Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

Ukraine visa holders already in the UK under Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family or Ukraine Extension visa schemes are eligible to apply for a further 18 month extension under the new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, up to 28 days before their original visa expires. In addition, cchildren born in the UK to Ukraine visa holders should apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension visa scheme to regularise their status.

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Applying for an 18 month extension under Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

Ukraine visa holders already in the UK under Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family or Ukraine Extension visa schemes are eligible to apply for a further 18 month extension under the new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, up to 28 days before their original visa expires.

Details of the scheme and how to apply are given on the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme Government website page, which we urge you to read very carefully, as it contains a lot of detailed information and instructions, which you must follow. To summarise:

  • The scheme is open to those who have a Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family or Ukraine Extension visa. The Government page additionally states: You may also be eligible to apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme if you have been granted permission to stay in certain circumstances. [We would advise contacting the charity Settled or an immigration advisor if this applies to you.]
  • You have to apply to it in order to extend your permission to stay. Your permission will not be automatically extended.
  • Set up your eVisa (digital status) before you apply.
  • You should only apply 28 days or less before your original visa is due to expire. If you apply earlier than this, your application may be rejected, and you will have to apply again when you are within 28 days.
  • Do not let your visa expire before you apply. Make sure you are aware of your original visa expiry date (this can be checked via your UKVI account).
  • You must be in the UK when you apply. Do not travel while your application is being processed, or your application will be withdrawn and you won’t be able to apply again.
  • Keep hold of your physical BRP card even after 31 December, 2024. Using your expired BRP when you apply for the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme may mean you can avoid having to give biometrics again.
  • It is stated it can take 8 weeks for your application to be processed. Provided you applied before your visa was due to expire, then you will be entitled to the same rights to work, rent and benefits while your application is being processed. The Government guidance states: If your current permission expires before a decision is made on your UPE application you do not need to take any action, as your current permission will continue under section 3C leave.
  • Note that you will generally not be required to upload evidence as part of your application but in some cases a caseworker from the Home Office may contact you to ask for additional information or evidence, such as a rental agreement.
  • You will be notified by email of the result of your application. It’s possible that if you have spent significant times abroad, your application for the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme may be unsuccessful. However, we consider this to be an unlikely situation. If this does happen to you, consider using an immigration adviser in this case or contacting the charity Settled, if you feel there are mitigating circumstances as to why you needed to be abroad. They may be able to advise you further.
  • If your UPE application is successful, the date of your new permission starts from the application decision date, and your eVisa will be automatically updated. But before you next travel, you’ll need to sign in to your UKVI account to check that your eVisa is linked to your current passport or travel document. You’ll still need your passport to travel abroad.
  • Read carefully through the rules for children and family members who are not Ukrainian. You may need to provide proofs of relationships in the application, such as birth certificates. You should apply to the scheme on behalf of your child.

You will need your original BRP in order to apply for the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, so even after you have set up your eVisa account, and after 31st December 2024 (when the physical BRP system to prove your rights in the UK ends for everyone), KEEP HOLD OF YOUR BRP. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukrainian-nationals-in-the-uk-visa-support.

Do not confuse the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme with the Ukraine Extension scheme, which is now closed. You are not automatically transferred from Ukraine Extension scheme to Ukraine Permission Extension scheme; you must apply like everyone else.

How long can you have spent outside the UK if applying for Ukraine Permission Extension?

One of the common questions is knowing how much time you are allowed to have spent outside the UK during your original visa duration, when you apply for the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme. (Of course, you must be back in the UK at the time of application.)

The Government web page says:

  • Short visits or holidays will generally not be regarded as living outside of the UK, and you may not be required to provide evidence of ongoing ties to the UK. 
  • If you have spent temporary periods of time (under 12 months) outside of the UK in Ukraine, these will not be considered as living outside the UK. 
  • If you have spent temporary periods (generally, under 12 months) outside of the UK or Ukraine in third countries, you will generally need to demonstrate ongoing ties to the UK to allow us to consider whether those periods are considered as living outside of the UK. 
  • If you have spent more than temporary periods (12 months or over) outside the UK you will need to demonstrate ongoing ties to the UK and the circumstances of your time spent outside of the UK will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Generally, you wouldn’t have to upload evidence showing you live in the UK as part of your application; the Home Office will contact you themselves if they need evidence that shows your address or connections to the UK. They have given the following examples of acceptable evidence showing you have connections to the UK (there could be others):

