Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK
Updated 23 September 2022
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Data relate to the year ending June 2022. All data include dependants, unless indicated otherwise.
During March 2022, the UK Government introduced two new visa routes to allow persons affected by the war in Ukraine to come to the UK.
Introduced on 4 March 2022, the Ukraine Family Scheme allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK.
The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme was introduced on 18 March 2022, and allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
Additionally, from 3 May 2022, the Ukraine Extension Scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members lawfully present to apply to extend their permission to stay in the UK. To qualify, they must have held permission to be in the UK on or between 18 March 2022. Ukrainian nationals who previously held permission to be in the UK, but whose permission expired on or after 1 January 2022 are also able to apply to the scheme.
This section contains data on:
- Ukrainian visas
- Ukraine Scheme visa arrivals in the UK
- Ukraine visa extensions to stay in the UK
- Asylum applications from Ukraine nationals
1. Ukrainian visa
In the year ending June 2022, there had been a total of 190,537 visa applications made across all UK visa routes by Ukrainian nationals, with 96,547 applications in the most recent quarter (April-June 2022). Table 1 shows 77% (146,379) of the applications in that quarter were in one of the two new Ukraine Scheme visa routes introduced in response to the war in the Ukraine and 23% (44,158) were in existing immigration routes.
Home Office data show that as 16 of August 2022, there were a total of 206,000 applications received under the Ukraine visa schemes, of these over 57,700 were under the Ukraine Family Scheme and over 148,300 were under the Ukraine sponsorship scheme. More information and note on the data can be found in the weekly Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Table 1: Applications for visas made by Ukraine nationals by year ending June 2018 to June 2022
| Visa Type | Jun-18 | Jun-19 | Jun-20 | Jun-21 | Jun-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other, Family and Dep Joining or Accompanying | 1,629 | 2,013 | 2,160 | 3,922 | 1,572 |
| Study | 4,284 | 4,713 | 2,141 | 1,057 | 921 |
| Visitor | 40,894 | 48,710 | 36,349 | 13,364 | 25,245 |
| Work | 899 | 2,665 | 4,605 | 15,519 | 16,420 |
| Seasonal Workers | - | 1,893 | 3,857 | 14,754 | 15,200 |
| Ukraine Visa Schemes1 | - | - | - | - | 146,379 |
| Ukraine Family Scheme | - | - | - | - | 45,873 |
| Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme | - | - | - | - | 100,506 |
| Total | 47,706 | 58,101 | 45,255 | 33,862 | 190,537 |
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02
Notes:
- 5,103 non-Ukrainian family members of Ukrainian nationals applied for a visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (1,505 under the family scheme and 3,598 under the Sponsorship scheme).
In the year ending June 2022, there were a total of 170,062 visas granted across all UK visa routes for Ukrainian nationals, of which 111,464 were in the final quarter (April-June 2022). Table 2 shows 78% (132,123) of these applications were in one of the two new Ukraine Scheme visa routes introduced in response to the war in the Ukraine and 22% (37,939) were in existing immigration routes.
Data from the two Ukraine visa schemes show that as of 16 August 2022, there were a total of 177,000 applications granted, of these over 49,700 were under the Ukraine Family Scheme and over 127,300 were under the Ukraine sponsorship scheme. More information and notes on the data can be found in the weekly Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Table 2: Visas granted to Ukraine nationals by year ending June 2018 to June 2022
| Visa Type | Jun-18 | Jun-19 | Jun-20 | Jun-21 | Jun-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other, Family and Dep Joining or Accompanying | 1,318 | 1,729 | 1,862 | 2,799 | 1,868 |
| Study | 3,950 | 4,675 | 2,189 | 1,010 | 871 |
| Visitor | 35,958 | 44,350 | 34,148 | 10,385 | 19,970 |
| Work | 835 | 2,606 | 4,570 | 15,474 | 15,230 |
| Seasonal Work | - | 1,865 | 3,880 | 14,685 | 14,127 |
| Ukraine Visa Schemes1 | - | - | - | - | 132,123 |
| Ukraine Family Scheme | - | - | - | - | 42,608 |
| Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme | - | - | - | - | 89,515 |
| Total Issued | 42,061 | 53,360 | 42,769 | 29,668 | 170,062 |
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02
Notes:
- 1,731 non-Ukrainian family members of Ukrainian nationals were issued a visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (717 under the Family Scheme and 1,014 under the Sponsorship Scheme).
