Ukrainians lose out on jobs and homes over visa uncertainty

Ukrainians in the UK are losing out on job opportunities and homes because of uncertainty over how long they will be allowed to stay in the country.

They were initially given the right to live and work in the UK for three years and can apply for an 18-month extension 28 days before their original visa expires. The government said this provided “certainty and security”.

But some Ukrainians have told the BBC that employers are reluctant to hire them or landlords will not rent to them because their visa is due to expire.

One survey of 1,133 Ukrainians in Britain suggested 41% had lost a new job opportunity because of visa uncertainty, while 26% said their tenancy was not renewed.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham also found 22% of respondents said a job contract was not renewed, while 24% said they could not sign a new tenancy.

Arrivals spiked after the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which allows people in the UK to host those fleeing the war, was launched on 14 March 2022.

At the peak in May that year, more than 10,000 Ukrainians a week came, with a total of 300,000 offered sanctuary to date, according to the Home Office.

People were initially given the right to stay for three years, meaning the bulk of visas are due to expire in the coming months. The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opened on 18 February.

The government says Ukrainians retain their existing rights to live and work in the UK while a decision is being made on whether to extend their visa, which can take up to eight weeks.

However, charities say in practice some Ukrainians who are in the process of extending their visa or only have a few months left are struggling to find jobs or rental properties.

Mila, who lives in Atherstone, Warwickshire, with her 14-year-old daughter, is waiting for her visa extension to be approved.

The family must leave their flat by 25 April as it is being sold by the landlord.

She had planned to move to a flat closer to her job at a salon in Nuneaton but the agent told her she could not sign a six-month tenancy because her visa is due to expire on 12 April.

Mila said she had tried a number of different agents without success because of her visa status.

She told the BBC she was worried about the prospect of being left without anywhere to live, adding: “I can’t sleep at night.”

Tatiana – not her real name – struggled to find a new job after her contract as a lab technician ended, despite being highly qualified.

Over a six-month period she says she was refused for around six jobs because her visa was due to expire in July, with prospective employers citing uncertainty over whether her right to work in the UK would be extended.

One company asked her to apply for a visa extension immediately, but she was unable to because of rules stating applications can only be made 28 days before the original visa expires.

Tatiana, who has two sons aged 11 and 16, told the BBC the situation left her suffering from anxiety, for which she was prescribed medication by her GP.

Although she has now secured a new job, Tatiana still feels worried about her future.

“It’s incredibly frustrating to feel trapped in this cycle,” she said.

“[My employer] would love to offer a longer-term position, but the visa situation prevents it.

“We are all in a tough position, and I wish we had at least some certainty about the future.”

Olena – not her real name – arrived in the UK with her daughter, who is now 15, in April 2022 and their visas have recently expired.

She applied for an extension more than three weeks before the expiry date but they are still waiting for this to be approved.

Olena is a housekeeper at a hotel but her employer initially told her she could not work after her visa expires and would have to take annual leave.

She also receives universal credit as she can only work limited hours due to health problems. With her visa due to expire, her caseworkers wrote to her warning her benefits could be stopped, causing her further anxiety.

Rights to claim benefits remain while a visa decision is pending, according to government guidance.

Olena was only able to persuade her employer she could continue to work with help from the charity Settled, which also helped her to provide the necessary information to ensure her benefit payments continued.

Others told the BBC they had been informed by universities they would have to pay international fees as their visa was due to expire before the course began.

This is despite government guidance stating that those on visa schemes for Ukrainians should be treated as “home” students, who are eligible for financial support and domestic fees.

Settled said it had also seen an increasing number of technical issues which had left Ukrainians unable to prove their visa status or progress their applications for an extension.

It said an automatic visa extension would avoid these issues.

Simone Schehtman, who runs the Birmingham for Ukraine support group, said currently most visa extensions were being approved within a couple of weeks but there was concern that in the coming months the volume of applications could overwhelm the system.

“We’ve got about 100,000 Ukrainians about to submit their [extension application],” said Ms Schehtman. “It’s a complete disaster.”

A government spokesperson said: “We are fully committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s illegal war, while also providing a safe and secure haven for those fleeing the conflict.”

The spokesperson added that the visa extension scheme allowed “a continuation of rights to work, live and study as well as access to healthcare and welfare support in the UK”.