Ukraine Visa Schemes in the UK: Current Status
Three of the Ukraine schemes have closed and two are open. This guide says which is which, with the closing dates, how long each grant of permission lasts, and what the Immigration Rules say about settlement.
- Section
- Costs, English & General
- Reading time
- 9 min
- Last checked
- 25 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Ukraine Family Scheme: closed 19 February 2024.
- Ukraine Extension Scheme: closed to most new applicants 16 May 2024.
- Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: open, permission for up to 18 months.
- Ukraine Permission Extension scheme: open since 4 February 2025, for people who already hold Ukraine scheme permission. Up to 18 months, then up to 24 months on a second application.
- It is free to apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, and applications are made within 90 days of the current permission expiring.
- Appendix Ukraine Scheme states the Ukraine Schemes are not a route to settlement.
The Ukraine Family Scheme closed on 19 February 2024 and the Ukraine Extension Scheme closed to most new applicants on 16 May 2024. Homes for Ukraine is open and grants permission for up to 18 months. The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, open since 4 February 2025, is for people who already hold Ukraine scheme permission and grants up to 18 months, then up to 24 months on a second application. It is free to apply. Appendix Ukraine Scheme says the schemes are not a route to settlement.
Which Schemes Are Open
Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme — open
Launched in March 2022, this scheme lets individuals, charities and community groups in the UK sponsor Ukrainian nationals. Appendix Ukraine Scheme now grants permission for a period of up to 18 months, with the right to live, work, study and receive public funds. Early grants under this scheme were longer, so the length on an existing permission may differ from the length granted today.
Ukraine Permission Extension scheme — open
This opened on 4 February 2025. GOV.UK says: “To apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme you must have already been granted permission under one of the other Ukraine Schemes.” It is not a route for someone arriving now.
- A first grant is up to 18 months. A second application can give up to 24 months more.
- GOV.UK says to apply “within 90 days of your current permission expiring, whether this is your first or second UPE application”.
- GOV.UK says: “It is free to apply.”
- A child’s permission can be aligned to end at the same time as a parent’s or guardian’s.
Ukraine Family Scheme — closed 19 February 2024
This let Ukrainian nationals join family already in the UK. It is closed to new applications. Someone who holds permission granted under it can apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.
Ukraine Extension Scheme — closed 16 May 2024
For Ukrainians already in the UK on other permission when the invasion began. It closed to most new applicants on 16 May 2024. The full position is on the GOV.UK Ukraine support page.
Settlement
Appendix Ukraine Scheme of the Immigration Rules is explicit:
The Ukraine Schemes (including the now closed Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Extension Scheme) are not a route to settlement.
The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme continues permission; it does not turn the schemes into a route to indefinite leave to remain.
Other immigration routes exist and have their own requirements, which are met or not met on their own terms — Skilled Worker needs a licensed sponsor, a job at degree level and a salary of at least £41,700 or the going rate; a family visa as a partner needs the relationship and financial requirements in Appendix FM. Our guide on switching visa categories explains which switches the rules permit from inside the UK.
Rights and Entitlements
While leave is valid, Ukrainian scheme holders have:
- Work in any job, and self-employment, with no restriction.
- Study.
- Public funds. The permission is granted without the “no recourse to public funds” condition, so Universal Credit and housing assistance can be claimed subject to the rules for those benefits.
- NHS treatment on the same basis as a resident. That is not the same as free. In England a prescription costs £9.90 and NHS dental bands are £27.90, £76.60 and £332.10. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- State education for children. In Northern Ireland admissions run through the Education Authority rather than a council.
- Renting. GOV.UK words this carefully for the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme — you may “rent property (in England)” — because right to rent checks are an England-only scheme. There is no equivalent check in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
These continue for as long as the permission does. For employment questions see our employment rights guide. Applicants under the Ukraine schemes do not pay the immigration health surcharge.
Dates and Documents
- The 90-day window. A Ukraine Permission Extension application is made within 90 days of the current permission expiring. That applies to a second application as well as a first.
- Your status is digital. Biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024. Status is an eVisa held in a UKVI account and proved with a share code, which lasts 90 days. GOV.UK asks people who were issued a biometric residence permit to keep it for the extension application.
- Advice on a particular case. Only a person regulated to give immigration advice can give it. Our solicitor vs DIY guide explains how to check that someone is regulated.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Are Ukraine visa schemes still open in 2026?
Some are and some are not. The Ukraine Family Scheme closed on 19 February 2024. The Ukraine Extension Scheme closed to most new applicants on 16 May 2024. The Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme is open. The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme opened on 4 February 2025 for people who already hold permission under one of the Ukraine schemes.
Can Ukrainian nationals apply for settlement in the UK?
Not through these schemes. Appendix Ukraine Scheme of the Immigration Rules says: 'The Ukraine Schemes (including the now closed Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Extension Scheme) are not a route to settlement.' The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme grants further permission rather than a path to settlement. Any other immigration route has its own separate requirements.
What work rights do Ukrainians have in the UK?
Permission under the Ukraine schemes allows work with no restriction on the type of job, and self-employment. GOV.UK says of the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme: 'You’ll be allowed to continue to work, study, rent property (in England) and receive public funds benefits whilst you have permission under the UPE scheme.' The rights last as long as the permission does.
Can Ukrainian nationals access public funds?
Yes. Permission under the Ukraine schemes is granted without the 'no recourse to public funds' condition that most visa routes carry, so benefits such as Universal Credit and housing assistance can be claimed subject to the usual rules for those benefits. Whether a particular claim succeeds is decided by the Department for Work and Pensions or the local authority, not by the Home Office.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.