On 15 September 2026 Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers registered Bill No. 16073 in the Verkhovna Rada. It proposes a single permit for temporary residence and employment, applied for online through a new state job portal for foreigners and decided by the State Migration Service within up to 30 calendar days. Since 18 September 2026 the bill has been under review in the Rada's human rights committee. For a Pakistani worker today the current route still applies: the employer obtains a work permit from the State Employment Service, then you apply for a Type D visa, then a temporary residence permit (TRP) in Ukraine.
What Bill No. 16073 proposes
Bill No. 16073 is a Cabinet draft law that would replace the separate work permit and residence permit with one “single permit”, to implement Directive (EU) 2024/1233. The bill text on the Rada bill card sets out:
- A state job portal for foreigners. Employers post vacancies open to foreigners; after an offer, the foreigner applies there online, from abroad or while lawfully in Ukraine.
- A State Migration Service decision within up to 30 calendar days, with other bodies checking data electronically.
- Approval as the basis for the long-stay visa. After entry: originals, certified translation, contract, insurance and biometrics, then the TRP card.
- TRP for the contract term plus three months, up to three years; three months to find a new job if the contract is terminated.
- A fee of 0.5 subsistence minimum, plus the TRP card fee.
Current route vs. proposed single permit
The core difference is who files and who decides: today the employer files with the State Employment Service; under the bill the foreigner files and the State Migration Service decides.
| Point | Today (Law on Employment of Population) | Bill No. 16073 (proposed) |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | The Ukrainian employer | The foreigner, via the state portal, after an employer's vacancy offer |
| Decision body | State Employment Service (regional office) | State Migration Service, with other bodies |
| Legal deadline | Up to 7 working days for a new permit (Art. 42-6) | Up to 30 calendar days |
| State fee | 3, 5, 8 or 10 subsistence minimums, by permit term (Art. 42-4) | 0.5 subsistence minimum + TRP card fee |
| Validity | Up to 2 years for most hired workers (Art. 42-3) | Contract term + 3 months, up to 3 years |
Legal deadlines cover only the decision. With Pakistan-side documents and the consulate, the chain takes weeks longer; see our twelve-week case reconstruction. Timing depends on the case and the authorities.
A written assessment of your lawful route under today's rules: Eligibility Assessment, $99.
When would the single permit apply?
The single permit would apply six months after the law enters into force; the bill sets no calendar date. First it needs committee review, a Rada vote and the President's signature. Work permits issued before the portal launches stay valid until they expire.
Adoption is open: per the explanatory note, the trade unions' joint body asked to keep the current mechanism and the Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights flagged labour-market risks.
What Pakistani applicants should do now
Keep working on the current route and expect fraud around the new one: so far the portal is only a provision in a draft law.
- Paying anyone for a “new single permit” or “portal access”.
- Offers from a company missing from Ukraine's state register. Our employer verification ($199) checks registry, tax status and signatory.
- A “work permit” that no employer filed: see fake work permits.
Under the bill, the State Migration Service checks the originals and their certified translations after entry. For today's route, our Ukraine work permit service prepares the Pakistan-side file: apostilled degrees, police clearance and certified translations.
Is the Ukraine single permit for work and residence already in force?
Could a Pakistani apply for a Ukraine work permit without the employer under the bill?
How long does a Ukraine work permit take now?
Will my current Ukrainian work permit stay valid?
Bill No. 16073 is a draft; its content may change before adoption. Permit and visa decisions rest solely with the Ukrainian authorities, and no private party can guarantee them. Travel to Ukraine is restricted during the ongoing war; verify current advisories before you act. Last reviewed: 28 September 2026.
Check the employer before the offer becomes a file.
Employer verification ($199) confirms the company, its tax status and the signatory. The eligibility assessment ($99) gives you the lawful route that applies today.