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01.03.2022 - Ukraine conflict: Boris Johnson says more than 200,000 Ukrainians could be allowed to join family in UK

The prime minister announced today that the UK will "make it easier for Ukrainians already living in the UK to bring their relatives to our country". Exact numbers are "hard to calculate", he says, but "they could be more than 200,000".

More than 200,000 Ukrainians could be allowed to join family in the UK amid the Russian invasion, Boris Johnson has said.

Speaking during a visit to Poland, the prime minister said the UK will "make it easier for Ukrainians already living in the UK to bring their relatives to our country".

The PM's spokesman said Ukrainians living in the UK will be allowed to b...

27.02.2022 - The UK has promised to accept refugees from Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised that the United Kingdom would accept those fleeing Ukraine in fear of persecution.

Speaking about the Ukrainian crisis in the House of Commons, Johnson said that the UK "will continue to do what it has always done" and help people displaced as a result of the conflict.

However, it is reported that the UK government has not yet developed an official plan for accepting potential refugees from Ukraine, and its creation will be announced separately.

27.02.2022 - Ukraine conflict: Settled Ukrainians relatives able to come to UK

People who are settled in the UK will be able to bring their Ukrainian immediate family members to join them, the prime minister has announced.

Boris Johnson said the UK would not "turn our backs in Ukraine's hour of need".

The government has been facing growing calls to waive visa rules for Ukrainians seeking sanctuary in the UK amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Before the latest announcement, only those Ukrainians who were deemed to be "dependants" of those already in the UK were being guaranteed entry.

Downing Street said the change would "benefit many thousands of people who at this momen...

25.02.2022 - UK imposes package of sanctions on Russia in response to Ukraine invasion

The prime minister told the House of Commons they were "the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen".

Boris Johnson announced 10 measures the UK was taking immediately. The assets of all major Russian banks in the UK will be frozen, including VTB, the country’s second largest bank with assets totalling £154bn.


Individual sanctions will be imposed on over 120 individuals, entities and subsidiaries, including Rostec, the country’s biggest defence company, which exports £10bn in arms a year, as well as four other defence companies.

Full list of planned san...

25.02.2022 - Ukrainians in the UK – new immigration concessions

The Home Office has agreed some temporary concessions to support Ukrainian nationals currently in the UK who are now unable to return when their existing visa expires. These concessions will assist Ukrainian nationals in extending their stay in the UK without having to leave and re-apply from overseas.

If you’re in the UK and unable to return to Ukraine, you may be able to extend your visa or switch to another one even if your visa does not normally allow you to do so.

Visitor Visa

The Home Office has introduced a temporary concession to allow Ukrainian nationals in the UK on a visitor visa to...

24.02.2022 - New temporary UK Visa Application Centres for applicants from Ukraine

As announced previously, the UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Kyiv is now closed and all UK visa services in Kyiv are suspended.

Dependents of British nationals who need a UK visa can apply through the new, temporary location in the Lemberg Business Centre in the city of Lviv.

Alternatively, you can apply through a UK Visa Application Centre in a nearby country. UK Visa Application Centres are currently also operating and accepting visa applications in:

  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Hungary
  • Moldova

All other visa applicants will be required to apply through a UK Visa Application Centre i...

24.02.2022 - Issue of passports for British nationals in Ukraine – new update

From today and until further notice, Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) is prioritising already submitted passport applications for British nationals in Ukraine.

HMPO are proactively contacting people to get more information where needed so their pending applications can be decided as soon as possible.

As of 24 February 2022 and until further notice, HMPO are unable to accept any new applications for British passports from Ukraine.

24.02.2022 - Closure of the UK Visa Application Centre and suspension of UK visa services in the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv

From today and until further notice, the UK Visa Application Centre located in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, is closed due to the current military actions taking place in the territory of Ukraine.

All other UK visa services in Kyiv are also suspended until further notice.

23.02.2022 - Right to Work and Right to Rent Schemes – update about the date for the resumption of physical document checks

The adjustments for online processing of right to work and right to rent checks, which were made due to COVID-19, will now continue until 30 September 2022 (inclusive). 

This follows the government's announcement enabling employers to use Identification Document Validation Technology (IDVT) to carry out digital checks on behalf of British and Irish citizens who hold a valid passport (or Irish passport card) from 6 April 2022. 

It has been decided to defer the date for the resumption of physical document checks to 1 October 2022. This will ensure employers and landlords have sufficient time to ...

18.02.2022 - ILPA regarding the closure of the Tier 1 Investor Visa

On 18 February 2022 the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association sent an open letter to the Home Office with regard to the recent closure of the Tier 1 Investor visa category with immediate effect.

In particular, the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association wrote the following in their letter, which is now pending with the Home Office and subject to their response or comments:

On 17 February 2022, without prior warning, you tweeted, ‘We have closed the Tier 1 Investor visa with immediate effect following our review of all those granted’. The Home Office confirmed this in a news story.

A S...

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