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The Independent
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Visa schemes in UK leave Ukraine's war refugees in limbo
Lidiia, a 36-year-old Ukrainian refugee, is facing the daunting prospect of returning to her war-torn homeland after rebuilding her life in Britain. Fleeing Ukraine in 2022 with her newborn and toddler, she now fears that the lack of a clear path to permanent residency will force her back next year. "Even if they say there's a ceasefire ... I will have in my mind that in five, six years, (the Russians) are going to be back," she said. "And then my son will have to be a soldier. My daughter might be killed or raped." Lidiia, who requested anonymity to protect her privacy, is among the 218,000 Ukrainians who sought refuge in Britain under special visas since 2022. As her initial visa nears expiration, and with only an 18-month extension on offer, her future remains uncertain. According to a 2024 Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey, nearly 70 per cent of Ukrainians in Britain wish to remain, but without a clear legal status, many may be compelled to seek refuge elsewhere or return to their homeland. With Ukraine urging citizens to come back - it created the Ministry of National Unity last December to facilitate the return of nearly 7 million citizens - and Britain offering no permanent resettlement process, Lidiia feels trapped. She says her children feel more British than Ukrainian and have close bonds with their community in northern England. "I want to stay in the UK, 100 per cent. If the UK doesn't want us to stay, I will go back to Ukraine and just hope that we'll survive. There is no other choice," said the charity worker. 'Give people a choice' Britain has two visa schemes for Ukrainian refugees: one for those with family already in the UK - a route that has now closed - and the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme that allowed Britons to offer accommodation to those fleeing the war. In February this year, the government opened an 18-month Ukrainian Protection Extension visa to those whose initial three-year visas were due to expire this year. But none of these schemes offer the option of staying permanently and the Home Office, or interior ministry, has yet to propose further visa extensions. "Our offer of temporary sanctuary is in line with the Ukrainian government's strong desire for the future return of its citizens, and does not lead to settlement," a Home Office spokesperson said in emailed comments. Ukrainian support charity Opora said Ukrainians should have the choice to resettle in Britain and could help rebuild Ukraine from afar by, for example, sending back remittances. "Ukraine will need people going back to rebuild, of course, but closing off options and thereby forcing people to go back will not build a happy cohort of returnees. So give people a choice," said managing director Stan Beneš. Route to resettlement? In early June, the European Commission proposed extending temporary protection for around 4.26 million Ukrainian refugees in the European Union until March 2027. It also recommended member states start transitioning those who want to stay to other legal statuses, for instance by offering work permits and student visas. Settled, a charity that supports EU citizens and Ukrainians in Britain, urged London to follow suit and increase the duration of the extension visa to 36 months from 18, and also offer resettlement possibilities, as is the case for Afghans and Hong Kongers. "Ukrainians should be given a path to settlement. We have children who have been born and are growing up in the UK. English is their first language," said Yuliia Ismail, an immigration adviser at Settled. She said she had seen an increase in Ukrainians wanting to apply for asylum, despite a record backlog, because if they were successful they would be able to stay indefinitely. In the first quarter of 2025, there were nearly 380 asylum claims by Ukrainians, compared to 570 in all of 2024 and around 100 the year before, according to official data. "This uncertainty pushes people to the asylum system," Ismail said. Stuck in limbo Even with an 18-month visa extension, many Ukrainians are unable secure rental accommodation or work contracts because of uncertainty over their ultimate status, charities say. More than a third of Ukrainians surveyed by the ONS in 2024 said they were looking for work, and only a third said they were working in the same sector as they did in Ukraine. A February report by the British Red Cross said without jobs, many Ukrainians were unable to rent properties and were more than twice as likely to be homeless than the general population. Maria, a 40-year-old single mother from Kyiv living in Scotland, said she could not find teaching work despite retraining to get local qualifications and applying for around 100 jobs. Maria, who also used a pseudonym for privacy, said employers were not interested in hiring Ukrainians for longer-term jobs. "It really distresses me. We cannot buy anything new for our home like a wardrobe, even an extra spoon. What will we do if we need to leave? Everyday life is just unstable. I cannot think about what tomorrow will be," she said.
NDTV
24-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Study In Canada Without A Permit: Who Is Eligible And What Are The Rules
Study In Canada: Canada continues to be a top destination for international education, with around 400,000 Indian students currently enrolled in institutions across the country. Usually, students require a study permit to pursue education in Canada, which involves submitting various key documents and can be a challenging process. However, a recent policy change allows certain individuals to study in Canada without obtaining a study permit. Who Can Study Without A Study Permit? According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), some work permit holders are permitted to continue their education without needing a separate study permit. This is part of a temporary policy introduced in 2023. Specifically, individuals who applied for a work permit on or before June 7, 2023, are eligible for this exemption. This rule remains effective until June 27, 2026. Conditions For Studying Without A Study Permit To qualify under this exemption, applicants must meet certain criteria: Hold a valid work permit. Have applied for the work permit on or before June 7, 2023, with the IRCC receiving the application by that date. If the application for renewal of the work permit was submitted on or before June 7, 2023, and work authorisation has been granted while the extension is processing, the individual can study without a permit. Applicants who submitted work permit applications after June 7, 2023, are not eligible for this policy. Those who applied to extend their work permit before the expiry of the previous permit may continue working under maintained status but do not qualify for the study permit exemption. Duration Of Study Permit Exemption Eligible work permit holders can study without a study permit for as long as their current work permit is valid. They may also continue studying while their extension applications are pending, provided the application was submitted by the qualifying date and has not been rejected. The exemption expires no later than June 27, 2026. Proving Study Permit Exemption To Institutions Work permit holders or applicants for extensions must inform their chosen Designated Learning Institution (DLI) that they do not require a study permit under this policy. To do this, they must present one of the following documents: A valid work permit. An Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) from the IRCC after applying for a work permit extension online. A work authorisation letter issued after applying for the study permit exemption. An IRCC email confirming eligibility under the public policy for study permit exemption. Why Students Want To Study In Canada Continuing education in Canada offers several advantages. After completing a course, students become eligible for a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP), allowing them to work in Canada for two to three years. This Canadian work experience combined with a Canadian degree can significantly enhance prospects of obtaining Permanent Residency (PR) through the Express Entry system.