There has also been a sharp increase in the number of work visa grants for Ukrainian nationals since the year ending June 2019, this increase is due to the number of Ukrainians granted a seasonal work visa.
Figure 1: Visa grants to Ukrainian nationals, year ending June 2022
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02
2. Ukraine Scheme visa arrivals in the UK
Home Office data on the Ukraine visa schemes show that as of 15 August 2022, over 115,000 Ukraine Scheme visa-holders had arrived in the UK since those schemes began. In the latest quarter (April to June 2022) 80,300 Ukraine Scheme visa-holders arrived under the two new visas. There were also an additional 26,900 Ukrainian nationals who arrived with other visas.
Of the arrivals on the two new visas, over 33,500 were under the Ukraine Family Scheme and 81,700 were under the Ukraine sponsorship scheme. These numbers include non-Ukrainian family members of Ukrainian nationals.
More information and notes on data can be found in the weekly Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Figure 2: Weekly number of people arriving in the UK, using a Ukraine Scheme visa for the first time
Source: Home Office Management Information
Figure 3 shows that arrivals of visa holders on the Ukraine Family Scheme began to steadily increase after the Scheme was first launched on 4th March 2022, reaching a high of almost 4,000 in the last week of March 2022. The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) route was introduced on the 18 March 2022, and the number of people arriving on that Sponsorship Scheme quickly surpassed those on the Ukraine family Scheme, accounting for 74% of all arrivals on the two schemes in April and May. Arrivals on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme peaked at over 8,000 in the first week of May 2022. Arrivals have been lower since that peak, at just under 3,500 in the first week of June 2022, and weekly arrivals on Ukraine Family Scheme have remained between 1,000 and 2,000 since mid-April.
3. Demographic characteristics of new Ukrainians arrivals
Figure 3: Number of people arriving on one of the Ukraine schemes by age and sex as at 30 June 2022
Source: Home Office Management Information
In the period from January to June 2022, the number of people under 18 arriving on the Ukraine Schemes are similar for males and females. For those aged 18 and over, a larger number of females have arrived (47,800) compared with males (11,510).
Table 3 below shows that half of the arrivals of Ukraine Scheme visa-holders up to the end of June were women aged between 18 and 64 (50%), and one third were people under the age of 18 (33%). Only 6% were 65 years or older.
Table 3: Demographic (age/sex) breakdown for those arriving on Ukraine Schemes as at 30 June 2022
| U18 | 18-64 | 65+ | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Scheme | 8,320 (9%) | 16,250 (18%) | 3,660 (4%) | 28,230 (32%) |
| Male | 4,200 (5%) | 3,530 (4%) | 1,180 (1%) | 8,900 (10%) |
| Female | 4,120 (5%) | 12,720 (14%) | 2,480 (3%) | 19,330 (22%) |
| Sponsorship Scheme | 21,300 (24%) | 38,080 (43%) | 1,320 (1%) | 60,700 (68%) |
| Male | 10,580 (12%) | 6,490 (7%) | 320 (0%) | 17,390 (20%) |
| Female | 10,720 (12%) | 31,590 (36%) | 1,000 (1%) | 43,310 (49%) |
| Total | 29,620 (33%) | 54,330 (61%) | 4,990 (6%) | 88,950 (100%) |
| Male | 14,770 (17%) | 10,010 (11%) | 1,500 (2%) | 26,290 (30%) |
| Female | 14,840 (17%) | 44,310 (50%) | 3,490 (4%) | 62,640 (70%) |
Source: Home Office Management Information
4. Ukrainian visa extensions to stay in the UK
In the year ending June 2022, there were a total of 16,115 extensions granted to Ukrainian nationals across all UK visa routes with 13,733 in the latest quarter (April-June 2022). Table 4 shows 87% (13,994) of these applications were into one of the two new Ukrainian Extension schemes introduced in response to the war in Ukraine and 13% (2,121) were in existing immigration routes, a marked increase over the preceding years.
