GovWire

Overview

The Ukraine Family Scheme allows applicants to join family members, or extend their stay, in the UK. Everyone must make a separate application, even children travelling with a family member.

It is free to apply.

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

If you need any assistance, contact UK Visas and Immigration.

If you cannot contact UK 0808 numbers, you can use another number instead. You may have to pay check with your phone provider if youre 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 youve already arrived in the UK and meet the requirements above.

If youre a Ukrainian national who had temporary permission to stay in the UK on or before 18 March 2022, you can apply to the Ukraine Extension Scheme instead. Your partner and children can also apply if theyre already in the UK as your dependants.

If you previously had permission to stay in the UK but it has expired since 1 January 2022, youre also eligible to apply to the Ukraine Extension Scheme.

Your application will be subject to security checks.

UK-based family member

Your UK-based family member must be one of the following:

• a British national

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

• someone from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland who has pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and started living in the UK before 1 January 2021

• someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

Your UK-based family member must be one of the following:

• your immediate family member

• your extended family member

• the spouse or civil partner, unmarried partner, child, parent, or fianc(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 are able to - for example, a marriage 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 members:

• 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)

• fianc(e) or proposed civil partner

Extended family members

An extended family member is your UK-based family members:

• parent (if you are over 18)

• child who is over 18

• grandparent

• grandchild or your partners 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 members) spouse, civil partner, fianc(e) or proposed civil partner, the relationship must have started before 1 January 2022.

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

If you have a family member from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland

You might 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 apply for an EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit.

You can choose which application 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 youre eligible youll be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme once youre in the UK.

How long you can stay

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

Fees

It is free 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 must apply to the Ukraine Family Scheme online if you are outside the UK.

Start now

To support you in applying for the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine), we have translated the application screens into Ukrainian and Russian.

Prove your identity

If you have a valid Ukrainian international passport

You can use the UK Immigration: ID check app to prove your identity if you have a valid Ukrainian international passport. You do not need to attend a visa application centre to give your biometric information.

Using the UK Immigration: ID check app

The UK Immigration: ID check app checks your identity and verifies that the passport youre using belongs to you. Youll be told when to download the app once you begin your application online at GOV.UK - you can download the app at any time, but it will not work before this point.

Youll use the app to scan your passport or take a photo if you cant use the scanner.

Top Tips on applying to the Ukraine Schemes for a UK visa

There is detailed information about how to use the app if you need help.

If you cant use the app

If you cant use the app, you dont need to attend a visa application centre to give your biometric information. Instead, you must give your biometric information within 6 months of arriving in the UK.

If you have an expired Ukrainian international passport with a formal extension stamp

You cant use the UK Immigration: ID check app If your passport has expired even if it has a formal extension stamp issued by the Ukrainian government. You dont need to attend a visa application centre to give your biometric information. Instead, you must give your biometric information within 6 months of arriving in the UK.

During your application you must upload copies of both:

• the photograph page of your expired passport
• the page of your expired passport with the formal extension stamp

You can upload these 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 upload copies of your doc

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