Impact of Changes to the Ukraine Visa Schemes on Ukrainians in the UK

There are approximately 218,600 Ukraine Scheme visa holders who have travelled to the UK. The Ukraine Schemes granted visa holders the right to live, work and claim benefits in the UK for 3 years. For those who arrived in the first few months of the Russian invasion (the majority), these visas are coming to an end. What started as a temporary escape from war has turned into building a new home for many. In February 2025, the UK Government opened the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE). This allows Ukrainians to apply for an 18-month extension to their visa. The application is complex, requires multiple documents, and has to be completed within a 28-day window before the existing visa expires. Processing time is up to 8 weeks. In November 2024, the Government announced that the 3 years+ Ukrainians have spent in the UK on Ukraine Scheme visas will not count towards the 5- or 10-year routes to residency.

This briefing reports on the impact of this visa regime on displaced Ukrainians in the UK. It is based a survey completed by 1133 Ukrainians across the UK between 20 February and 7 March 2025. An Addendum gives a summary of the free text responses submitted by survey participants.