Apply for a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine)

Overview

The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK. Everyone must make a separate application, even children travelling with a family member.

Your sponsor must be either:

• a named sponsor who can provide accommodation for a minimum of 6 months
• the Scottish Government
• the Welsh Government

Applicants to Scotland and Wales may previously have been considered under the super sponsor schemes, in which the governments of these nations act directly as sponsors. However, these super sponsor schemes are currently paused, so applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the relevant authorities.

It is free to apply.

You will be able to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.

Eligibility

To apply to the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme you must be Ukrainian, or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national who has been granted permission under, or is applying to and qualifies for, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

You must also:

• have been living in Ukraine on or immediately before 1 January 2022 (including those who have now left Ukraine)
• be outside of the UK
• have an eligible UK-based sponsor, or you can choose the Scottish or Welsh Government as your sponsor

Applicants aged under 18

Children under 18 years old must either:

• apply with their parent or legal guardian
• apply to join their parent or legal guardian if they’re already in the UK
• apply with the consent of their parent or legal guardian to travel to the UK to join an approved sponsor

Children applying with their parent or legal guardian

If the child is applying with their parent or legal guardian, they should travel together.

Children applying to join their parent or legal guardian

If the child is applying to join their parent or legal guardian, the parent or legal guardian should either:

• travel to meet the child before they depart, and then travel together to the UK
• collect the child from the airport, port, train station or other point of entry into the UK

We advise that children do not travel via Calais, Coquelles or Dunkerque without a parent or legal guardian.

Children who are not applying to travel with or join their parent or legal guardian

To be eligible, the child must have:

• proof of consent by their parent or legal guardian notarised or certified by the Guardianship Service of the city or regional council in Ukraine; or, where the child is in another country, notary authorities in that country or by the Ukrainian Embassy or Consulate.

• proof of consent from their parent or legal guardianship to the sponsorship arrangement

• a commitment to sponsorship for 3 years or until the child turns 18 (so long as the sponsorship lasts at least 6 months)

• approval of the sponsorship arrangement by the local council where the child will live.

If the child applied before 10 August 2022, they will have received a letter with instructions on what to do next.

New applications can now be made by children applying who are not travelling with or joining their parent or legal guardian in the UK.

You can also read detailed information on GOV.UK if you are a:

• parent, legal guardian or child
• sponsor

If you’re applying as the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national

An immediate family member is your:

• spouse or civil partner
• unmarried partner (you must have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years)
• child who is under 18
• parent (if you are under 18)
• fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner

You and your sponsor will be subject to security and safeguarding checks.

Crown dependencies

If you applied to the Isle of Man or Guernsey’s Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, you must finalise your application through that Crown Dependency’s process. If you need information or support, contact the relevant Crown Dependency:

• Isle of Man: ukraineguidance@gov.im
• Bailiwick of Guernsey (Guernsey, Alderney and Sark): ukraine@gov.gg

How long you can stay

You can stay in the UK for up to 3 years.

Fees

It is free to apply.

You do not need to pay the immigration health surcharge or biometric enrolment fee.

Apply

You must apply online.

Family members can also apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible. They’ll need to complete separate applications.

Start now

If you have a named sponsor, you or your sponsor can fill in the form, or you can fill it in together.

This application is also an application for a biometric immigration document.

By completing this application, you confirm that both the applicant and the sponsor (if you have a named sponsor) have given permission for their data to be shared and contact details used for the purpose of checks and supporting the sponsor arrangement.

If you are a sponsor applying on behalf of the applicant

You’ll need to fill in the form online as if you’re the applicant coming from Ukraine.

Add the applicant’s contact details so that they have access the application form and all the decision letters.

If the applicant has a valid Ukrainian international passport they can upload a copy of the photograph page of their passport during the application. They will need to complete this part of the application themselves.

Read the whole guide to make sure you have everything prepared that you need before you apply.

Prove your identity and providing your documents

You’ll need to book an appointment to have your photograph and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre (VAC) as part of your application.

Children under the age of 5 will not have their fingerprints taken but will still need to book and attend a VAC appointment and have a digital photograph taken.

At your appointment, you’ll need to prove your identity with any identity documents you may have such as:

• a valid passport
• a Ukrainian national identity card
• a combination of official documents – for example, a photo driving licence and birth certificate -* an emergency certificate issued by a Ukrainian authority since March 2022

For more information including opening hours and appointment booking, please visit the TLS website.

