Partner/Spouse Visa
Whether you’re looking to apply for the first time or aiming to renew your partner visa, Latitude Law is well placed to help you secure the right to live with your family member in the UK.
In response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, whilst maintaining a visa requirement, the Home Office introduced three new routes for Ukrainians – the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Ukraine Extension Scheme, and Homes for Ukraine. Those arriving, or applying for leave, under one of these schemes could stay in the UK for up to three years with the right to work, study, and claim public funds.
Note that both the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme are now closed, however the government have implemented a Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme which will open at some point in early 2025 and which will offer a further 18 months’ leave to eligible applicants.  The Home Office has already implemented amendments to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme on 31 January 2025. Furthermore, on 4 February 2025, the Home Office included the Ukraine Schemes into the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse concession. The details of these recent changes will be elaborated upon below.
The Ukraine Family Scheme allowed certain UK residents to sponsor Ukrainian relatives who would not normally qualify for a family visa. The Ukrainian applicant must have been ordinarily resident in Ukraine immediately before 1st January 2022, unless they are a child born on or after that date. The Ukraine Family Scheme closed on 19 February 2024.
Those already in the UK may, in the future, be able to extend leave under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (see below) or, if they are outside the UK, to apply under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme (see below).
The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows Ukrainians to come to the UK if they have a sponsor willing to let them stay in their home, or in a separate property, for at least six months. The UK sponsor will need to provide a residential spare room or separate self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied.
Following the Home Office amendments introduced on 31 January 2025, Ukrainians granted permission under any of the Ukrainian Schemes or Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR) due to the war in Ukraine, can now sponsor their children to join them in the UK under this scheme. This change also affects existing applications for children made between 19 February 2024 and 31 January 2025, as Home Office caseworkers will now request the necessary additional information to consider these applications under the updated policy.
To be eligible under this scheme, an applicant must be:
The applicant must also:
- The sponsor must be a British or Irish national, or be settled in the UK. Where a family group is applying under the scheme, it must have the same approved sponsor.
- For child applicants only – your UK-based parent who has been granted leave under any of the Ukrainian Schemes or Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR) due to the war in Ukraine
Prospective sponsors can register their interest online. Interested sponsors can also get in touch with charities, faith groups, and local community organisations to make connections with individuals/families.
You generally do not need to have any family ties with the individual or family in order to sponsor them, however, if you are already sponsored under this route and wish for your Ukraine-based child to join you in the UK, you can now sponsor them under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, provided you adequately evidence your family relationship and meet the rest of the requirements. The Home Office is now obligated to consider these applications under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, which places a duty on the decision-maker to safeguard the welfare of your children.
It is now necessary for applicants to provide their documents and evidence in English ort Welsh for it to be accepted, due to the most recent changes into the route
Eligible sponsors can receive £350 per month for up to 12 months for sponsoring one or more people at one address, as an optional 'thank you payment'. At the end of the six-month period, the Home Office has stated that individuals can continue to sponsor Ukrainian citizens for a longer period, but this is not required for the individual(s) to stay in the UK.
If you believe you or your family member may be eligible for this route and you want to come to the UK, or you would like more information about your legal rights and responsibilities as a sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, please contact our immigration solicitors.
If you are a Ukrainian national already in the UK, there may be other ways for you to remain in the UK, for example, the future Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (see below). Please contact us for more information about the routes available to you and advice on making a visa application
Until 5:00 pm on 13 November 2024, permission to travel letters may have been issued for applications submitted under the Homes For Ukraine scheme before 7 December 2023. From 14 November 2024, applicants who submitted to the biometric deferral process prior to 7 December 2023 should be contacted to invite a new application under the scheme and to enrol biometrics at a Visa Application Centre. This application would be decided under the Rules in place at the time of the original biometric deferral application and the original application will be withdrawn. If the results of the biometric checks indicate that the applicant does not meet the requirements of the Rules, the application will be refused. If no response is received from the applicant following the invitation to enrol biometrics, the application will be withdrawn.
All applicants who have already been issued permission to travel letters must enter the UK by 13 February 2025. From this date, permission to travel letters will no longer be accepted by carriers or UK Border Force as valid entry clearance to the UK.
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From 4 February 2025, victims of domestic abuse whose relationship with a Ukrainian national sponsored under the Ukraine Scheme breaks down due to domestic violence are now included in the concession that grants three months' leave outside the rules, with the right to work and access public funds.
It is important to note that former partners under the Ukraine Scheme have not been included in Appendix Domestic Abuse, which provides a further application route for settlement after this concession period. This concession may be shorter compared to your current permission and more restricted as it does not lead to settlement. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you seek individual legal advice if you find yourself in this situation.
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The Ukraine Extension Scheme closed on 16 May 2024, except for children born in the UK. The scheme granted leave to Ukrainian nationals and their immediately family where they had been resident in the UK on 18 March 2022 (later extended to 16 November 2023) or else where they had held leave before 1 January 2022 and this leave had then expired.
Now this route is closed, it may instead be possible to extend leave under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, discussed below.
In February 2024, the UK government announced the introduction of a new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, which will be open to applications from early 2025. Applicants will be able to apply up to 3 months before their permission expires and can be granted a further 18 months’ leave.
To apply, applicants will usually hold leave under one of the following routes:
Those who previously held leave under one of the above routes then switched to another immigration category may also be eligible to apply.
Legal 500 2024"Latitude Law is always the 'go-to' immigration firm of the North West. They take their time to get the know their clients and the issues at hand and are very pragmatic and practical in their approach."
We understand how challenging it can be for Ukrainian nationals to navigate the visa process. That is why our team of experienced solicitors, who have many years of experience in immigration law, will do everything they can to help your visa application be successful.
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The only scheme which is currently open to applicants is the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which results in a period of 18 months’ leave. When the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opens, successful applications will also result in an 18 month grant of leave.
Not at present but you may be able to extend up to 3 months before its expiry once the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opens in early 2025.
There is no right of appeal or administrative review for applications under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, however you are able to reapply as many times as you like. If the only reason for refusal is that the Sponsor is unsuitable, applicants should be signposted to the Ukrainian Sponsorship Pathway to find a new Sponsor. Speak to Latitude Law if your application has been refused to discuss your options further.
Currently leave under the Ukraine Scheme does not lead to settlement, although it can be counted as permission for a 10 years’ continuous lawful residence settlement application.
Yes, immediate family members can also come to the UK.
Yes, you are able to switch to other visa routes inside the UK
As the requirements for visas for Ukrainian nationals are complex, to ensure success, you should seek specialist advice from an immigration solicitor before you proceed with your application. Latitude Law’s specialist lawyers can advise you about your individual requirements and ensure that your supporting documentation is compliant with the very latest immigration rules.
Get in touch with our legal team today on 0300 131 6767 or fill out our enquiry form and we will get straight back to you. Face your future knowing you have the dedicated support of one of our expert lawyers.
Whether you’re looking to apply for the first time or aiming to renew your partner visa, Latitude Law is well placed to help you secure the right to live with your family member in the UK.
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