Monday 28 February 2022
The States of Guernsey has outlined support available for Ukrainian nationals with family links to the island.
Any Ukrainian national who ordinarily lives in Ukraine and is an extended family member of a locally-qualified British citizen can now apply for a visa free of charge and come to the island.
Any Ukrainian national who has settled status in the Bailiwick can access the same offer for their extended family living in Ukraine. Extended family means parents, grandparents, adult children, siblings and immediate family members (spouse and dependent children).
In taking these steps, the Guernsey Border Agency has aligned with the developing UK immigration policy as a direct result of the situation in Ukraine. This policy is rapidly developing and further announcements will be made in the days ahead. The GBA is working with the UK to ensure any visa applications from Ukraine are processed expediently.
Ukrainian nationals, ordinarily resident in Ukraine, can apply for a free visa at one of the visa application posts that have been urgently set up in the surrounding countries.
Under this new policy, visas can be applied for by:
- Ukrainians ordinarily resident in Ukraine who are extended family of locally-qualified British citizens living in Ukraine.
- Ukrainian nationals ordinarily resident in Ukraine who are the extended family of Ukrainian nationals who have settled status in the Bailiwick and want to join them in the island.
If a Ukrainian national is already in the island but their visa is due to expire, they are encouraged to contact the Immigration Team of the Guernsey Border Agency by emailing immigration@gba.gov.gg to discuss options.
In addition, any extended family member covered by this visa arrangement may require a Population Management Permit to stay and/or work in Guernsey. Those individuals are asked to email the Population Management Office at population@gov.gg with details of their full name, date of birth and the name of the family member they will be staying with during their time in Guernsey.
For general advice on events unfolding in Ukraine, people can email externalrelations@gov.gg.
Separately, the States of Guernsey continues to prepare for the possibility that the situation in Ukraine could impact the island's cyber security. While there remains no identified cyber-attack threat at the moment, it is very important that all islanders remain vigilant. Everyone needs to be aware of the potential risks that phishing emails and suspicious requests for personal data could materialise.
Sanctions against named Russian companies and individuals remain in place. Guernsey follows the UK Government's sanctions regime and UK foreign policy, and will continue to do so. Regulated companies are informed directly when new sanctions are imposed.
