Adjournment debate on Homes for Ukraine and the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

On 21 July 2025 there will be an adjournment debate on Homes for Ukraine and the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, led by Martin Wrigley MP.

Immigration

Last fetched 22 May 2026 · commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Briefing

Special visa schemes for Ukrainians

In 2022, the UK created special humanitarian visas for Ukrainians in response to the full-scale Russian invasion. Permission to live in the UK under these programmes – Homes for Ukraine, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme – lasted three years and could not be extended.

Since February 2025, people on those three schemes have been able to apply for the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE). This allows them to continue living in the UK for another 18 months following the expiration of their previous three-year visa.

None of these time-limited visas allow for permanent residence. Time spent in the UK under the Ukraine schemes will not count toward indefinite leave to remain. This makes them different from many other long-term visas and from grants of refugee status, which typically allow permanent residence after five years.

In response to a parliamentary question answered on 11 April 2025, the Home Office explained the government’s rationale for keeping Ukraine visa schemes as a temporary measure:

We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.

This is why the temporary sanctuary Ukraine Visa Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

We continue to keep the Ukraine schemes under review in line with the ongoing conflict.

This was also the policy of the Conservative government.

Over 100 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion (EDM 1000) was tabled by Pippa Heylings MP in March 2025 asking the government to “give Ukrainian refugees the certainty they deserve by automatically extending their visas and setting out a pathway for obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain”. In its response on 11 June 2025, the government again noted the “Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens” and the possibility in principle of switching to a different visa.

Data on Ukrainians in the UK

In 2021, 39,500 people gave Ukraine as their country of birth in the England and Wales census, and 415 people in the Northern Ireland census. Scotland’s census took place a year later in March 2022, after the start of the war, and it does not appear to be possible to identify the number of people who gave Ukraine as their country of birth based on published data.

As of 31 March 2025, a total of 223,000 people had arrived in the UK through Homes for Ukraine (165,000 people) and the now closed Ukraine Family Scheme (58,000 people). Over 40% of those arrivals, 93,000 people, have since left the UK, although some may return.

The Migration Observatory at Oxford University has estimated that 217,000 Ukrainians were living in the UK as of 30 June 2024. This was calculated by combining census results with the Home Office data on arrivals up to that point.

In December 2024, around 75,000 payrolled employments in the UK were held by Ukrainians, as shown in the chart below.

Source: HMRC UK payrolled employments by nationality, region, industry, age and sex, from July 2014 to December 2024

Around seven in ten (68%) of Ukraine visa holders would like to remain living in the UK even if they felt Ukraine had become safe, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics.

Adjournment debate on Homes for Ukraine and the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

On 21 July 2025 there will be an adjournment debate on Homes for Ukraine and the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, led by Martin Wrigley MP.

Immigration

Last fetched 22 May 2026 · commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Briefing

Special visa schemes for Ukrainians

In response to a parliamentary question answered on 11 April 2025, the Home Office explained the government’s rationale for keeping Ukraine visa schemes as a temporary measure:

We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

We continue to keep the Ukraine schemes under review in line with the ongoing conflict.

This was also the policy of the Conservative government.

Data on Ukrainians in the UK

In December 2024, around 75,000 payrolled employments in the UK were held by Ukrainians, as shown in the chart below.

Source: HMRC UK payrolled employments by nationality, region, industry, age and sex, from July 2014 to December 2024

Around seven in ten (68%) of Ukraine visa holders would like to remain living in the UK even if they felt Ukraine had become safe, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics.