We haven’t had any visa refusals from the UK, just delays because of the change in the UK visa centre in Kiev to Teleperformance. It was mostly organisational problems. They lost passports, they changed some information. It took more time for them to process visas, especially in the summer.

The PIE: There were several agencies complaining about problems with the UK’s new visa provider. Has it affected business?

VN: We had a few clients who had to change their flights. And it makes parents nervous. especially when it’s a child and he or she doesn’t start with other children.

“There were some enquiries for parents to travel with their kids. They might event start thinking of purchasing an apartment”

The PIE: In general, what’s the feeling in Ukraine at the moment?

VN: When everything started in November, when the riots were in central Kiev, there was a feeling that people wanted to change something. Then when people actually died, in February, loads of families just moved away. Another period was just before September- they wanted to send students to do A levels, GCSE, some academic programmes. There were some enquiries as well for parents to travel with their kids, and stay in an apartment not far from the school. So they might event start thinking of purchasing an apartment. There are people can afford it.

The PIE: You could see more Ukranian parents buying foreign property to escape the conflict?

VN: It would be better if the government didn’t have so many rules. If they want to settle in the UK for example it’s quite difficult. So they will look for new countries where they are looking for investors for the economy. There are countries where if you buy a property for €350,000 or something you’ll get residency– Spain, Malta, Cyrpus. So it’s much easier and the Euro is a bit cheaper as well. Of course there are people who earn their salaries in foreign currencies. For them it’s not so difficult. But that’s a small number. In Ukraine the problem is that there is a big gap between the wealthy and the poor. There is a very small amount of people in the middle class.

“The problem is that there is a big gap between the wealthy and the poor. There is a very small amount of people in the middle class”

The PIE: The academic year is kicking off in this shaky environment, how are you preparing for whatever is next?

VN: Our plans are to start heavily promoting January start programmes – that’s when most academic programmes start. And we’ll try to send some juniors for autumn and winter holidays. It’s not official yet but due to the problems with gas Russia says that the schools may be closed in winter for two months or something. Which means they might reduce the autumn holidays to one week and they might add to the winter holidays. So maybe for us it’s an opportunity, children will be at home but parernts will still have to go to work. So they’re might be an opportunity to push winter break courses.

And loads of people are moving from the eastern part of Ukraine to Kiev to other cities. So there is a special interest for those kinds of people because there were people there who worked in government or the mining industry who have money.

We only hope the situation doesn’t escalate further and that there won’t be a war. Because already there are loads of people suffering from this.