Four going home for a festival: how we prepare documents so everyone returns on time

01 / The request

Four leave requests and four different document files

We brought a crew of eighteen rebar and concrete workers from India to a construction company in two waves: the first has been working for almost two years, the second arrived three months ago. In September the site manager forwarded us four requests: the men wanted to go home for Diwali for three weeks. The company approves leave itself, but it asked us for one thing - that all four come back with their documents in order and no trouble at the border.

Nataliia, head of our documents department, opened the control-date register and all four files. At first glance it was clear there was no single answer. The leave was the same, but the risks were different, and each had to be dealt with before the person bought a ticket.

We plan for trips like this from the recruitment stage: the information sheet shows candidates how leave works, and the post-arrival guide explains that passports and residence cards must never be left without tracking their dates. But a guide doesn't replace a check before a specific trip, so the company forwards every leave request to us. A worker's whole path from recruitment to handover is described on how it works.

Rajiv, second wave

Residence permit application filed, card still being produced

Suresh, first wave

Passport expires in five months and can only be renewed at home or at a consulate

Manoj, first wave

Work permit ends in seven weeks

Amrit, second wave

Documents in order, but his first trip, with a connection on the way

For the company it's leave. For us it's four checks that have to be finished before any tickets are bought.

02 / The check

What we check in each worker's file before a trip

We run the same pre-trip check for everyone leaving Ukraine mid-contract, even for a week. We check not only document dates but what will happen to them while the person is away: whether anything expires while they're at home, whether an extension window opens, and whether updates will need to be filed.

We send the result to the company and to the worker in his own language. Rajesh, our manager for workers from India, explains to each man in Hindi exactly what to take and what not to do at home. That way people understand the reason rather than just being told no. For the company we add a short conclusion: travel on the requested dates, move the date, or file documents first.

03 / Residence card

Rajiv and a card not yet issued

Rajiv arrived with the second wave on a D visa. We filed his temporary residence permit application on time, but when he asked for leave the card was still being produced. Rajiv assumed he'd collect it after coming back. Almost everyone travelling for the first time thinks the same.

The problem is that the D visa has already been used and there's no card in hand. If someone leaves in that position, they can't come back on the same basis: it would take a new D visa application, a consulate appointment and biometrics. That's weeks, not days, and the contract waits the whole time.

We suggested a simple solution: Rajiv leaves after the card is issued. We tracked when it was ready, collected it with him, and only then did he buy a ticket. The trip moved by nine days, he still made the festival, and his return became an ordinary border crossing with passport and residence card.

04 / Passport

Suresh and a passport that expires mid-contract

Suresh's passport expired in five months, while his contract ran for more than another year. The trip home actually suited him: a new passport is easiest to get in your own country. But a new passport brings document work in Ukraine, so we drew up a plan for Suresh before he left.

Under the Employment Law, a foreign national's new passport is grounds for updating the work permit, and the update must be filed within 30 days. Updates are free, and a decision is made within three working days. Missing this deadline creates a problem for the employer, so we entered the new passport's issue date in the register as a control date.

Rajesh asked Suresh to send a photo of the new passport's data page straight away. We ordered the translation with a notarised translator's signature before he returned, and we already held the company's power of attorney for filing.

1. Before departure

   We explain to Suresh not to throw away or hand in the old passport without a copy: it's needed for cross-checking.

2. At home

   Suresh receives his new passport and sends a photo of the data page.

3. Same week

   We order the translation with a certified translator's signature and prepare the update application.

4. After return

   We file the permit update within 30 days of the passport's issue and update details for the residence permit.

5. Within 3 working days

   Decision on the update. Suresh carries on working with documents on his new passport.

05 / Extension

Manoj: extending the permit before boarding the plane

Manoj's permit ended in seven weeks. The law allows an extension application no earlier than 50 and no later than 20 calendar days before the term ends. Had Manoj left for three weeks, the window would have opened while he was home and closed almost immediately after his return. One delayed flight and the extension would have been impossible, because an application filed out of time is grounds for refusal.

We did it the other way round: we waited for the window to open, filed the permit extension on the first day and had the decision before he left. Filing doesn't require the worker to be present, but it does require the right documents from the company, which we'd gathered in advance.

After the permit extension we planned the next step too - extending his residence permit. We set the date in the register so Manoj would apply in person after returning, with a margin before his old card expired.

1. 01

   Day 50

   The window opens. We file the extension on the first day, not the last.

2. 02

   Within 3 working days

   The extension decision. The company and the worker both receive a copy.

3. 03

   Departure

   Manoj travels with an extended permit, and the contract term isn't at risk.

4. 04

   After return

   In-person application to extend the residence permit, with a margin before the card expires.

06 / The route

Amrit's first trip: what to have in hand at the border

Amrit's documents were in order, but it was his first trip out of Ukraine, with a connection in a neighbouring country. At the border, someone with little English and without the right papers can face a long line of questions. To avoid that, we put together a document set for him and explained what to show and how to answer.

Rajesh went through the whole route with Amrit on a map: where the connection is, where he crosses the border, how much time there is between the flight and the bus. We advised booking the return so he'd arrive on a working day and a few days before his leave ended. That way any delay doesn't eat into working days or break deadlines. We also reminded him not to leave his passport with relatives or hand it to anyone to sort out paperwork at home.

• passport and residence card - in hand luggage only;
• copies of the work permit and employment contract;
• a letter from the company with the date of return to work;
• the registered residential address in Ukraine;
• the phone number of our manager, who answers at night too.

The other three got the same set. For citizens of India we always prepare it before any trip abroad, because border officers ask precisely about the basis for stay and work.

07 / The return

The first day back: checking nothing went missing

Together with the company we spaced out the trips: Manoj and Amrit went first, Rajiv after his card was issued, and Suresh last, so his permit update wouldn't overlap with Manoj's extension. In the register each man had a return date and a control date for documents.

1. Return day

   Rajesh stays in touch during the border crossing. Each man messages once through control.

2. Next day

   We check passport, card, border stamps and the documents from the set.

3. First week

   Suresh: filing the permit update. Manoj: the date to apply for extending his residence permit.

4. Handover

   The man returns to the site, with every date in the register updated.

From here we handle the crew's documents through migration support: the date register, extensions, updates and registration of residence. What falls to the employer is described on the employer duties page, and how we keep dates for a whole crew is covered in the scenario about a permit deadline register.

08 / Outcome

Four trips and not one document that needed rescuing

Rajiv

Left after the residence card was issued and returned without a new visa

Suresh

New passport at home, permit update filed within 30 days

Manoj

Permit extended before departure, residence permit extension after return

Amrit

First trip with a full document set and no questions at the border

There's nothing in a foreign worker's documents that WORKIN can't solve: we plan cards, passports, extensions and border crossings so the company doesn't have to think about them at all. If someone doesn't come back, the WORKIN replacement guarantee applies: at least 6 months from the worker's first shift, provided the agreed working, pay and housing conditions are kept, and recruitment of the replacement is not charged again. How to close out documents when a worker leaves for good is covered in the scenario about an urgent departure. More on construction projects on our pages about workers for construction and workers from India.

09 / FAQ

Questions and answers