Fake Ukrainian employers: how paper companies hire Pakistani workers, and how to spot one
Five kinds of fake employer, how Ukrainian law catches each one, and what it leaves you with if you find out after arrival.
A fake Ukrainian employer is a company missing from the Unified State Register, liquidated, or real but with no job for you. The law catches all three: with no active register entry there is no work permit (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-9), and a permit is revoked if you work elsewhere or your social contribution goes unpaid (Art. 42-10).
- 01In the register?EDRPOU code, active status
- 02Same company?Name, address, director match the offer
- 03Permit decisionPublished for this employer and your job
- 04Real workplaceYou work there, it pays your contribution
- 05Any “no”?Stop paying, get it checked
Five kinds of fake employer
| Type | What it is, and what the law does | Your check |
|---|---|---|
| The company that is not there | No entry in the Unified State Register, or an entry under another name. The permit is refused at the first check (Art. 42-9, part 1). | Search the register by EDRPOU code, then by name. |
| The borrowed name | A real Ukrainian company whose name, logo or director is copied onto your papers by someone else. | Contact the company through the details in the register, never the ones in the offer. |
| The closed company | Liquidated, or a sole proprietor whose business is recorded as terminated: no permit can be issued (Art. 42-9). | Read the status line in the register entry. |
| The paper employer | A real company that obtains the permit while you are sent to work elsewhere. The permit is revoked for work at another employer (Art. 42-10, item 6). | Ask where you will work and who pays your wage. |
| The employer that stops paying | The permit can be revoked if the social contribution for you is unpaid two months after the contract (Art. 42-10, item 10). | Ask for proof the contribution is paid. |
Warning signs in the first conversation
- Money from you. A “sponsorship”, “permit” or “visa processing” fee. The permit fee is the employer’s, set by law at 3, 5, 8 or 10 subsistence minimums (Art. 42-4).
- No company details. No EDRPOU code, no registered address, or contact only through a recruiter’s phone.
- A vague workplace. “We will place you”, “any factory”, a site that differs from the permit employer.
- A wage below the minimum, UAH 8,647 a month in 2026, or a wage only in cash with no contract.
- Urgency and guarantees: “permit guaranteed”, “100% visa”. The State Employment Service decides the permit, within up to 7 working days (Art. 42-6), and the consul decides the visa.
The offer letter itself has its own tells, covered in how to check if a Ukraine job offer is real. The full checklist for employers and immigration firms, including reviews, is in Ukrainian employer: legit or scam.
Found out after arrival?
If the permit is revoked or the employer turns out to be a front, the job ends legally at once: carrying on means working without a permit: the employer is fined (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 53) and you can face forced return (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 26). The work-based stay can be shortened when its ground is gone (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 24). A new employer needs its own permit for you before you start. What this costs both sides: working in Ukraine without a permit.
What our $199 check covers
| Register | Unified State Register extract: status, address, director, activity. |
|---|---|
| Signatory | Whether the person who signed your offer may sign for the company. |
| Activity | Tax activity and workforce history, court and sanctions screening. |
| Permit | Whether a permit decision exists for this employer and your position. |
| Verdict | GO / CAUTION / STOP in writing within 2–3 working days. Employer verification service |
Fake employer questions
How do I know if a Ukrainian company offering me a job is fake?
Can a company get my work permit if I will actually work somewhere else?
What happens if my Ukrainian employer stops paying my social contribution?
My Ukrainian employer was liquidated. What happens to my permit?
The employer asks me to pay a sponsorship or permit fee. Is that normal?
Ukraine ki company asli hai ya fake — kaise pata karein?
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Official sources
Send us the company name. We tell you if it is real.
Employer and permit check, $199, verdict in 2–3 working days. Papers already in hand? Document review covers up to 4 documents for $349.
Last reviewed: 31 October 2026. Arts. 42-9 and 42-10 of Law No. 5067-VI as amended by Law No. 4017-IX, checked on 31 October 2026. Decisions on permits rest solely with the State Employment Service.