Permanent residence permit in Ukraine by ethnic origin (descent)

Your ethnic roots may be used as a ground for getting a permanent residence permit in Ukraine. You are entitled to the permanent residence permit in Ukraine as an ethnic Ukrainian if:

• one of your family members (father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, full-brother/full-sister, half-brother/half-sister, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter) was born before August 24, 1991, on the ethnically Ukrainian territories;
• one of your family members (father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, full-brother/full-sister, half-brother/half-sister, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter) was legitimately residing before August 24, 1991, on the ethnically Ukrainian territories.

This option of getting Ukrainian citizenship is frequently chosen by those, whose relatives emigrated in Ukraine. Thus, sons and daughters of the Ukrainians in Canada and in the USA (the largest diasporas live there) often repatriate to Ukraine, using their ethnic status as a condition for claiming a permanent residence permit in Ukraine.

Our practice shows that this option is also often chosen by those, whose parents legally resided in Ukraine before Ukraine got independence in 1991, i.e., international students.

Kinship and archival research.

Although this ground for getting a permanent residence permit in Ukraine is one of the most popular, establishing two essential elements is required:

• Firstly, it is crucial to prove that you have a kinship with a person, who, in the eyes of the Ukrainian immigration law, is an ethnic Ukrainian. Though it may seem to be a simple task, in fact, it is where many problems arise. Ukrainian State migration service should be 100% convinced that you are a relative of this person. The birth certificate usually confirms this;
• Secondly, it is essential to demonstrate that your kin either was born on the ethnically Ukrainian territories or was permanently residing there before Ukraine got independence in 1991. Though in the first case it may be easily proven by the birth certificate, the second scenario is considerably more difficult. Specifically, our practice demonstrates that finding pieces of evidence, confirming that someone legitimately resided on the ethnically Ukrainian territories before Ukraine got independence is often tricky. Passports with the old USSR stamps and visas are often lost or renewed. In this case, there is no other option, but to explore the archives in Ukraine.

If you have any difficulties retrieving archival records in Ukraine, our lawyers are always available to assist.

Waiting for the residence permit.

While waiting for the permanent residence permit, your stay in Ukraine should be entirely legal. The law says that Ukrainian immigration authorities have up to 12 months to decide whether your application should be satisfied or not. You should also add the time, which may be necessary for exploring the archives and retrieving the required documents. During this time your stay in the country should be legal. The first option for solving this problem is getting a temporary residence permit, which will allow you to stay in Ukraine for 12 months with the possibility of prolongation for the same period. The second solution, which may be possibly employed in this context, is to contact us for help. We will file a special motion to speed up the process. It will take 6-8 weeks to get a permanent residence permit with our support in this case.

The quotas.

In contrast to other types of permanent residence permits in Ukraine, the number of residence permits issued to the ethnic Ukrainians is not subject to the quota system. It means that you may file your application practically anytime.

Permanent residence permit based on your ethnicity is the first step to the citizenship of Ukraine.

Not only a permanent residence permit will give you the option of entering/leaving Ukraine without any restrictions, but also it is popularly understood as one of the essential steps to getting citizenship in Ukraine. Once you have this document, you may start your citizenship application.

Conclusions.

Claiming a permanent residence permit as an ethnic Ukrainian is a recommended option for those, whose immediate family members were somehow connected to Ukraine in the past. The number of people, who were born in Ukraine or legally resided here before independence is significant, so it is definitely worth exploring your family history to find out whether you have the right to claim a permanent residence permit here. However, collecting documents may be complicated. We are always ready to provide our expert assistance and answer all your questions.