Ukrainian citizens in search of earnings often give preference to employment in the Russian Federation. Many specialists are interested in legal work for Ukrainians in Russia in 2021. A visa-free regime between countries, a large selection of vacancies in various fields and a relatively simple registration procedure contribute to the influx of labor migrants.
Labor activity of foreigners in Russia
Administrations of local companies seeking to attract labor from other countries, as well as those who are ready to go to work in Russia, need to know what laws exist regulating the employment of persons without Russian citizenship. The main document regulating the legal aspects of the stay and activities of representatives of other countries is the Federal Law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation” dated July 25, 2002 No. 115-FZ.
The procedure and procedure for the employment of persons of foreign origin is established by Art. 13 of this law. The rights of Ukrainians working in Russia, as well as those from other countries, are enshrined in the provisions of this article.
Employment of Ukrainian citizens
Ukrainian citizens do not require a visa to cross the Russian border. When entering the country, they fill out a migration card. The rules for hiring Ukrainian citizens require that the migrant be in the Russian Federation legally. It could be:
- temporary stay confirmed by a migration card;
- temporary residence permit;
- resident card;
- refugee status.
The specifics of the employment procedure depend on the type of legal basis for stay. The employer needs to know what documents are needed to register a citizen of Ukraine for work in each of the listed cases.
Hiring with a residence permit
The simplest procedure for applying for a job is for Ukrainian citizens who have already received a residence permit. In this case, the employer will not even need special permission to hire a foreign person.
Although the employment of Ukrainians in Russia if they have a residence permit is generally no different from the employment of citizens of the Russian Federation, the following must be taken into account:
- The status must be confirmed by a separate document, which is similar in format to a passport, or a stamp in the international passport.
- A Ukrainian employee does not need to register for military service.
- A patent is not required for legal work.
Registration of a labor patent
Anyone who plans to engage in labor activity must first of all find out how a citizen of Ukraine can obtain a work permit in Russia. This right is granted by a patent, which is issued for a period of 1 to 12 months. It should be received no later than 30 days from the date of border crossing.
The package of documents includes:
- national passport;
- a migration card indicating that the purpose of arrival is work;
- completed application;
- registration document;
- VHI policy;
- a receipt for payment of the state duty, the amount of which ranges from 570 to 5000 rubles, depending on the region.
A migrant worker must be aware of where to obtain a work permit for a citizen of Ukraine. The competent state body is the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (formerly the Federal Migration Service). The patent will be ready 10 days after submitting a set of necessary papers.
Concluding an employment contract with a migrant from Ukraine
Labor relations between a Russian employer and a specialist with Ukrainian citizenship are fixed by an employment agreement drawn up in accordance with legal norms.
Step-by-step instructions for hiring Ukrainians are as follows:
- Checking the applicant's documents. Mandatory documents include identification, confirmation of the legality of stay and employment. Having a residence permit or temporary residence permit simplifies the procedure. If the basis for employment is a temporary residence permit, a Ukrainian can only work in the region for which it was issued. If an applicant is temporarily staying in the Russian Federation on a migration card, he must have a patent.
- Registration of a work book in Russia. It could also be an old Soviet form. If a Ukrainian has not yet worked in the Russian Federation, the employer receives a new book and SNILS for him.
- Notification of the GUVM about hiring a foreigner within 3 days after the conclusion of the contract. Violation of this rule may result in a fine.
Work Patent Changes Effective 2021
From 2021, labor migrants from Ukraine who want to find work in St. Petersburg will have to pay more to obtain a work patent. The cost of this permit will increase by 500 rubles and amount to 3,500 rubles per month. For the year, this amount will be 42 thousand rubles.
The rise in patent prices in the Northern capital is explained by certain realities in the labor market. Migrants' earnings, as well as the average salary, have increased in recent years, while the cost of a patent has remained unchanged since 2015. Like St. Petersburg residents, foreign workers take full advantage of the city's infrastructure and therefore must also finance its maintenance.
During 2021, labor migrants in St. Petersburg received 211.5 thousand patents, and during 8 months of 2021, 152.3 thousand work permits were issued. During the first 6 months of 2021, over 13 thousand were registered in St. Petersburg. foreigners from the CIS countries, which is 66% higher than the number of migrants in the first half of last year.
Where and by whom do Ukrainians work?
In order for a Ukrainian in Russia to get a job in some region of the country, one should take care of obtaining temporary or permanent status. Immigrants from Ukraine, as well as applicants from other countries, are attracted to vacancies with high salaries. The maximum number of opportunities opens up for them in large cities and in the central regions of the Russian Federation: Moscow, St. Petersburg and so on. This is where many people go in search of work.
Along with the high demand for labor in megacities, there is high competition.
There are other regions where Ukrainians work in Russia. They can often be found in Siberia, Transbaikalia, and the Far East. Labor activities are organized both normally and on a rotational basis. Given the difficult working conditions and lack of developed infrastructure, the level of competition in these regions is usually low.
Those who plan to leave Ukraine to work in a neighboring country are interested in what Ukrainians do in Russia. Most often vacancies open:
- at construction sites;
- in industrial sectors;
- in the service sector.
