22nd February 2024

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Homes For Ukraine Lincolnshire e-newsletter

Welcome to the latest issue of our e-newsletter for Homes For Ukraine guests and hosts. This newsletter is sent out by Lincolnshire County Council's Homes For Ukraine team. You can email the team on homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Visit the 'Connect to Support' website to read this newsletter in Ukrainian or Russian.

Відвідайте веб-сайт "Зверніться до служби підтримки", щоб прочитати цей інформаційний бюлетень українською або російською мовами.

Посетите сайт "Связь с поддержкой", чтобы прочитать этот бюллетень на украинском или русском языках.

VISA SCHEME UPDATES

Significant visa changes

On 19th February 2024 the UK Government announced a number of significant changes in relation to Ukraine visa schemes.

We have tried to summarise these changes in the next few paragraphs but the best sources of information about Ukrainian visas are the UK Government website or the UK Visas and Immigration Ukraine helpline on 0808 164 8810 (this is a free telephone number that is open Mon-Fri 9am-4:30pm, Ukrainian translators are available on this phone number if required).

Homes For Ukraine Visas

7th December 2023 changes

The UK Government amended the process for applying for a Homes For Ukraine visa from 7th December 2023. The updated visa application process is explained here on the UK Government website (also available in Ukrainian and Russian).

The new visa process requires guests to apply for their Homes For Ukraine visa online as before. Now, however, guests will also be asked to make an in-person appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to provide biometric information – a facial photograph and fingerprints. The visa application will not be considered until biometric information has been provided at a VAC. Any children travelling as part of a group will also need to attend an appointment to provide a facial photograph.

Once biometric information has been provided guests will need to return to their place of residence to await a decision on their visa application. If the visa application is approved then the guest will need to travel back to the VAC to have a vignette placed in their passport to allow them to travel to the UK. A biometric residence permit (BRP) will be waiting in the UK for collection after the guest arrives.

The online application form directs guests to select the VAC they would like to attend. There are VACs all across Europe. There is one VAC in Ukraine, in Kyiv.

The Kyiv VAC is actually the one exception to the above rule about vignettes. In most cases, if you attend a VAC to give your biometrics - and then your visa application is approved – you will then return to that same VAC to receive the vignette in your passport allowing you to travel to the UK.

The Kyiv VAC does not issue vignettes. If you provide your biometrics at the Kyiv VAC and your visa application is approved, you will then need to travel to the Warsaw VAC to collect the vignette allowing you to travel to the UK.

19th February 2024 changes

On February 19th 2024 the UK Government announced two additional changes to Homes For Ukraine visas:-

1 - from now on, any Homes For Ukraine visas that are issued will give the Ukrainian guest permission to be in the UK for 18 months rather than three years (guests can then use the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, described below, to add another 18 months)

2 - from now on, any Homes For Ukraine visa sponsors must be British or Irish citizens or have settled status in the UK. So visa sponsors must have the right to live in the UK permanently.

These rules are now being applied to any new Homes For Ukraine applications that are received.

Ukraine Family Scheme visas

On 19th February 2024 the UK Government announced the immediate closure of the Ukraine Family Scheme.

This was a visa scheme where Ukrainians already living in the UK could apply to sponsor visas for family members.

No more Ukraine Family Scheme visas will be issued - however the Homes For Ukraine visa scheme may provide an alternative route for visa sponsorship for family members.

Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

On 19th February 2024 the UK Government also announced plans to allow Ukrainian guests on the Homes For Ukraine scheme to extend their visas by 18 months. This is called the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE).

Anyone holding a Homes For Ukraine scheme visa issued before 19th February 2024 has the right to remain in the UK for three years - the new UPE scheme will allow guests to extend that right to stay in the UK to four and a half years if they wish.

As mentioned above, new Homes For Ukraine visas issued from 19th February 2024 onwards will give 18 months right to live in the UK, although this may also then be extended by another 18 months using the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme to give three years in total.

We know that many guests have been anxious about whether or not they can extend their right to remain in the UK to more than three years, so we hope that this announcement will help bring some reassurance to guests who have been uncertain about their immediate future.

The UK Government have announced that this 18 month extension scheme will be available to Homes For Ukraine guests to apply for when they are in the the last 3 months of their existing Homes For Ukraine visa - so we would expect the UK Government to start accepting UPE applications in late 2024/early 2025.

As we receive more details from the UK Government we will communicate them in further newsletters.

Ukraine Extension Scheme visas

We have had several enquiries about Homes For Ukraine guests trying to extend their stay by switching to Ukraine Extension Scheme visas.

The Ukraine Extension Scheme was set up as one of the three types of visas that were initially launched by the UK Government. These three visas were the Homes For Ukraine scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme.

