Author: Stanislav

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has submitted Draft Law No. 14211 to the Verkhovna Rada, which proposes to comprehensively update the rules for the employment of foreigners and stateless persons. This refers to a reform aimed at harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with EU practices and eliminating excessive bureaucracy, which currently complicates the attraction of foreign specialists.

Single Permit Instead of Two Procedures
Currently, a foreigner wishing to work in Ukraine must obtain two separate documents: a permit for the employment of a foreigner; and a temporary residence permit. The draft law provides for the replacement of this two-step procedure with a single permit, which will simultaneously confirm the right to stay and carry out labor activities.
This approach should shorten processing times and simplify interaction between the employer, the foreigner, and state bodies.

Unified State Web Portal for Employment of Foreigners
With the aim of digitizing processes, it is proposed to create a specialized state web portal where employers will be able to post vacancies open to foreigners or stateless persons.
A foreign candidate, having received an offer from an employer, will submit an application for a single permit specifically through this online portal. The authorized body responsible for reviewing applications will be the State Migration Service, which will work in cooperation with other authorities to verify the submitted data.
A positive decision will serve as the basis for issuing a visa and subsequent entry into Ukraine. Upon arrival, the foreigner provides original documents and their biometric data, after which a permit confirming the granted single permit is issued to them.

Categories of Foreigners with Free Access to the Labor Market
The draft law also defines groups of foreigners who will have free access to the Ukrainian labor market and will not require a separate permit for employment. Simplified conditions for obtaining temporary residence permits will be provided for them. This refers, in particular, to foreign specialists of certain professions, highly qualified specialists, or persons who have the right to work in Ukraine on the basis of international treaties.

Changes to Existing Laws
To implement the proposed innovations, amendments are planned to the following laws of Ukraine:
“On Employment of the Population” — regarding the regulation of foreigners’ access to the Ukrainian labor market;
“On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons” — regarding the procedure for issuing permits and residence permits;
“On the Unified State Demographic Register” — with the aim of adapting procedures for issuing new-style documents.

Significance of the Draft Law for the Ukrainian Labor Market
The Ukrainian market continues to experience a shortage of blue-collar and technical personnel, as well as specialists of certain qualifications. In this period, simplifying procedures for attracting foreign labor can become an important tool for supporting business, strengthening competition, and stabilizing the personnel situation. According to the results of sociological research, the majority of Ukrainian employees do not plan to change jobs but are ready to consider an alternative under conditions of a salary increase. Under such conditions, the ability to attract foreign specialists will allow employers to partially compensate for the personnel deficit.

The issue of the possibility of mobilizing persons under the age of 25 remains relevant, as the general rule provides for conscription into military service from the age of 25. At the same time, the law contains a number of exceptions that allow a citizen to be drafted earlier, depending on their military registration status.

Legal Basis
According to the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service” and the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization,” persons liable for military service and reservists aged 25 to 60 are subject to mobilization. Conscripts do not belong to this category and, as a general rule, are not subject to mobilization.
However, the law does not prohibit the recruitment of younger persons if they already have the status of persons liable for military service or reservists. Therefore, the key is the status, not just the age.

When Mobilization Under 25 Is Possible

Possession of a Military ID or Temporary Certificate of a Person Liable for Military Service
A person is recognized as liable for military service if they:
• completed fixed-term service earlier;
• graduated from a military department and received the rank of reserve officer;
• were declared “unfit in peacetime, limitedly fit in wartime” based on the results of a medical examination.
Such citizens are already on military registration as persons liable for military service in the reserve, and therefore can be drafted regardless of whether they have reached the age of 25.

Completion of Basic General Military Training Before 25
Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization” provides: citizens who have completed basic military training are not drafted for service within the framework of mobilization.
However, this norm does not apply to those who have a military registration status that gives the right to mobilization.
That is, the mere fact of completing basic training is not an absolute protection against conscription if the person is already classified as liable for military service.

Obtaining an Officer Rank Due to Training at a Military Department
Graduates of military departments of civilian higher education institutions automatically acquire the status of reserve officers and are included in the mobilization resource. In the absence of grounds for deferment (for example, studying for a master’s degree), such persons can be mobilized even at the age of 22–24.

Reservists of the Operational Reserve
Reservists are subject to mobilization in the first place. If a citizen has entered the reserve, they can be drafted regardless of age, including under 25.

Who Cannot Be Mobilized Before Reaching 25
Not subject to mobilization are:
• persons who have a certificate of registration (pripysne) and are in the status of conscripts;
• full-time students who enjoy the right to deferment;
• citizens who did not perform military service, did not study at a military department, and were not classified as liable for military service due to medical indicators.
That is, if a man has only a registration certificate and has not received a military ID, he cannot be mobilized before 25, as he belongs to the category of conscripts.

Practical Cases of Mobilization Under 25
In practice, situations are recorded when citizens younger than 25 are drafted into service. In all such cases, the basic ground is the presence of a military registration document confirming the status of a person liable for military service or a reservist. The mere fact of the absence of previous service experience does not exclude the possibility of mobilization if the person had the status of “limitedly fit in wartime” or a reserve officer.

Conclusions
Mobilization of citizens under 25 is possible, but only if there are legal grounds — the appropriate military status. Conscripts are not subject to mobilization, while persons liable for military service in the reserve, reserve officers, reservists, or persons with the status “limitedly fit in wartime” can be drafted regardless of age. Therefore, the key role is played not by the date of birth, but by the decision of the military medical commission and documents issued during military registration.

