Around 300 Ukrainian people who have sought refuge in Swindon will be supported by the borough council to extend their visas.
The council's announcement followed one by the Government, and means residents who fled the war in Ukraine when war broke out two years ago will be able to begin applications extend their visas through the Ukrainian Permission Extension (UPE) visa scheme.
The council’s Warm Welcome team will be contacting known residents who may be eligible to support them to extend their stay.
A council spokesperson said: "These visa extensions will grant Ukrainians a further 18 months stay in the UK, but they must apply within the 28-day window of their current visa expiring.
"The Warm Welcome Team will be readily available to offer help and support to residents throughout this application process.
"Since the war broke out, the team has provided support to all Ukrainian arrivals in Swindon under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. All arrivals are allocated a caseworker who provides one-to-one support to help with their transition into life within the Borough."
For households where residents are still in accommodation with hosts, ‘Thank You’ payments will also continue when visas are extended.
However, these payments will drop from £500 to £350 for all hosts in April.
The council’s Warm Welcome team will be contacting known residents who may be eligible to support them to extend their stay.
A council spokesperson said: "These visa extensions will grant Ukrainians a further 18 months stay in the UK, but they must apply within the 28-day window of their current visa expiring.
"The Warm Welcome Team will be readily available to offer help and support to residents throughout this application process.
"Since the war broke out, the team has provided support to all Ukrainian arrivals in Swindon under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. All arrivals are allocated a caseworker who provides one-to-one support to help with their transition into life within the Borough."
For households where residents are still in accommodation with hosts, ‘Thank You’ payments will also continue when visas are extended.
However, these payments will drop from £500 to £350 for all hosts in April.
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