The statement of changes in immigration rules presented to parliament on 19 February 2024 (HC 556)

The changes being made primarily concern changes to the Ukraine Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, Ukraine Extension Scheme and to provisions for care workers and senior care workers on the Skilled Worker visa route.

The changes will be implemented on various dates from 19 February 2024.

Changes to the Ukraine visa schemes

1. Closing the Ukraine Family Scheme

The Government has decided to close the Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) to new applications with immediate effect to rationalise the offers for Ukrainians coming to the UK and improve the sustainability of the schemes provided.

People who already have permission to enter or stay under the UFS will continue to hold that permission despite the closure of the UFS to new applicants. All applications under UFS received before the closure of the scheme will be decided under the rules in force the day before the rules change.

The changes to the Ukraine Family Scheme (the closure of the UFS scheme to new applications) will come into effect at 15.00 GMT on 19 February 2024, and therefore depart from the usual convention that changes to the Immigration Rules come into force no earlier than 21 days after their being laid in Parliament.

2. Changes to the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (HFU)

Almost two years into the conflict, the situation in Ukraine and the responses to it have evolved, therefore they are also changing the period of permission granted to new HFU applicants, including eligible minors, from 36 months to 18 months.

This means that applications under this scheme submitted after the deadline below will be considered, but the validity period of the issued visas will not be three years as before, but only 18 months.

This will still provide assurance of a period of sanctuary in the UK and is more closely aligned with the period granted in the EU under the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which is one year at a time.

Apart from that, under the new rules, a sponsor must be either a British or Irish citizen, or be ‘settled in the UK’ (which means having the right to live in the UK permanently). Previously, a sponsor could have been a person of any nationality with a UK visa valid for the period of more than six months (except for standard visitor visas). This is now gone.

The changes to the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (changes to the sponsor eligibility through HMG guidance and period of permission granted to HFU applicants) will come into effect at 15.00 GMT on 19 February 2024, and therefore depart from the usual convention that changes to the Immigration Rules come into force no earlier than 21 days after their being laid in Parliament.

3. Changes to Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES)

Under the current rules, the Ukraine Extension Scheme will close to new applications for permission to stay on 16 May 2024. Amendments are made to the UES to allow children born in the UK after 18 March 2022 to those who have permission under the Ukraine Scheme (including the now closed Ukraine Family Scheme) to be eligible to apply under this route beyond 16 May 2024.

They will be granted permission aligned to the length of permission under the Ukraine Scheme held by their parent. Where the parents hold differing lengths of permission under the Ukraine Scheme, a child will be granted in line with the parent who holds permission that expires last. This is necessary to ensure that the government provides a route for children born in the UK to regularise the immigration status in line with their parents.

Changes relating to care workers and senior care workers on the Skilled Worker route

Changes are being made to tighten the Health and Care Worker route for Skilled Workers sponsored as care workers or senior care workers (occupation codes 6145 and 6146), in response to high levels of non-compliance and worker exploitation and abuse, as well as unsustainable levels of demand.

In the year ending September 2023, 83,072 visas were granted for care workers and a further 18,244 visas for senior care workers, comprising 30% of all work visas granted. In addition, there were 250,297 visas granted for work-related dependants, 69% of which were for Health and Care Worker dependants.