WoRC Work Rights Centre

UK Visas and Immigration

Applying for a visa to come to the UK

 

Ukrainians need to have a visa to travel to and enter the UK. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK government introduced two visa schemes for Ukrainians and their family members to come to the UK.

The Ukraine Family Scheme, established to enable Ukrainian nationals and their family members to apply to join relatives in the UK, closed to new applications at 3pm on 19 February 2024.  If you submitted an online application under the Ukraine Family Scheme before this time, your application should continue to be processed as before. People who were granted status under the Ukraine Family Scheme have the right to live, work, and claim benefits in the UK for up to three years.

In response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK government also established the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. This visa route continues to be in place, but the government changed the eligibility criteria for sponsors at 3pm on 19 February 2024. If you submitted an online application to be a sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme before this time, your application should continue to be processed as before.

The government recently announced a new scheme, under which Ukrainians living in the UK on one of the Ukraine schemes (the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme), will be able to apply for an 18-month extension to their immigration permission. This is called the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, and may also allow people with leave outside the rules (LOTR) to extend their stay. 

 

Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme

 

Who can come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme?

The Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme enables Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members who were living in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022 to come to the UK. To do so, they would first need to find a UK-based person to sponsor them and provide accommodation for them. 

Immediate family members of Ukrainian nationals are defined as:

  • Partner of the Ukrainian national. This includes spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner in a durable relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership of at least 2 years. The relationship must have started before 1 January 2022.
  • Child under 18 on the date of application of the Ukrainian national or of their partner.
  • Parent of a Ukrainian national child aged under 18 on the date of application (where the child is also applying under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme).
  • Fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner of the Ukrainian national, where the relationship started before 1 January 2022.

The sponsor must have either British citizenship, Irish citizenship, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Since 3pm on 19 February 2024, people in the UK on a temporary visa, such as one of the Ukraine schemes, are not eligible to be a sponsor. 

Sponsors will be subject to DBS checks and are expected to accommodate successful applicants for at least six months - the accommodation they provide must be suitable for the people they are looking to host, and should be reviewed by a local authority.  

If you submitted your application under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme before 3pm on 19 February 2024, you will be granted permission to live, work and claim benefits in the UK for up to three years. If you submitted your application after 3pm on 19 February 2024, you will be granted permission to live, work and claim benefits in the UK for up to 18 months.

 

Can unaccompanied children come to the UK from Ukraine under the Homes for Ukraine scheme?

For children who wish to come to the UK and stay with a sponsor, and are not travelling with or joining their parent or legal guardian, there are additional requirements under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. Further information on these requirements can be found on the UK government website.

 

I am currently in Ukraine, how can I find a sponsor in the UK? 

The UK government website has a list of approved charities and organisations that match Ukrainians with UK-based sponsors.

 

How can I sponsor someone fleeing the war in Ukraine? 

If you already know someone in Ukraine you want to sponsor, they should make a visa application naming you as their sponsor. If you don’t know someone you would like to sponsor, but would like to make your home available, you can register your interest in becoming a sponsor and your local council may get in touch with you. You can also contact an approved organisation that helps match sponsors with guests.

 

How do I apply under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme?

You will need to complete and submit an online application form. Once you have done this, you will need to attend a biometric appointment at a UK visa application centre. You can either have your supporting documents for your application scanned at the visa application centre or upload them to your online application before attending your biometric appointment. 

At your biometric appointment, you will have your photograph and fingerprints taken and will need to provide proof of your identity. Once a decision has been made on your application and your passport is ready for collection, you will be contacted by the visa application centre. If you have been issued a visa under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, you will be able to travel on it to the UK. 

Each family member applying under the scheme should complete a separate application form. There is no fee for a Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme application, so beware of scammers who may try to charge you for this visa. 

The UK government currently says Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme applications can take up to three weeks to be processed, from the moment the applicant enrols their biometrics. 

Which visa application centre should I go to?

The visa application centre in Kyiv is open. Other visa application centres are open across Europe and are listed on the government website. 

Please note that if you successfully apply for a UK visa through the visa application centre in Kyiv, you will need to travel to Warsaw, Poland, to collect your visa. You will not be able to collect your visa in Kyiv. 

 

What if I don’t have a valid passport?

There are other ways to prove your identity and nationality, including:

  • A recently expired passport, so long as the photograph clearly resembles the holder.
  • A valid or recently expired Ukrainian national identity card that contains a photograph clearly resembling the holder.
  • UK-issued biometric residence permit or biometric residence card.
  • A combination of ‘other official documents,’ one of which contains a photograph of you. For example: a photo driving licence submitted alongside a birth certificate. 
  • An emergency certificate issued by a Ukrainian authority since March 2022.

If you have none of the above, you can still apply but you will have to explain why you don’t have these documents. Try to think of any other documentation you might have that could evidence your identity and nationality.

