Visas, Sponsoring and Hosting

This page gives an overview of the Homes For Ukraine and Ukraine Permission Extension visa schemes, explains some of the terminology used and contains links to fuller UK Government guidance.

This page also covers details around sponsoring and hosting, in particular some details around when guests can become hosts or sponsors.

There are many complexities around visas, sponsoring and hosting and the UK Government guidance has regularly changed since March 2022. The guidance below gives a considerable amount of detail on the current situation but if you have any questions please contact the Lincolnshire County Council Migration Team on homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Terminology

Visa - A visa is the document giving a Ukrainian permission to enter and remain in the UK. This page will focus on the Homes For Ukraine visa and the Ukraine Permission Extension visa – but there are many other different visas.

Different visas give different permissions – for example, some visas allow guests to work in the UK, some do not. The length of time a person is allowed to be in the UK can also vary depending on the visa. Some visas require a sponsor and some do not. Some visa are free, some have a cost.

More information about different visa types can be found on the UK Government website.

Sponsor - A sponsor is the person living in the UK who has sponsored the visa for the Ukrainian guest.

A guest will only ever have one sponsor for their visa.

Host - A host is the person living in the UK who is allowing a guest on the Homes For Ukraine scheme to live in their property. Providing they pass suitable checks the host is eligible to receive the monthly ‘thank you’ payment of £350.

The difference between sponsors and hosts

In some cases the sponsor and host are the same person but this is not always true – it is possible for a guest to have multiple hosts – this typically arises when guests move to new accommodation.

For example, a guest may be sponsored to come to the UK by Mr A and the guest may live with Mr and Mrs A for a while. Then Mr and Mrs A may no longer be able to offer accommodation to the guest. A second couple, Mr and Mrs B, decide to offer accommodation to the guest. So the guest moves to new hosts Mr and Mrs B.

In this situation Mr and Mrs B are now the hosts for this guest but they are not the sponsor.

Homes For Ukraine visa

The UK Government introduced the Homes For Ukraine (HFU) visa to allow UK residents to offer sanctuary to Ukrainians fleeing the war.

The Lincolnshire County Council Migration Team are responsible for the administration of the Homes For Ukraine scheme in Lincolnshire. You can contact the team with any questions by emailing homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

The rules and requirements in relation to HFU visas have evolved since the visa was launched. Ukrainians who are issued a HFU visa now are given 18 months’ permission to live, work and study in the UK.

Any Ukrainian wanting to apply for a HFU visa needs a sponsor who meets the UK Government eligibility requirements. The main requirements are that the sponsor has the permanent right to live in the UK and can offer suitable accommodation for a minimum of six months, although there are other requirements around safeguarding.

Guests usually find a visa sponsor via either social media or are matched with a sponsor via a recognised provider.

Guests and sponsors can then proceed to complete a HFU visa application via the UK Government website. HFU visa applications are free.

Applications for HFU visas can only be made if the guest is outside the UK.

The UK Government previously offered Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) visas and Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES) visas but these are no longer available.

Ukraine Permission Extension visa

Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) visas are available for Ukrainians to extend their time in the UK when their Homes For Ukraine (HFU) visas expire.

HFU guests can confirm the expiry date of their HFU visa by looking at their eVisa.

There are various rules around UPE – it is only available for people holding a current Ukraine visa, applications can only be made within the last 28 days of the applicant’s current visa, applicants must be in the UK when they apply and must remain in the UK until they have received a decision.

Further details can be found on the UK Government website.

Homes For Ukraine visas to reunify children in Ukraine with parents in the UK

Ukrainians in the UK cannot normally sponsor Homes For Ukraine visas for other Ukrainians – this is because new visa sponsors have to have the permanent right to live in the UK.

However, Ukrainians in the UK who hold a Homes For Ukraine or Ukraine Permission Extension visa guests are eligible to sponsor Homes For Ukraine visas for their children to join them in the UK. Further details are on the UK Government website.

Standard Visitor visa

For short visits to the UK – up to 6 months – the UK Government offers the Standard Visitor visa.

This visa can be used for Ukrainian friends or relatives wanting to visit the UK for a short time.

People in the UK on Standard Visitor visas cannot work and cannot claim any benefits or access public funds.

Visa advice from UKVI

Visas are issued by UK Visas and Immigration (who are part of the Home Office). UKVI are the experts on visas and their advice should be sought in the first instance with any visa queries. UKVI can be contacted via the UK Government website or on 03007 906 268.

Ukrainian translators are available if required.

Please note that this phone number gives general advice about visa processes, the staff on the phone line cannot answer questions about the progress of individual visa applications.

Visa advice from qualified immigration advisers

It is important to take immigration advice from qualified immigration advisers.

Organisations providing immigration advice are regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA). They maintain a list of all organisations who hold IAA qualifications to provide immigrations and visa advice. IAA-qualified immigration advisers can be found on the IAA website.

Thank you payments

If you are hosting guests with Homes For Ukraine or Ukraine Permission Extension visas you may be eligible to receive a monthly thank you payment of £350.

This payment is in recognition of hosts who use their property to house guests fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

The £350 monthly thank you payment is tax-free and does not affect any other benefits a host receives. For example, a single host will retain their Council Tax single person discount even if they host a Ukrainian in their home.

Thank you payments are paid by Lincolnshire County Council. They are paid in arrears at the end of each month.

Hosts who are receiving monthly thank you payments cannot charge their guest rent.

Thank you payments are not intended to cover the cost of increased utility bills associated with hosting Ukrainian guests. Ukrainian guests can be asked to make a reasonable contribution to household bills.

If you are Ukrainian guest who is hosting a close relative you are no longer eligible to start receiving the monthly thank you payments.

If you have any questions about whether or not you will receive a thank you payment for being a Homes For Ukraine host it is best to contact the Lincolnshire County Council Migration Team on homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk in advance to discuss your proposed arrangements. The Migration Team can confirm whether or not thank you payments will be approved for your proposed arrangements.

UK Government guidance

The UK Government publishes a lot of detailed guidance for guests and sponsors/hosts, as well as for councils. The guidance can be access using these links:

Suggested results