Children being sponsored by a parent or legal guardian: Homes for Ukraine
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-15)

Guidance for councils on the eligibility and applications process for children being sponsored by a parent or legal guardian.

A parent (or legal guardian) who holds permission under any of the Ukraine Schemes can apply to sponsor their child under Homes for Ukraine. The child must be under 18 years of age.

Children sponsored by their parents (or legal guardians) will hold permission to live in the UK for up to 18 months. They will have access to education, healthcare, benefits and employment (as appropriate under UK law).

Please note that a parent (or legal guardian) who is sponsoring their child will not qualify for thank you payments.

Councils in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland should read this guidance in conjunction with the Scottish (https://www.gov.scot/publications/super-sponsor-scheme-and-homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-local-authorities/) and Welsh (https://gov.wales/homes-ukraine-advice-and-guidance-local-authorities) or Northern Ireland (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/supporting-ukraine) guidance pages.

Eligibility

Both the applicant child and their sponsoring parent must meet all the requirements under the Homes for Ukraine scheme for the visa to be issued. See the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: caseworker guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-caseworker-guidance) for details of the immigration requirements under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme sponsor requirements (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eligibility-safeguarding-dbs-and-accommodation-checks-homes-for-ukraine).

The parent (or legal guardian):
- does not need to have settled status to sponsor their child, but they must hold permission under any of the Ukraine Schemes (or Leave outside the Immigration Rules granted due to the conflict in Ukraine before the Ukraine Schemes were introduced)
- must offer accommodation for the duration of their child’s visa
- must be able to provide evidence of their relationship with the child (birth/adoption/legal guardianship documents)
Successful applicants will be granted a Homes for Ukraine visa with permission to stay in the UK for up to 18 months. If the child’s parent has less than 18 months permission remaining the child’s visa will be aligned with their parent’s.

Councils should be aware that if a child is not eligible to be granted a visa under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, they may be granted Leave outside the Immigration Rules (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapter-1-section-14-leave-outside-the-immigration-rules). This is a decision for the Home Office.

Application process

1. The parent (or legal guardian) should complete the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme visa application form (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-visa-under-the-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme) on behalf of their child, naming themselves as ‘sponsor’. When asked about their immigration status on the visa application form, the parent (or legal guardian) should choose ‘none of the above’ and provide further information regarding their permission in the UK, including the date of issue and expiry, in the text box following this question. They should also mention that they are the parent (or legal guardian) sponsoring their child.

2. Passport numbers (alongside completion of eligibility questions and other personal details) for both child and parent (as ‘sponsor’) will be required to complete the application online. The parent will also need to upload a scan of their child’s passport.

3. The child will need to book an appointment to have their photograph and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre (VAC) as part of their application. The child must submit their birth or adoption certificate to be scanned at the VAC. If they are sponsored by their legal guardian, they need to submit the legal guardianship documents listed in the Homes for Ukraine caseworker guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-caseworker-guidance). At the VAC appointment, the child should also provide written consent from the parent (or legal guardian) in the UK who they are joining. The written consent must confirm all of the following:

support for the application

that the applicant will live with the parent (or legal guardian) in the UK

that the parent (or legal guardian) has permission to stay in the UK

the applicant’s travel to, and reception arrangements in, the UK

4. UK government will commission security checks on both the child and parent (as ‘sponsor’) from the name data declared in the application form. There is no requirement for the applicant to upload a copy of identity documents for any other member of the sponsor’s household.

5. The UK government will also conduct checks on the applicant, the sponsor (i.e. parent), and adults in the sponsor’s household, to ensure their eligibility and suitability for the scheme. The government will verify the relationship between the child and parent. These checks must be completed before a visa can be issued.

6. Once the visa is issued, the child can then travel to the UK to join their parent/s (or legal guardian).

7. Councils will be able to access information from the visa application on the Share Homes for Ukraine (“Share”) system as soon as an application is made, but the issuance of a visa to a child dependent is not contingent on any council checks being completed. Once the child has arrived, local councils should conduct the checks set out below under ‘safeguarding checks’.

Safeguarding checks

The Homes for Ukraine Scheme was set up to support Ukrainians to move to the UK to live with members of the UK public. When a child is sponsored by a parent (or legal guardian) in the UK, council are still asked to carry out an accommodation suitability check and an in-person welfare visit, after the child arrives in the UK.

Councils should not carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on a parent (or legal guardian) who is sponsoring their child. If there is a third party (aged over 16) living in the household, the council should check that the relevant DBS check is already in place in respect of that individual, and if not, bring this up to date.

For further information about Homes for Ukraine checks, see the guidance on local council checks (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-council-checks-homes-for-ukraine).

If a child is not issued a visa under the Homes for Ukraine because their sponsor has not been approved, then the child may be granted Leave outside the Immigration Rules if there are compassionate and compelling circumstances. This is a decision for the Home Office. Further information about claiming arrivals tariff for these children is set out below.

Funding

The government provides funding to councils at a rate of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine Scheme arrival.

If a child applies to be sponsored by a parent (or legal guardian) under Homes for Ukraine but is subsequently granted Leave outside the Immigration Rules, the council can claim the £5,900 arrivals tariff.

Further information about Homes for Ukraine funding can be found in the funding guidance for councils (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-for-councils-homes-for-ukraine) and grant determination letters (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homes-for-ukraine-funding).

Parents (or legal guardians) who ‘sponsor’ their children are not eligible for monthly ‘thank you’ payments. This is in line with the policy introduced on 1 October 2024, which means that thank you payments should not be issued where the guest and sponsor/host are in a close family relationship.