Refugees: Ukraine
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will automate the visa extension scheme application process for people applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and who still need our sanctuary.
The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, is intended to allow those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission, who have been living in the UK and who continue to require sanctuary in the UK, to complete an application online for further permission to stay in the UK.
We are not providing automatic extension of existing permission as this would risk inadvertently providing further permission to a person who has now left the UK and is no longer in need of temporary sanctuary in the UK.
Nevertheless, UPE will be one of the first immigration routes to reuse existing biometric records, removing the need for the majority of Ukrainians to attend a UK visa and citizenship application services centre. This will create a faster and more streamlined customer journey. We will roll-out the option to reuse previously submitted biometrics using a phased approach.
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