'Homes for Ukraine' sponsorship
scheme opens 18 March
15 March 2022
On Friday 18 March 2022, the UK government will open its new ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme, a bespoke immigration route which will allow Ukrainians and their immediate family members to come to the UK for up to three years.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme will enable individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to act as ‘sponsors’ by volunteering accommodation and providing a route to safety for Ukrainians forced to flee their home country.
The scheme follows the recently launched Ukraine Family Scheme, which is open to immediate and extended family members of British nationals, UK settled persons and certain others. The Homes for Ukraine scheme provides an alternative option for Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK.
About the Homes for Ukraine scheme
The Homes for Ukraine scheme has been designed to offer a safe route into the UK for those who have someone here willing to provide them with a home. Those who are able to offer homes in the UK should provide accommodation for as long as they are able, but there is a minimum expectation of six months.
People arriving under the Homes for Ukraine scheme will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years, and access healthcare, benefits, employment support, education and English language tuition. There will be no limit on the number of Ukrainians who can come to the UK with their immediate family members under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The UK will welcome as many applicants who wish to come and for whom there are sponsors.
Phase One of the scheme will open on Friday 18 March for visa applications from Ukrainians who have named people willing to sponsor them. People or organisations wanting to be sponsors who do not know anyone personally fleeing the Ukraine can register their interest in being a sponsor from 14 March. They will then be kept updated as the scheme develops.
Information for sponsors
Anyone in the UK (of any nationality and any immigration status providing you have at least 6 months’ leave to remain in the UK) with a spare room or self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied can be a sponsor. Accommodation must be fit for people to live in, suitable for the number of people to be accommodated and be available for at least 6 months.
Sponsors should not charge any rent, but an optional ‘thank you’ payment of £350 per month is available to help meet the associated costs of accommodating a household. Sponsors are not expected to provide meals or to cover the cost of food and living expenses, but can offer this if they wish to. Sponsors and those in the sponsoring household will be subject to security and safeguarding checks. Your council will also need to check that the accommodation you are offering is suitable.
Individuals who are interested in becoming a sponsor should fill out the short form to register their interest. If you already have a named contact you wish to sponsor, you should get in touch with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all of their details and yours. The visa application route will go live on Friday 18 March. If you don’t currently know anyone who you wish to sponsor, you may wish to get in touch with charities, faith groups or local community organisations who are beginning to make connections between individuals.
As well as individuals, organisations such as charities, businesses and community groups will have an important role to play in connecting individuals who wish to sponsor and be sponsored. In the future, organisations will be able to directly sponsor individuals, but to begin with efforts will be focused on named individual contacts. If you wish to register your interest as part of an organisation, you can do so here.
More detailed guidance for sponsors is expected to be released in the coming days, including information on the checks which will be undertaken on both sponsors and people coming to the UK, further details on the specific arrangement you will be entering into including expected accommodation standards, and information on the role of your local council in providing wider support.
Potential sponsors who have registered their interest online will be kept updated. A full support pack will also be provided for all sponsors, with signposting to relevant services and where they can get help.
Information for visa applicants
You are eligible to apply under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if you are a Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022. The scheme is open for adults and children within family units. It is free of charge to apply.
The visa form for Ukrainians and their family members seeking to enter the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme will be available from Friday 18 March. To apply, either you or your sponsor will need to complete a single form which collects your details and those of your sponsor.
If you hold a valid Ukrainian international passport, you will not need to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC). If you do not hold a valid Ukrainian international passport, you will need to book and attend an appointment at a VAC. Children do not need a passport. Security checks for both you and your sponsor will be undertaken as part of the visa application process. Biometric checks will be made after you arrive in the UK to avoid delays.
Under the scheme, successful applicants will be granted leave to remain in the UK for 3 years. You will be able to work, access benefits and public services including healthcare and schooling. Applicants will be provided with more information about life in the UK and what you can expect once your visa is issued.
Support with your application
The war in Ukraine is a huge humanitarian crisis, and the British public are being urged to come forward and help where possible. More information on becoming a sponsor can be found here.
The team at Smith Stone Walters is on hand to assist Ukrainians seeking a safe route into the UK. To speak to a qualified immigration advisor, please contact us today.
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