  • Evidence of living in a property in the UK, such as a tenancy agreement, mortgage agreement, letter from landlord, documents of ownership deeds or letter from housing trust  
  • Employment letter confirming the applicant is in regular employment in the UK  
  • A letter from a local authority – for example where there is contact with child or school placements  
  • A letter from an educational institution pertaining to the applicant or a family member who is dependent on them confirming enrolment and attendance at on a course of study 
  • Bank statements showing regular spending activity in the UK  
  • Any UK bills, such as council tax, utility bills, phone bills, TV licence, or veterinary bills

Your current and previous status under Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

Note that once you apply for the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, it’s likely that your previous status is not available to view i.e. whether you were Homes for Ukraine, Family or Extension visa.

Although the 3 visa types all have some common elements, only those who received a Homes for Ukraine visa are eligible to be hosted, and their hosts to receive ‘thank you’ payments.

Proving your rights while your application is pending a decision

Your rights to benefits, study, work and rent continue as per your original while you are waiting for your application decision.

However, you may experience any or all of these issues during this time:

  • Landlords and employers are reluctant to extend or offer you a new contract or agreement because they can’t be sure that you will receive another 18 months leave to remain
  • Share codes which prove your rights to certain activities may not reflect that you have applied and that your rights remain during this time. We think that the share codes to rent, and to work (these are separate share codes) will state that you have 6 months validity, but other share codes will only reflect your original visa expiry date and will not show that you have an application decision pending.
  • You may receive letters from benefits offices such as Universal or Pension Credit stating that your benefits will be stopped and you need to reapply (this should not be the case).

Our best advice given this chaotic situation is as follows:

  • If possible, avoid changing your job, your studies or your rental situation while you are waiting for your decision
  • Show your UKVI account details to the person who needs to know your status, which will indicate you have applied for the UPE, and share the Government web page which states your rights – Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme – GOV.UK
  • Contact the charity Settled for help if you experience any issues with proving your rights

Once your application is processed, all share codes should reflect your new visa expiry date.

Host ‘thank you’ payments under Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

If a guest is in a sponsorship arrangement when granted permission under UPE, their sponsor/host should reapply for thank you payments if they wish to continue to receive a monthly payment. Sponsors/hosts of those previously on Homes for Ukraine visas will be eligible for thank you payments of £350 a month for the 18 months that guests are covered by the UPE visa. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme-guidance-for-guests and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme-guidance-for-sponsors.

While a guest’s Ukraine Permission Extension visa application is being processed, the sponsor or host should continue to receive ‘thank you’ payments. Government guidance states: “We do not want guests whose application is submitted late, or is delayed for any reason, to be at risk of homelessness or for sponsors/hosts to unnecessarily have a break in thank you payment whilst a visa application is being decided.” Councils can therefore continue to make ‘thank you’ payments where they are satisfied that the guest has applied for their UPE permission but it has not yet been granted. If a guest has an eVisa, councils can view the status of the application using the View and Prove Service. The guest should confirm with the council that they have been granted their permission as soon as they receive it. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme-guidance-for-councils.

‘Thank you’ payments will not be payable if there is a close family relationship between sponsor and guest. See more information on who is classified as a close family member. So if you were receiving ‘thank you’ payments under Homes for Ukraine for a family member, because you sponsored or hosted them, then once they move to UPE, you cannot reapply for these.

‘Thank you’ payments are still eligible to be paid under UPE for non-related Ukrainian visa holder hosts who apply for them. See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme-guidance-for-councils: “Please note that sponsors/hosts who do not have British, Irish or settled status in the UK can receive thank you payments during UPE as long as other eligibility criteria are met.”

Visa type for children born in the UK

See Births and Marriages; from 4th February 2025, children born in the UK to Ukraine visa holders should apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension visa scheme.

Other available visa options

If you are thinking of applying for another visa type to extend your stay in the UK, please see: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukrainian-nationals-in-the-uk-visa-support.

We recommend speaking to an immigration advisor in this case, as a new visa type may be less favourable than the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

Where to get help with visa and immigration questions

To speak to someone about the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, you can contact the UK Visas and Immigration Ukraine Helpline on the following number: +44 808 164 8810, Monday to Friday 9 am to 4.30 pm. Calls are free to this number in the UK. Note that they cannot tell you about the status of an individual visa application and how long it will take.

In other cases, the charity Settled may be able to help: https://settled.org.uk/ukraine/