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What you need to know to protect yourself:
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There is no fee for making an application to the UKVI under the Ukraine Scheme for you or your sponsor. A request for an application fee may be an indication of fraudulent activity.
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A requirement for applying under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme is to have a UK-based Sponsor. We do not recommend looking for sponsors on social media.
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There is a list of UK government-approved organisations that can help you find sponsors including: Citizens UK (through USPUK), Refugees at Home, Reset, World Jewish Relief, Opora, Love Bristol та St John of God Hospitaller Services.
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It is advisable to submit your visa application on your own without an intermediary.
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It is compulsory to visit a visa application centre during the application process.
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When completing the application form, be sure to make a note of your email address or the email address used to make the application.When completing the application form, be sure to make a note of your email address or the email address used to make the application.
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Your application will not be processed until you have submitted your biometrics at a visa application centre outside the UK.Your application will not be processed until you have submitted your biometrics at a visa application centre outside the UK.
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Do not give anyone else your account password or your personal data for the visa application.
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If you already have a sponsor, you may contact us for further advice on making an application, our email address is ukraineadvice@settled. org.uk Settled’s advisors provide free advice to apply under the Ukraine Schemes.
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We would advise that you proceed cautiously if you are offered to travel to the UK via Dublin (Republic of Ireland) as our casework shows that this is a route to the UK that has been particularly affected by fake applications submitted by sham immigration advisors.
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We would also advise that you enter the UK through airports in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland (Belfast).
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Please note that Dublin (Republic of Ireland) is not a part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland is a part of the EU and Ukrainian nationals do not require a visa to enter.
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Please only travel to the UK after you have received a visa vignette from a visa application centre.
We receive regular enquiries from people who have been duped into paying a fake application fee by exploitative criminals.
Applications for the UK government’s Ukraine visa scheme are free.
To prevent visa fraud, on 7 December 2023, the Home Office changed the application process for Ukraine visa schemes. As a result of the changes, new applicants can no longer use the ID Check app. The option to submit biometrics upon arrival in the UK has also been discontinued.
Under the procedure now in place, after completing a Homes for Ukraine application, you must visit a visa application centre outside the UK and provide your biometrics which includes your photographs and fingerprints being taken. Once your biometrics have been submitted at the visa centre, the application is processed as per the usual process.
Children under the age of 5 are not required to provide their fingerprints, but must attend with their parents for a digital photograph.
In Ukraine, the visa application centre is located in Kyiv. You are able to visit visa application centres in other countries as well.
If you provide your biometrics in Kyiv, you will need to pick up your visa at the visa application centre in Warsaw (Poland) if you receive a positive decision.
More information is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for- family-members-of-british-nationals-in-ukraine-and-ukrainian-nationals-in-ukraine-and-the-uk.uk
Settled provides free, accredited advice and assistance in the language of your choice for any Ukrainian who wishes to make an application under the humanitarian scheme for Ukrainians. For advice on immigration and related issues for Ukrainians in the UK, please contact us by email: [email protected] We are here to help.
If you recognise a suspicious job advert on the internet, offering work in the UK under the Homes For Ukraine Scheme visa; if or you or someone you know is being forced to work or exploited, you can report it confidentially and securely through the Stop the Traffik website and apps (Android / Apple) – in both English and Ukrainian.
Settled has raised our case-based concerns and recommendations to the Home Office: our letters and their response can be viewed here. The Independent newspaper featured Settled’s concerns and recommendations in December 2023.
More detailed information is available in our Ukrainian language leaflet here: online / print.
