Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa

Overview

Ukraine

If Permissionyou Extensionneed scheme

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 beento givenpay permission– check with your phone provider if you’re not sure.

Eligibility

To apply to the Ukraine Family Scheme you must:

• be applying to join or accompany your UK-based family member

• be Ukrainian, or the family member of a Ukrainian national who is applying to the scheme to join a UK-based immediate family member

• have been living in Ukraine on or immediately before 1 January 2022 (even if you have now left Ukraine)

You can apply if you’ve already arrived in the UK underand onemeet ofthe requirements above.

To apply to the Ukraine schemes,Extension Scheme you maymust be ableUkrainian or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national who is applying to the scheme.

You can apply for athis furtherscheme 18if monthsone of the following is true:

• you held permission to staybe in the UK underon or between 18 March 2022 and 16 November 2023 – the newpermission Ukrainedoes Permissionnot Extensionneed scheme.to You’llcover bethe ablewhole period

• you previously held permission to be in the UK and that permission expired on or after 1 January 2022

You can apply 3to monthsthe beforeUkraine Extension Scheme for your existingchild visaborn in the UK if one of the following is duetrue:

• you have permission to expire.be Wein willthe provideUK furtherunder informationone aboutof the newUkraine schemeschemes
• you shortly.

  are applying to the Ukraine Family Scheme

  The or the Ukraine FamilyExtension Scheme

Your closedapplication atwill 3pmbe onsubject 19to Februarysecurity 2024.checks.

UK-based Itfamily allowedmember

Your eligibleUK-based Ukrainianfamily member nationalsmust tobe joinone familyof membersthe orfollowing:

• a extendBritish theirnational

• someone stay,settled in the UK.UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence

• Thosesomeone from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland who werehas grantedpre-settled permissionstatus under the UkrainianEU FamilySettlement Scheme canand live,started workliving andin studythe UK before 1 January 2021

• someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

Your andUK-based accessfamily publicmember fundsmust forbe upone toof 3the years.following:

• Ifyour immediate family member

• your extended family member

• the spouse or civil partner, unmarried partner, child, parent, or fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner of your extended family member

You should provide a copy of an official document that confirms your family relationships if you intendare toable jointo. For example, a settledmarriage or birth certificate.

You can still apply if you are unable to provide these documents. You should explain why you are unable to provide them when you apply. For example, if you had to leave all your documents behind when you left.

Immediate family members

An immediate family member is your or your UK-based family member’s:

• spouse or civil partner

• unmarried partner (you must have been living together in thea UKrelationship for at least 2 years)

• child who is ableunder to18

• parent accommodate(if you,you are under 18)

• fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner

Extended family members

An extended family member is your UK-based family member’s:

• parent (if you mayare beover eligible18)

• child towho applyis underover 18

• grandparent

• grandchild or your partner’s grandchild

• brother or sister

• aunt or uncle

• niece or nephew

• cousin

• mother-in-law or father-in-law

• grandparent-in-law

• brother-in-law or sister-in-law

If your UK-based family member is your (or an extended family member’s) spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, the Homesrelationship formust Ukrainehave Sponsorshipstarted Scheme.before 1 January 2022.

Other visasfamily members will be considered where there are exceptional circumstances.

If you mayhave applya forfamily member from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland

You maymight also be eligible for an EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit if you are the family member of someone who is living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme who is from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. You must be outside of the UK to makeapply for an applicationEU underSettlement otherScheme immigrationFamily routes.Permit.

CheckYou can choose which visasapplication you make but please do not apply to both the Ukraine Family Scheme and for an EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit as it may cause a delay in getting your decision.

Regardless of what you apply for to enter the UK, if you’re eligible you’ll be able to apply forto the EU Settlement Scheme. once you’re in the UK.

AwaitingHow along decisionyou fromcan outsidestay

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

Fees

IfIt youis appliedfree to apply to the Ukraine Family Scheme.

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

Apply from outside the UK

You beforemust apply to the Ukraine Family Scheme closed,online you’llif needyou are outside the UK.

Family members can also apply to waitjoin foryou aor decisionstay fromin the UK Visasas andyour Immigration‘dependants’ onif yourthey’re applicationeligible. beforeThey’ll travellingneed to thecomplete UK.separate applications.

You mustStart attendnow

Proving 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 havinga yourUkrainian fingerprintsauthority since March 2022

For more information including opening hours and photographappointment takenbooking, (biometricvisit information).the TLS website.

Provide evidence that you’re eligible for the scheme

If you have them, you should also provide any documents that show:

• your relationship to your UK-based family member
• you were residing in Ukraine on or immediately before 1 January 2022
• any other evidence requested as part of the application

You iscan approved,upload you’llyour 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.

If you need support to returnupload toimages of your documents, you can book an appointment at a visa application centrecentre.    

You can still apply if you are unable to provide these documents. You should explain why you are unable to provide them when you apply. For example, if you had to leave all your documents behind when you left.

After you’ve applied

You’ll 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 visaVAC application centre 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 visaVAC application centre you hassubmitted your fingerprints and photograph taken.biometrics.     

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

IfYou’ll yoube delayedable providing your biometric information and you are travelling to thepick UKup withyour family members who had to attend a visa application centre to provide their biometric information,residence theypermit willonce needyou’re toin collect their visa from the same visa application centre before starting their journey. Otherwise they will not be able to travel to 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.

ProvidingExtending biometricyour informationstay in the UK

You need to apply to providegive your biometricbiometrics information 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 providegive your biometricbiometrics information before the 6 months ends. You will be told how to do this in your decision letter.

Apply to provideextend your biometricstay information in the UK

You can start the application to providegive your biometricbiometrics information 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 providegive 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.

AwaitingApply a decision if you applied from inside the UK

IfYou youmust appliedapply online fromto inside the UK before the Ukraine Family Scheme closed,if you’llyou needare toin the UK.

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

After you apply

YouWe willaim beto contactedmake when a decision hasas beenquickly made.as Wepossible.

You aimwill tobe makecontacted when a decision ashas quicklybeen as possible.made.

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