The Ukraine Extension Scheme was set up in March 2022 to help Ukrainian guests already in the UK on a work visa when the war broke out - these Ukrainians already in the UK were given the option of applying to the Ukraine Extension Scheme to extend their right to stay in the UK to three years.

As mentioned above the Ukraine Family Scheme has now been closed, and the Ukraine Extension Scheme is due to close in May 2024.

These three visa types allowed Ukrainians to secure up to three years’ right to remain in the UK. The three years is a total no matter which of the visas a guest is on. Guests cannot extend their leave to more than three years by switching from one visa to another. The way for a guest to extend their right to stay in the UK will be by using the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (explained above).

However given the similar name of the Ukraine Extension Scheme there is the potential for some confusion here with the recent government announcement about the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

The Ukraine Extension Scheme is not what the UK Government announced on 19th February 2024. Switching from a Homes For Ukraine visa to a Ukraine Extension Scheme visa will not increase the amount of time a guest can remain in the UK.

BIOMETRIC RESIDENCE PERMITS

BRP End Dates

Homes For Ukraine visas currently give guests the right to remain in the UK for three years - however many guests will see that their Biometric Residence Permits have an end date listed on them of December 2024.

This is because in January 2025 the Home Office are removing the need for physical BRP cards and moving instead to an online system for people to prove their immigration status.

We appreciate there is the potential for some confusion here so we just want to be clear that the December 2024 date is the date the card expires not the date when a guests leave to remain in the UK expires.

All guests who currently hold Homes For Ukraine scheme are eligible for leave to remain for three years from the date of their arrival into the UK (which can be extended in due course to four and a half years using the new Ukraine Permission Extension scheme).

All guests issues Homes For Ukraine visas from 19th February 2024 onwards will be granted eighteen months leave to remain in the UK (which can be extended to three years in due course using the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme).

From March 2024 onwards the UK Government will be releasing guidance on how to transition from a physical BRP card to a way to prove your immigration status online.

Please note that the process to switch from a physical BRP to a virtual BRP is likely to be a separate process from applying for an 18 month extension through the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

Some further information about the BRP change is available on the UK government website and we will release more details through the newsletter as they become available to us.

HOUSING

Private Renting Advice

We know that many Homes For Ukraine guests have moved into privately rented property, or are looking to move into privately rented property.

The UK Government provide a helpful website covering privately rented properties - this includes advice on topics such as responsibility for repairs, rent increases, anti-social behaviour. There is also advice on how to escalate repairs issues to your local council if the landlord is not maintaining the property to a suitable standard.

LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

IELTS is an internationally-recognised high level English language qualification. Holding the IELTS qualification may help with finding a job.

IELTS testing centres are located around the country and there is a fee for undertaking the exam, this is around £200. People undertaking the exam should be confident they have a suitable level of English language skills.

If you are receiving Universal Credit then the Job Centre may be able to help you with your travel costs to attend a testing centre.

Lincolnshire County Council are looking for ways of helping with the cost of the test itself. If you are interested in taking the IELTS exam and might need help with the cost of the exam, please contact us at homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk. We would also be keen to hear from you if you have already paid for the exam and can evidence you have passed with your certificate.

Online English lessons and employment skills

The UK Government is funding the STEP Ukraine programme - this is a free 12-week online English and employment skills course run by World Jewish Relief. The course is designed specifically to help Ukrainian guests with English language skills and also to provide training to help find meaningful employment in the UK - for example training in CV writing and interview skills.

The course runs for 2.5 hours per day Monday-Friday for 12 weeks and you can choose to attend in the morning, the afternoon or the evening. Morning and afternoon sessions will be timed so that parents can still take children to and from school.

If you are interested in attending this course please register via the website - the registration form is available in Ukrainian as well as English.

FINANCES

Funding Available for Ukrainian Guests in Lincolnshire

The Big Lincolnshire Welcome Fund has been created to help displaced Ukrainian families and individuals living in Lincolnshire to feel welcomed and integrated into their new surroundings.

Any Ukrainian guests in Lincolnshire, who have not previously applied and received funding, can apply to the fund and choose for themselves what essential item(s) up to the value of £150 for an individual or £300 for a family unit. There is no time limit on when you can apply and receive this funding but it is limited to one successful application per individual/family unit, so you may wish to take the time to carefully consider what you may need at a time that is right for you and your circumstances.

For full guidance and details of how to apply, please visit the Lincolnshire Community Foundation website.

Warm Home Discount

Under the Warm Home Discount Scheme, individuals who are eligible can receive £150 off their electricity bill for winter 2023 - 2024. You will qualify for this scheme if you either get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or are on a low income and have high energy costs. Anyone who is eligible should have already received a discount automatically and would have received a letter by early January 2024. If you have not received a letter and you think you might be eligible, please contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme before 29 February 2024. For more information, please click here.

