Forbes Solicitors offers support for Ukrainian visa schemes

Forbes Solicitors is offering free-of-charge consultations to help people and organisations apply for the UK’s Ukraine visa schemes.

The support is being provided to help people overcome difficulties making applications to the Ukraine Family Scheme visa, as well as offering guidance to UK organisations looking to sponsor Ukrainians to enable them to enter the UK.   

Forbes Solicitors’ team have already had a number of enquiries and are currently supporting four applicants, including one with a baby, with their visa applications on a pro-bono basis.

On Monday 14th March, the government introduced a ‘Homes for Ukraine’ visa scheme, which will match people, charities, businesses, and community groups to Ukrainians who do not have families in the UK. 

Prior to the introduction of this scheme, Ukrainians seeking visas for the UK must have family members who have been living in the UK for more than five years. This can include extended family members.

Forbes Solicitors is hoping to help people and organisations make sense of the fast-changing visa schemes to improve the success of their applications.    

Amy Stokes, head of business immigration at Forbes Solicitors, explains: “The evidence that applicants require for the UK’s Ukrainian visa schemes is not clear cut. The process is also made more confusing and complex because applicants, understandably, don’t always have documents such as passports, birth certificates and marriage certificates. These are easily forgotten when fleeing the war and it’s thought many Ukrainians don’t have current passports.   

“The consultations are a small gesture in the wider scheme of things, but hopefully we can use our experience of immigration law to answer the many questions applicants have about visa eligibility requirements. We’re keen to help applicants to address concerns and enhance, wherever we can, the speed and success of applications.”

As part of the free-of-charge consultations, Forbes Solicitors will be offering guidance sheets and, where appropriate, templates for written correspondence such as emails and letters. 

Amy Stokes concludes: “We’re continuing to look at how visa schemes are changing and how we can help simplify the process for applicants. The consultations are intended to make advice readily accessible and to remove some of the stress and anxiety of meeting eligibility requirements.” 

People and organisations interested in accessing the consultations can email: [email protected]