Home Office data shows that as of 16 August 2022, there were a total of over 16,800 permissions granted for Ukrainians to extend their stay in the UK under the two new visa schemes. Of the extensions granted, over 7,000 were into the Ukraine Family Scheme (in-UK permissions) and over 9,800 were into the Ukraine Extension Scheme. More information and note on data can be found in the weekly Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Table 4: Extensions of temporary stay by reason1,2 to Ukrainian nationals, year ending June 2018 to June 2022
| Grants of extension by reason | Jun-18 | Jun-19 | Jun-20 | Jun-21 | Jun-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | 639 | 671 | 555 | 785 | 999 |
| Other | 95 | 132 | 74 | 67 | 199 |
| Study | 128 | 106 | 99 | 135 | 113 |
| Work | 677 | 540 | 460 | 565 | 810 |
| Ukraine Schemes | - | - | - | - | 13,994 |
| Ukraine Extension Scheme | - | - | - | - | 7,607 |
| Ukraine Family Scheme | - | - | - | - | 6,387 |
| Total grants | 1,539 | 1,449 | 1,188 | 1,552 | 16,115 |
Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
Notes:
- ‘Other’ excludes extensions granted to individuals who were unable to travel home because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19 (527 in the year ending June 2020 and 50 in the year ending June 2021).
- 104 non-Ukrainian family members of Ukrainian nationals were granted extensions under one of the Ukrainian schemes (55 under the Extension Scheme and 49 under the Family Scheme).
5. Asylum applications from Ukraine nationals
5.1 Applications
Given the wide reach of the Ukraine Family, Ukraine Sponsorship and Ukraine Extension Schemes, there are a wide range of options available to Ukrainians seeking to come to or stay in the UK, and only limited circumstances in which a Ukrainian national might choose to claim asylum.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Home Office temporarily paused making decisions on Ukrainian asylum cases while it conducted an assessment of the situation. Updated country policy and information was published on 7 July 2022 and asylum decision making resumed on this date. Some Ukrainian asylum applicants may choose to withdraw their claim if they are eligible for the Ukraine-specific schemes.
Between January and June 2022, the UK received 310 asylum applications (relating to 484 people) from Ukrainian nationals, over double the number of Ukrainian applications typically received across a whole year previously (as shown in Figure 5). Around two-thirds (202) of applications in this period were lodged between the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, but prior to the Ukraine extension scheme being launched on 3 May 2022, with only a further 91 subsequent to the launch of that scheme (up to end of June).
Figure 4: Asylum applications lodged in the UK by Ukrainian nationals1, quarterly, from 2017 Q3 to 2022 Q2
Source: Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01
Notes
- Includes main applicants only
Figure 5 shows that prior to the global pandemic, the number of applications lodged by Ukrainian nationals ranged from around 20 to 70 per quarter. During the pandemic, the number of applications lodged decreased. However in Q1 2022 there were 157 applications, and a similar number (153) in Q2 2022.
In addition, there were 153 asylum applications from Russian nationals in January to June 2022, which is lower than 2019 figures (217 applications).
5.2 Grant rate and Initial decisions
In the last five years (year ending June 2018 to the year ending June 2022), the asylum grant rate for Ukrainian nationals was very low at initial decision, from 1% to 9%.
Between January and June 2022, one Ukrainian national was granted asylum, and two Ukrainian nationals were refused asylum, but both decisions were issued prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. During this period, 43 Ukrainian nationals withdrew asylum claims, some of whom will have done so because they applied to one of the new visa schemes.
6. Data tables
Data referred to here can be found in the following tables:
- Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02
- Extensions – Exe_D01
- Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement – Asy_D01
Further information on the latest data on applications to come to or stay in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) or Ukraine Extension Scheme. The data includes totals for visa applications received and visas issued to people. Ukraine Visa Schemes: visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
More information Sponsorship Scheme data split by parts of the UK and local authorities, provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is available.
Demographic Data for Ukraine Visas Schemes, split by parts of the UK, is provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
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