Becoming a sponsor: Homes for Ukraine

What is the Homes for Ukraine scheme?

The Homes for Ukraine Scheme was launched on 14 March 2022 by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

This scheme is open to Ukrainian nationals who lived in Ukraine before 1 January 2022, and to their immediate family members (for example spouse/partner and children under 18) who may be other nationalities. The scheme allows them to be sponsored to come to the UK. Applicants can apply from Ukraine or from any other third country.

Sponsors can live anywhere in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and can be of any nationality, provided they have at least six months’ permission to stay in the UK.

Children under 18 travelling alone

There is separate guidance for children under 18, who are not travelling with or joining a parent or legal guardian.

This is aimed at existing and new applications from children who are not travelling with or joining a parent or legal guardian, but are instead staying with a known sponsor in the UK (where the sponsor eligibility and parental or legal guardian consent requirements have been met):

• Guidance for Councils (Children and minors applying without parents)
• Guidance for Sponsors (Children and minors applying without parents)
• Guidance for Parents and Legal Guardians (Children and minors applying without parents)

The safeguarding and welfare of children remain a key priority.

Businesses and other private organisations are not currently eligible to sponsor people coming to the UK from Ukraine directly.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Additionally, the Scottish Government is running a Devolved Government Sponsorship Scheme which means that the Scottish Government, rather than individuals, sponsors the visa application.

This is currently paused but all existing visa holders can travel and will be supported as planned.

Guidance for hosts has been published on the Scottish Government website.

The Welsh Government also has a Devolved Government Sponsorship Scheme.

This is currently paused but all existing applications will continue to be processed and existing visa holders can travel and will be supported as planned.

Detailed information for sponsors in Wales is available in the Homes for Ukraine: guidance for sponsors.

In Northern Ireland, support for arrivals and services more generally are provided by different organisations to those mentioned in this guide. Please see the following links for more details:

• Ukraine crisis
• Homes for Ukraine – information for sponsors

What you need to consider before becoming a sponsor

A decision to become a host family should always involve everyone in the household, including children, whose views, wishes and feelings should be considered.

If you foster children

There are additional considerations when the household includes children in foster care.

Foster carers must give written notice to their fostering provider when there is a change in the composition of the household.

We would expect foster carers to contact their fostering service provider, and also the council, for any children already living in their care when considering applying to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme (where the council is not their fostering service provider).

If a foster carer has capacity to take additional children, we encourage them to speak to their council about what support they can provide including to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children already in the country and to those who continue to arrive.

Accommodation needs

You will need to make sure that your accommodation meets the needs of the scheme before applying.

Eligibility and checks

You will need to make sure you meet the criteria to become a sponsor and that your accommodation is suitable.

Becoming a sponsor

You will need to find someone to sponsor (this can be an individual or a family group, if you have enough space to accommodate them). There are organisations that can help you find people to sponsor. Look at the list of Recognised Providers. These are voluntary and community sector organisations that provide support and help to link up sponsors with people coming to the UK from Ukraine.

You can find out what you need to do to host a guest who is already in the UK. This is also known as rematching.

Toolkits for sponsors

Organisations experienced in supporting new arrivals in the UK have produced toolkits to help new sponsors. These toolkits give a general overview and advice about being a sponsor and a host:

• RESET Homes for Ukraine Sponsor Toolkit
• RESET Thinking about your support
• BARNARDOS Advice for Host Families
• NAACOM Hosting Good Practice Guide
• NAACOM Hosting Good Practice Guide Pt II
• VITA Network

Training and advice

Training can help you to prepare to host people and understand how to deal with issues if they arise, so that you are better equipped to deal with the ups and downs of hosting.

Here are some links to videos and training courses:

• RESET training: courses, videos, articles and more, all designed to help you and the family you support
• The Sanctuary Refugee Support Course: essential basic training for all those living, working or volunteering with refugees, covering topics like safeguarding, trauma, cross-cultural communication and community integration
• Sanctuary Foundation webinars: learn about refugee welcome and refugee welfare. Sanctuary host regular events, and their previous events are recorded and posted on their website
• To Be Known: short films focused on how to prepare to host, and support throughout the hosting experience