Workers and construction specialties are especially in demand: concrete workers, welders, masons, drillers, installers, painters, plasterers. There are high chances of finding highly paid work in the Russian Federation with qualified doctors and technical specialists.
Work for Ukrainians without refugee status, temporary residence permit or residence permit will require a patent for a specific type of activity.
After the introduction of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and European countries in June 2021, many Ukrainians became interested in finding employment in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the influx of labor migrants to Russia continues to indicate the attractiveness of working in the Russian Federation.
Shift method
As Ukrainians living and working in Russia told Vesti, it is difficult for those who want to find a qualified office job to get through there. “I had an excellent job as an accountant in one of the private clinics in Moscow. The husband worked as a warehouse manager at a company. We were officially registered, there were no problems with housing - we lived with my sister in a house in the Moscow region, and we were registered with her. But our relatives helped us with the work, because if the place pays well, then there is a lot of competition, like everywhere else. We made good money; it was enough to finish building a house near Vinnitsa; the eldest son did this. We came to celebrate a housewarming before quarantine, but never went back. Covid, closed borders. Other people have already taken our places. And we are unemployed here now. The age is not liquid - 45+. Nobody needs them,” Maria Strizhevskaya tells Vesti.
Russian employers, according to her, are more in need of Ukrainian builders: masons, concrete workers, plasterers, painters, specialists in various finishing and interior works. In addition, maids, nannies, waiters, cooks, housekeepers and drivers are consistently finding work. They are more willing to hire than people from other countries, because they are qualified, but do not require large salaries, and most importantly, they know the Russian language well.
“Many of us prefer to work in Russia on a rotational basis, illegally. This is when you work for 90 days and relax in your home country for the next 90. Well, or you use it,” says builder Valentin Kuprienko.
The condition of leaving the country before June 15 does not frighten him. He says, if necessary, he will return when everything calms down. “In the Russian Federation they are always trying to tighten the screws, they are always coming up with something, but they can’t do it without my team. We have been traveling to Russia for ten years now, and lately we have been restoring and building churches. We are satisfied with our work. The issue of legalization was not pressing; we have families in Ukraine. Let’s see how everything turns out,” says the builder. According to him, the money he earns in Russia is enough so that his family in Ukraine does not fall into poverty.
Payment of taxes by citizens of Ukraine
Before formalizing an employment relationship, you should find out what taxes foreigners are subject to. Immigrants from Ukraine pay income tax (NDFL) in the amount of 13% if they have resident status, that is, if the employment contract was valid for more than 183 days during the year.
With fewer days worked, the tax rate will be 30%.
Contributions to pension and social insurance are required.
For labor migrants, the relevant question is whether work in Russia is included in the length of service of Ukrainian citizens. In accordance with the intergovernmental agreement on pension provision, which was signed by the Russian Federation and Ukraine, when calculating a pension, the length of service acquired in the territory of any of the participating states is taken into account.
Work for migrants from Donbass
The law provides provisions that make it possible to hire an employee with refugee status or a DPR or LPR passport. A foreign citizen who has grounds to acquire this status must obtain the appropriate certificate. Labor relations are formalized in the same way as if the applicant has a residence permit.
Due to the circumstances in the Donbass, you can find many advertisements on the Internet offering work in Russia for refugees from Ukraine, DPR, LPR with accommodation. There are government programs aimed at attracting labor, including highly qualified specialists, to various regions of the Russian Federation.
Residents of the DPR and LPR who decide to settle in a new place receive support from the state and local authorities.
Hiring a Ukrainian with temporary asylum status is similar to applying for an employee with a residence permit.
Vacancies and employment for residents of Donbass in the Russian Federation
Residents of Donbass are citizens of Ukraine, and their employment on the territory of the Russian Federation is subject to the general rules in force for all other Ukrainian citizens who are visa-free foreigners in the Russian Federation. Whether an employee has the status of temporary stay, temporary residence, permanent residence permit or refugee affects work activity, as does the presence/absence of a work patent.
Now hiring a Ukrainian with temporary asylum status has been simplified and does not differ in procedure from hiring a Russian citizen. Ukrainian citizens who have it do not need to obtain a work permit or apply for a patent. When hiring such employees, employers do not need to obtain a work permit for a foreign citizen and notify the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the procedure for hiring or dismissal.
Before hiring an employee with refugee status, you must familiarize yourself with the list of areas of activity prohibited for foreigners. In particular, you will not be able to hire a Ukrainian with any status to work outside of trade pavilions: this applies to the sale of goods from trays or in tents. Foreigners are prohibited from working in pharmacies and being in government service.
If you are interested in highly paid work in Russia for refugees from Ukraine with accommodation, then you should pay attention to working on a rotational basis; such employees are usually provided with a place in a dormitory. In large cities, most of the vacancies are work in the service sector or low-skilled work in enterprises.
Refugee status or temporary asylum allows you to engage in entrepreneurial activity in the Russian Federation - an excellent job for residents of the LPR and DPR in Russia.