 

Other immigration routes

If you are unable to meet the requirements of the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and wish to come to the UK, you may need to consider other UK immigration options which are not specific to Ukrainian nationals and their family members. You should obtain advice from a regulated immigration adviser when exploring other immigration options for coming to the UK.

Ukrainians in the UK, and the Ukraine Extension Scheme

 

If you are already in the UK, you have a few options to consider if you want to remain in the UK long-term. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK government introduced two immigration pathways, the Ukraine Family Scheme (this closed on 19 February 2024) and the Ukraine Extension Scheme, for Ukrainians and their family members to apply to remain in the UK.

People granted status under the Ukraine Extension Scheme have the right to live, work and claim benefits in the UK for up to three years. The Ukraine Extension Scheme is open to Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members who had permission to be in the UK on or between 18 March 2022 and 16 November 2023, or had permission to be in the UK immediately before 1 January 2022 but that permission has since expired. 

A person who has, or last had, immigration permission as a partner or child of a Ukrainian national who qualifies under the Ukraine Extension Scheme can also apply under the scheme. Children of Ukrainian nationals who were born in the UK after 18 March 2022 can apply under the scheme, too. Applications to the Ukraine Extension Scheme can be completed online before the deadline on 16 May 2024. This deadline does not apply to children born in the UK.

As part of your application, you will need to upload documents that show you have (or had) permission to be in the UK. If you’re a non-Ukrainian family member of a Ukrainian national, you can apply but will need to provide evidence of your relationship to the Ukrainian family member. Once you have made your application, you will need to book and attend an appointment at a UKVCAS service point to enrol your biometrics. There is no fee for an application under the Ukraine Extension Scheme.

 

I am already in the UK on one of the Ukraine schemes. Will my immigration permission be extended?

A new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme will open in early 2025, according to the UK government’s announcement on 19 February 2024. This new scheme will allow Ukrainian nationals and their family members who hold permission to stay under one of the Ukraine schemes, to extend their stay in the UK by up to 18 months.

IMPORTANT: it is unclear if Ukrainians who were granted Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR) because they required sanctuary in the UK from Ukraine, are also eligible for this scheme. The government announcement from 19th of February 2024 stated that they were. However, the guidance published on 29 February (10 days later) omitted that. We are seeking clarification and will update this information as soon as we have a definitive answer from the government.

You will be able to apply up to 3 months before your current visa expires. The government has said it will publish more information on the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme at a later date. 

If you hold Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR), we highly recommend that you seek legal advice before submitting any further applications to extend your stay in the UK.

 

I am currently in the UK without an immigration status, what should I do?

If the Ukraine Extension Scheme does not apply to you, and you are already - or at risk of - becoming undocumented in the UK, you should seek legal advice on other immigration routes. You can get in touch with us here if this is the case, or otherwise seek advice from a regulated immigration adviser. 

If you need immigration advice

 

In most instances, the Work Rights Centre can provide you with immigration advice. You can request this here. 

Pro bono solicitors. Ukraine Advice Project UK is a collective of volunteer legal professionals with immigration and asylum expertise, which was set up to provide free immigration advice to Ukrainian citizens affected by the war.

Immigration advisers. You can also find an immigration adviser on the OISC adviser finder tool. Select the level of advice required (we recommend OISC Level 2 or above) and the location. You can filter the search to view Not Fee Charging (free) advisers only. 

Private and legal aid solicitors. You can find out about private solicitors specialising in immigration and asylum law (who may charge a fee) or legal aid solicitors in your area via the Law Society's search engine.

Please remember. Bad advice can do more harm than good. Always ask the person giving you immigration advice to provide you with their OISC or SRA reference number, to ensure they are suitably qualified. You can check accredited OISC advisers using the Home Office adviser finder tool and accredited solicitors using the Law Society’s search engine.

Report hate crime

 

Unfortunately, conflict between governments risks turning into social conflict. Please don't let that happen, and remember that ordinary individuals are not responsible for the actions of governments.

If you see someone being threatened, assaulted, harassed, or subjected to property damage because of their nationality, their accent, or what they look like, you're witnessing a hate crime. Pleasereport it.

Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger or you're witnessing a crime in progress.

If the crime isn't an emergency, you can report it online, call 101, or contact your local police.

How you can help

 

There are several things you can do, based on where you are, your resources, and what you'd like to focus on.

Support a charity working in the region. Many charities are doing vital work on the ground in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. These grassroots organisations are currently working in Ukraine. Several others are active in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Your donations can help them purchase medical supplies, food, and other essential goods. Every little helps.

Support a charity working with Ukrainians in the UK. We one of few frontline organisations that speak Ukrainian and can answer questions about employment and rights in the UK. Please consider making a donation to support our work.