Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her oral contribution in response to a question from the hon. member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central on 1 March 2022, Official Report, column 938, whether a Ukrainian resident in the UK can apply for a family reunion visa regardless of his or her immigration status.

As set out in the Home Secretary’s statement to the House on 1 March, a fee free, bespoke Ukraine Family Scheme has been introduced. The route allows both the immediate (spouse, civil partner, durable partner, minor children) and extended (parent, grandparent, adult children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in laws and their immediate family) family members to join their relatives in the UK. The UK-based sponsoring relative must be a British citizen, a person who is present and settled in the UK (including those with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme), a person in the UK with refugee leave or with humanitarian protection or a person in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU (pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme). This route was launched on 4 March.

Ukrainian nationals who have not obtained settlement are not permitted to sponsor under the Ukraine Family Scheme. However, they may wish to consider sponsoring a relative under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. This bespoke scheme will offer a route to those who want to come to the UK who have someone here willing to provide them with a home. It will enable individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to volunteer accommodation and provide a route to safety for Ukrainians, and their immediate family members, forced to escape their homeland

Further information on the process and how to apply to sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme can be found here: https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/

We are setting no limit on the numbers of people who can come here. We will be glad to welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come.