UKRAINIAN SUPPORT GROUPS

Have you or someone you know moved into a new area of Lincolnshire, are you looking for a local group to meet new people, join activities and get involved in your local area? If so please head to Ukraine Support Groups | Lincolnshire for up to date information on what our local groups who are supporting Ukrainians are up to!

EVENTS

Good Mood Café in Holbeach

Boxes of Hope run a Good Mood Café, this has a session during the morning and also during the evening - any Ukrainians are welcome to come along to meet people and have a chat.

The Good Mood Café is held at Boxes of Hope's Community Hub at 23 High Street, Holbeach. The Café is open every Thursday from 10am - 12pm and in the evening from 6pm to 8pm.

Ukrainian National Opera: Madama Butterfly

New Theatre Royal Lincoln are hosting a Ukrainian National Opera of Madama Butterfly on 19 March 2024, this is performed by the Dnipro Opera from Ukraine.

Madama Butterfly is set in Japan at the turn of the last century, it is the story of a doomed love affair between an American naval officer and his young Japanese bride whose self-sacrifice and defiance of her family leads to tragedy.

Tickets are available to purchase on the New Theatre Royal Lincoln website.

Commemoration Service - Grantham

To commemorate the invasion of Ukraine, Grantham Jubilee Church will be hosting an informal service of prayer and reflection at 12.30pm on Saturday 24 February at the Jubilee Centre Church Café at London Road, Grantham, NG31 6EY.

Commemoration Service - Stamford

Stamford Diversity Group will be hosting a short service to solemnly commemorate the invasion of Ukraine with readings, music, and prayers at 5pm on Saturday 24 February at Browne's Hospital, Stamford, PE9 1PF. Find out more information here.

Ukrainian Cultural Centre, Lincoln

To mark the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, UCCL would like to express their gratitude to the people who have never stopped showing support. Join the Ukrainian Cultural Centre on 24th February at St Mary Le Wigford Church, Lincoln, LN5 7AR 12pm - 2pm for a distribution of flowers of gratitude on the streets in Lincoln. All are welcome, find out more information here.

A Taste of Ukraine

All are welcome to attend "A Taste of Ukraine" at Jubilee Church Life Centre, Grantham, NG31 6EY on 24th February from 5pm - 8pm. Find out more information here.

Piece By Peace

All are warmly invited to contribute towards a handmade peace blanket to raise funds for Ukraine, by crocheting or knitting a 15cm square in yellow or blue. These will then all be sewn into blankets and sold to raise funds for charities chosen by the Ukrainian community, or sent to the care sector in Ukraine. Find out more information here.

Barnardos Poetry Competition and Virtual Youth Space

The children's charity Barnardos is running a poetry competition for young people from Ukraine (aged under 18) who are now living in the UK. There are three themes of poems - Happiness, My Home and My Superpower. The deadline for entries is 1st March 2024 and the winners will be announced on World Poetry Day on 21st March 2024. Further details are available on posters in English and Ukrainian.

Barnardos are also running an online youth space for Ukrainian young people to come together - there are sessions for 10-14 year olds and sessions for 15-17 year olds - please have a look at the sign-up page for more information.

Kids Go Free @ Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in Friskney

Kids go free for the whole month of February! There will be all of the usual great activities to get involved with, including the kids park trail sheet to win a prize!

Terms & Conditions

Free child entry only given when purchasing at least one full priced adult or concession ticket. Valid ID must be shown for concessions.
Children aged between 3 - 15 years of age only.
CANNOT be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount
When booking online DO NOT purchase any child, only adults or concession tickets. Any child tickets purchased for February in error, may not be refunded. Book your adult tickets HERE.

Free child entry is only valid between 1st - 29th February 2024 and cannot be transferred to a date outside of this.

OTHER SUPPORT

Wellbeing Lincs support for Ukrainians in Lincolnshire

'Wellbeing Lincs' offers emotional and practical support - for example, help with advice on accessing health, education, benefits and housing - to all hosts and guests in Lincolnshire.

If you need to have a potentially difficult conversation with your host / guest, the 'Wellbeing Lincs' team may be able help you navigate this. They are trained in providing mediation and can support you in talking things through openly and honestly to reach a positive solution.

For help, email ukraine.wellbeing@e-lindsey.gov.uk with your name, address, contact information and a brief description of what you need.

The team will aim to be in touch within two working days. They can also be contacted by phone on 01507 613044 from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday or 10am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice is a charity that offers free support and advice to residents. They can help with a range of issues including claiming universal credit and other benefits. Citizens Advice can provide home visits in rural areas and can attend community groups in Lincolnshire with translation support.

In Lincolnshire there is a dedicated helpline number and email address for Homes For Ukraine guests to use if you would like to ask for help - you can call 0344 847 6128 or email ukraine@citizensadvicesouthlincs.org.uk

Important Links / Важливі посилання / Важные ссылки

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact Lincolnshire County Council's Homes For Ukraine team on homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk