The Ukraine Schemes granted visa holders the right to live, work and claim benefits in the UK for 3 years. For those who arrived in the first few months of the Russian invasion (the majority), these visas are coming to an end. What started as a temporary escape from war has turned into building a new home for many. In February 2025, the UK Government opened the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE). This allows Ukrainians to apply for an 18-month extension to their visa. The application is complex, requires multiple documents, and has to be completed within a 28-day window before the existing visa expires. Processing time is up to 8 weeks. In November 2024, the Government announced that the 3 years+ Ukrainians have spent in the UK on Ukraine Scheme visas will not count towards the 5- or 10-year routes to residency. Ukrainians are the only national group excluded from the 10-year route, and the only humanitarian scheme not to include the right to settle after 5 years.

This briefing reports on the emotional and material impact of this visa regime on displaced Ukrainians in the UK. It is based a survey completed by 1133 Ukrainians across the UK between 20 February and 7 March 2025.