Ukraine UPE Scheme: New 90-Day Application Window

Changes to the UPE Scheme for Ukrainian Nationals in the UK

On 24 February 2026, the Government confirmed that applicants will be able to apply to the UPE Scheme up to 90 days before their current Ukraine scheme permission expires. This will apply both to individuals applying to UPE for the first time and to those extending existing UPE permission.

Submitting an application within the new 90-day period will not reduce the total period of permission granted. Any remaining period of permission on the applicant’s current status will be added to the new period of permission if the application is successful.

The new 90-day window has not yet come into force. Until the operational start date is confirmed, the current 28-day application window remains in place. An application submitted more than 28 days before expiry may face delay or refusal for failing to meet the current timing requirement. The announcement does not affect applications that have already been submitted.

Separately, on 1 September 2025, the Government confirmed that the UPE Scheme would be extended by a further 24 months. As a result, the maximum cumulative grant available under the UPE route is now up to 3.5 years in total, following permission previously granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme.

Applications under UPE remain free of charge. Those granted further permission continue to have the right to work and to access public funds, healthcare and education in line with the conditions attached to the Ukraine Schemes.

What has not changed

The core UPE eligibility criteria remain the same. To qualify for a UPE Scheme extension, the applicant has to:

• currently hold permission under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme
• be physically present in the UK or Islands on the date of application
• have been living in the UK since being granted permission under one of the Ukraine Schemes, including UPE

Short absences from the UK are permitted, provided time spent outside the UK does not exceed 12 months in total, in aggregate across the period of permission.

Applications are made online and the applicant has to be physically present in the UK on the date of application and continue to meet the residence requirement.

The position on settlement also remains unchanged. Permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes, including UPE, does not count towards settlement in the UK.

Time spent with permission under the Ukraine Schemes does not count as lawful residence for the purposes of the 10-year long residence route.

Children remain eligible to apply, including children born in the UK to a parent with permission under the Ukraine Schemes. Where a child holds permission alongside a parent or legal guardian, their extension will be aligned with that of the parent or guardian.

Next Steps

Applicants should identify the expiry date of their current UPE permission and prepare in advance. Any extension application has to be submitted before existing permission expires, as failure to apply in time will result in loss of lawful status and associated rights, including the right to work and access public services. Where a valid in-time application is submitted before expiry, Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 will automatically extend existing permission while the application is pending.

Practical preparation should also include:

• recording the precise expiry date of current permission
• retaining evidence of continued residence in the UK
• checking that the 90-day window is operational before applying early
• reviewing alternative immigration options if long-term residence is intended

A further Government statement on the longer-term position is expected later this year. Until that position is clarified, UPE remains an extended but temporary route and time accrued under it does not lead to settlement.