By John Reynolds on Tuesday 22 March 2022
Revolut, Zopa and bunq are offering relocation initiatives for fintech workers in Ukraine.
Revolut employees in Ukraine are being “evacuated” and taken to “safe shelters" while other fintech workers take up offers of working visas and other relocation support measures offered by their employers.
At least one Ukrainian with a highly skilled migrant visa is set to take up a role at a European fintech with others set to follow in the coming days, as tech workers flee their war-torn country.
Fintechs have responded to the conflict in Ukraine by setting out a range of support measures, including offering working visas and relocation packages.
Revolut, for example, has offered relocation support to all its Ukraine-based employees, be it in a safer place within Ukraine or in another country.
Revolut is thought to have less than 50 staff in Ukraine.
Revolut said: "Our focus has been on protecting our staff and their families in Ukraine.
“We engaged a global security solutions partner which is providing guidance, emergency logistical support and the latest security updates in the country.
“All Revoluters in Ukraine were onboarded to their dedicated security app. As the crisis escalated, we offered relocation support to all of our Ukraine-based employees, in case they wanted to relocate.
“In recent days we have been evacuating them or taking them to safe shelters, and have been in constant communication with those who decided to take their own routes. We continue to support those who cross the border."
Zopa, meanwhile, following the announcement from home security Priti Patel around visa concessions for Ukrainian nationals, said it would sponsor up to 50 working visas for eligible applicants in the UK.
It also said it would as fast-track the relocation of Ukrainians wishing to join their family members in the UK.
Zopa said to date “a number" of applicants had registered for the scheme.
Helen Beurier, chief people officer, Zopa, said: “So far, Zopa has had a number of applicants to the scheme.
“We are continuing to communicate the programme through as many channels as possible to raise awareness of our scheme to those who will benefit from it most."
None of the fintechs AltFi spoke to voiced frustrations about the length of time it was taken to process UK visas, as has been publicised elsewhere.
But a sumbling block is that Ukrainain men aged between 18 and 16 are currently banned from leaving the country and have been urged to join the army.
Amid Russia’s innovation of Ukraine, the co-founders of Bunq, Picnic and MessageBird launched ‘People for People’ to coordinate startups offering to help Ukrainians or Russians affected by war.
To date, the foundation is helping to hire 10 Ukrainians with highly skilled migrant visas, one of which is expected soon to join Dutch neobank bunq.
The female Ukrainian is expected to join bunq’s legal department, though contracts have yet to be signed.