Provide evidence that you’re eligible for the scheme

If you have a named sponsor you must also provide documents that show their identity.

This can be a:

• UK or Irish passport or Irish passport card
• biometric residence permit or biometric residence card
• refugee travel document
• a photo driving licence issued by the UK, Ireland, or the Crown Dependencies

If your sponsor has a UKVI account, they can use the online View and prove service to show their identity.

It is not mandatory to provide these documents but it may help support your application if you are able to.

You can upload your documents using our commercial partner document upload app. This will be either TLS or VFS depending on which country you are applying in. You can download the app from the TLS or VFS website when you make your application.

You will also be asked to provide your sponsor’s residential address. You do not need to provide a residential address for your sponsor if your sponsor is the Scottish or Welsh Government.

After you’ve applied

You will need to wait for a decision from UK Visas and Immigration on your application before travelling to the UK.

If your application is approved, you’ll need to return to collect your visa before you travel to the UK. This visa will allow you to board a plane or other form of transport to the UK.

If you attended your biometrics appointment in Kyiv and your visa application is successful, you’ll need to travel to the VAC in Warsaw with a valid international passport to collect your visa vignette. If you had an appointment in another country, you’ll need to collect your visa vignette at the same VAC you submitted your biometrics.

Do not go to the visa application centre to collect your visa until you have been contacted.

You’ll be able to pick up your biometric residence permit once you’re in the UK. Your biometric residence permit can be used to confirm your status and rights in the UK.

If your visa application is refused because your sponsor does not meet the eligibility requirements for the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, and you still want to come to the UK, you will need to find a new sponsor and submit a new application.

If you attended a visa application centre as part of your application

Once your application has been processed, you’ll be given a visa.

This visa will allow you to board a plane or other form of transport to the UK.

You will need to collect your visa from the visa application centre before you travel to the UK.

Do not go to the visa application centre to collect your visa until you have been contacted.

You’ll be able to pick up your biometric residence permit once you’re in the UK. Your biometric residence permit can be used to confirm your status and rights in the UK.

How long it takes to get a decision

We will start processing your application once you’ve applied online, proved your identity, and provided your documents. We aim to make a decision as quickly as possible.

Extending your stay in the UK

You need to apply to give your biometrics within 6 months of arriving in the UK if you did not use the ‘UK immigration: ID check’ app or if you did not attend a visa application centre.

You will then be able to stay in the UK for up to 3 years.

You do not need to do this as soon as you reach the UK, but you do need to make sure that you have applied to give your biometrics before the 6 months ends. You will be told how to do this in your decision letter.

Apply to extend your stay in the UK

You can start the application to give your biometrics by completing the online form.

Start now

You will then book and attend an appointment at UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point.

Your biometric residence permit will be sent to the address you gave in your application. You do not need to collect it.

UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) service points

You will need to give your fingerprints and a photograph (biometric information) at a UKVCAS service point - this is to get a biometric residence permit.

Children under the age of 5 will not have their fingerprints taken but will still need to attend the UKVCAS service point and have a digital photograph taken.

Some services at UKVCAS service points have a fee. You do not need to use these services, such as document scanning, to complete your application.

If you want to use of any of these services at a UKVCAS service point during your appointment, you will not need to pay a fee for them and you should not pay for them in advance.

Booking appointments for you and your family members

If you would like to book appointments for you and your family members on the same date you will first need to set up individual accounts for all your family members, including children. You can use your own email address when setting up accounts for children.

You should then log in to your UKVCAS accounts and book your appointments together.

If there is more than one application linked to the same email address, you will need to provide the unique application number (UAN) for each application you want to book an appointment for.

A UAN is a unique 16-digit code (format xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx) that each person gets once they have made their online application to extend their stay in the UK.

We cannot guarantee that appointments will be available for all family members on the same date.

Contact UK Visas and Immigration

If you need help, contact UK Visas and Immigration.

If you cannot contact UK 0808 numbers, you can use this number: +44 (0)175 390 7510. You may have to pay – check with your phone provider if you’re not sure.

Christmas and New Year opening hours

Date	Opening hours
Saturday 23 December 2023	Closed
Sunday 24 December 2023	Closed
Monday 25 December 2023	Closed
Tuesday 26 December 2023	Closed
Wednesday 27 December 2023	9am to 4:45pm
Thursday 28 December 2023	9am to 4:45pm
Friday 29 December 2023	9am to 4:30pm
Saturday 30 December 2023	Closed
Sunday 31 December 2024	Closed
Monday 1 December 2024	Closed