Guidance

A significant change in UK immigration documentation comes into effect on June 2, 2025, that will directly impact Ukrainians living in Wales and across the UK. The temporary grace period allowing the use of expired Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) for travel purposes will end on June 1, 2025.

The UK Home Office has updated its guidance for people who have been granted permission to stay in the UK but do not currently have a valid passport or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). This is particularly important for Ukrainians and others in the UK under humanitarian schemes.

The Home Office has recently announced a significant update to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, offering greater flexibility for applicants. Previously, individuals were required to submit their applications no more than 28 days before the expiration of their current permission. Submitting too early could result in the application being deemed invalid. However, as of April 9, 2025, the Home Office has clarified that, under certain circumstances, early applications may now be accepted.

The UK government has introduced a significant improvement to the Ukraine Scheme visa extension process. As of March 5, 2025, applicants can now use the UK Immigration: ID Check app when applying for a Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE), eliminating the need to visit a visa center for biometric verification in many cases.