We at Promotion want to express our sincere gratitude to our reliable partner — the Robota.ua platform — for the fruitful and highly effective cooperation over the last two years (2024–2025, data for the period January 2024 – November 2025).
For us, the key is the high-quality audience we gain access to together with Robota.ua. And the numbers best show the scale of this coverage.

What Audience We Covered Together with Robota.ua

For the period of 2024 and January–November 2025, thanks to posting vacancies on Robota.ua, we achieved the following results:
• 1,154 vacancies posted on the platform.
• 282,590 vacancy views — on average about 245 views per vacancy.
• 38,597 candidates in the funnel — people who interacted with our vacancies.
• 9,698 responses to vacancies and 28,899 interested candidates.
• 29,956 resume views and 5,307 contact openings in resumes — these are thousands of real touches with candidates with whom we could build communication.
• 2,798 phone number openings in vacancies — when candidates moved to direct contact with us.
• 17,074 profile views — additional reinforcement of the employer brand through the company page on Robota.ua.

In fact, we are talking about tens of thousands of people who regularly see our vacancies, interact with them, and move to the next steps in the recruiting funnel.

Dynamics 2024 → 2025: Not Only Quantity, But Also Quality
With a similar number of posted vacancies:
• 2024: 583 vacancies
• 2025 (January–November): 571 vacancies

We see a significant strengthening specifically in the quality of audience engagement:
• the number of candidates we interacted with grew from 10,591 in 2024 to 28,006 in 2025;
• the number of responses — from 4,202 to 5,496;
• the number of interested candidates — from 6,389 to 22,510.

On average, one vacancy in 2025 received almost 40 interested candidates, whereas in 2024 this figure was about 11. That is, together with Robota.ua, we do not just generate views — we work with a deeply engaged, target audience of candidates.

Our Conclusion
These statistical data convincingly prove: Robota.ua is not just a platform for posting vacancies. It is a strategic partner that:
• ensures a stable flow of relevant candidates,
• helps quickly close both mass and complex positions,
• strengthens our employer brand through a large covered audience.

Thank you, Robota.ua, for the successful cooperation and contribution to our joint development! We look forward to new records, even wider audience coverage, and joint achievements in the coming years.

The return of a demobilized employee to work requires the employer to strictly adhere to legislative guarantees. With a negligent approach, the enterprise risks violating the labor rights of the former serviceman and facing disputes.

Below is a step-by-step algorithm of actions and legal nuances.

1. Guarantee of Job and Position Retention
   According to Art. 119 of the Labor Code of Ukraine, employees conscripted for military service during mobilization or a special period retain their workplace and position for the entire duration of service or until actual discharge. Judicial practice confirms that these guarantees begin to operate from the moment the employee is accepted for military service.
2. Organization of Return to Work After Demobilization
   After discharge from service, the employee must contact the former place of work and agree on their return. It is recommended that the employer issue an administrative document (order) on the employee’s admission to work, as well as an order on ensuring the specified guarantees (retention of place, position). If another person worked in their position under a fixed-term employment contract during the absence, the legal situation should be clarified: under the rules of Part 3 Art. 119 of the Labor Code, the main employee has the priority right to return, and the fixed-term employee may be dismissed if this is specifically provided for by law or contract.
3. Document Verification
   Upon return, it is worth asking the demobilized employee to provide a military ID ticket or another document confirming the date of discharge from service. This is necessary to fix the start of the guarantee period and correctly calculate time for future rights (for example, for seniority).
4. Working Days, Timesheets, and Disciplinary Aspects
   If the employee does not appear on a working day immediately after demobilization, the fact of their absence should be documented (for example, an act).
   Upon return, the employee can provide an explanation, and the employer can adjust the timesheet: days of “non-appearance” can be changed to codes “I” (other valid reasons) or “PR” (absenteeism), depending on the circumstances. In case of unjustified prolonged absence without explanation, disciplinary penalties may be applied, but this is a right, not a duty of the employer.
5. Familiarization with Working Conditions
   Before starting work, a safety briefing should be conducted if provided for by the internal rules of the enterprise. The demobilized employee must be familiarized with the current internal labor regulations, changes in safety policy, as well as with new procedural documents that may have been updated during their absence.
6. Insurance Seniority, Vacations, and Other Social Guarantees
   The time of military service is counted towards the employee’s insurance seniority, which affects pension and social payments.
   Regarding vacations: the employee has the right to compensation for unused days of annual basic or additional leave (subject to submission of a relevant application). Also, the law provides for the right to leave without pay (up to 60 calendar days) during the first year after reinstatement at work following demobilization.
7. Updating HR and Accounting Records
   The employer should update HR documents: in the order on return to work, record the date, position, and conditions. It is necessary to make appropriate adjustments to accounting records to resume salary accrual from the date of reinstatement. When maintaining the labor book, the period of service must also be taken into account if determined by internal rules and regulatory acts.

 

Conclusions
• The employer is obliged to reinstate the demobilized employee in their previous workplace and position, adhering to Art. 119 of the Labor Code.
• Upon return, document verification, issuance of orders, timesheet management, and processing of HR documents are mandatory.
• It is necessary to take into account insurance seniority, the right to vacations, and the possibility of granting unpaid leave.
• Competent documentary processing of all stages of return reduces the risks of labor conflicts and legal disputes.