Sponsoring a Ukrainian guest
Refugees at Home is one of the recognised providers of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, allowing people to sign up to host Ukrainians who are applying to come to the UK.
Please note that the scheme is run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and the process we follow is different to making a placement with non-Ukrainian guests.
The government set out that you are only able to sponsor Ukrainian guests if you hold British or Irish citizenship or have settled status in the UK, and can commit to host for a minimum of six months.
In August 2023, we were welcomed into the home of our hosts. These are extraordinary people who have become a new, British family for us.
We are very grateful to them for their care, safety, and the opportunity to start a new life without war.
Applying for a guest’s visa
One key difference with hosting a Ukrainian guest is the need to apply for a visa. As a sponsor, you must be involved with this process and due to the need to share personal information, we strongly recommend that you lead on it and ask the guest to provide you with their details rather than the other way around.
This process is entirely managed by the Home Office and we do not have any input or influence on the application.
You can read more about the visa application process and how to apply on the gov.uk website.
If there are any issues or delays, please let your Placement Coordinator know. While we cannot provide advice for the visa process, we recommend contacting Settled.
Your guest’s arrival
Once your guest’s visa is issued, they are responsible for arranging their travel to the UK. While you’ll need to stay in contact with them throughout, you should not contribute financially to their journey.
As soon as they know their arrival date, please confirm a time where you can welcome them that is convenient for you both.
During the placement
Once your guest has arrived, the placement will carry on much like any other. You can read our Information for Hosts page for more guidance. Our Placement Team will continue to check in with you and your guest periodically to make sure everything is going ok. We’ll also reach out towards the end of the placement to discuss moving on plans, or whether you’d be happy to extend it.
Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme
The government opened this scheme in early February 2025.
The UPE visa will allow Ukrainians who arrived through the Ukraine Family Visa or Homes for Ukraine scheme to stay in the UK for an initial further 18 months.
- The Government announced in August 2025 that in addition to the initial 18 months, Ukrainians will be able to extend their visas for a further 24 months beyond this. This will take effect from August 2026 and more information will be issued by the government for how this will work.
- The UPE scheme is free to apply for, but applications can only be made no more than 28 days before existing visas expire, and it will take up to eight weeks for the Home Office to make a decision on the visa application.
- Sponsors will be eligible for the £350 ‘thank you’ payments for the 18-month period of the visa extension so long as the guest continues to live with them. They must reapply to their council for this payment to continue.
- Some Local Authorities are topping up the ‘thank you’ payments, and it’s worth contacting your local authority to find out what they are doing.
MHCLG have made guidance available for sponsors and guests about the changes to the programme on gov.uk.
Move On options for Ukrainian guests
Because the UK Government provide funding to local authorities to support those arriving under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the support to help them move into independent living are quite different than those for guests of other nationalities. It’s really important for you to let your Placement Coordinator know as soon as possible if you need the placement to end after the initial 6 month sponsorship period and we will help you and your guest navigate this process.
