sponsor as they will have already been
granted a visa. However, if a Ukrainian applicant is not
already in the UK, it is possible to
sponsor them, but to do so under one of the Ukrainian visa schemes you
must be able to provide accommodation for them for a minimum
of six months.
As of 15 August 2022, over 115,000 Ukraine Scheme visa holders
had arrived in the UK. They should all have a
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
that confirms their status and their permission to work and to
access public funds.
As an employer you still must do an online
check of an applicant’s right to work.
On 24 February 2022 Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine
prompting a crisis that has seen over 7.7 million people flee
Ukraine, with a further eight million displaced internally. As of
14 October 2022, a total of 20,591 Ukrainians had arrived in
Scotland. You can find more details on the
Scottish Parliament Information Centre
website.
Arrivals through the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Ukraine
Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) do not have formal refugee
status but do have the right to work in the UK.
The recruitment of Ukrainian nationals is an option that service
providers may wish to consider as a mutually beneficial
arrangement. Social services are experiencing a crisis with
regards to recruiting and retaining a workforce of adequate size
and experience, particularly as recruiting staff from within a
local geographical area is proving to be increasingly challenging.
Ukrainian nationals are seeking to integrate into our society, and
many have valuable skills and experience that can be used in
social service settings.
This guide provides employers with some general guidance on
international recruitment, as well as links to more detailed
information specific to the recruitment of Ukrainian nationals.