UK extends visas for Ukrainians amid war in Europe

The UK government on Sunday extended its visa scheme for war-hit Ukrainians who sought refuge in the country in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, allowing an additional 18-month stay on their current terms. The Home Office said that from early 2025, all those in the UK under one of the Ukraine visa schemes will be able to apply to stay here for an additional 18 months and continue to have the same rights to access work, benefits, healthcare, and education throughout their stay. This will mean those who came on the first visas under one of the Ukraine visa schemes could now stay in the UK until September 2026. “This new visa extension scheme provides certainty and reassurance for Ukrainians in the UK on their future as this war continues, and we will continue to provide a safe haven for those fleeing the conflict,” said Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border. “Almost two years on from the start of this brutal war, over 200,000 Ukrainians and their family members have arrived in Britain. Families across the country have opened their homes and their hearts to the people of Ukraine, showing extraordinary generosity, including offering shelter to those fleeing from the horrors of war,” he said. He said the move shows that the UK and its allies stand in solidarity with Ukraine and “unequivocally condemns [Russian President] Putin’s unprovoked, premeditated and illegal war against Ukraine”. In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalation in February 2022, the UK announced three schemes – Homes for Ukraine, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme – to grant visa holders three years leave to remain in the country, which would have meant the first visas were set to expire in March 2025. The Home Office said the 18-month extension delivers on the government’s long-term commitment to Ukraine and comes as the world approaches two years since “Russia’s reprehensible full-scale invasion of Ukraine”.