Refugee Sponsorship Routes to the UK
The UK Government has announced new sponsorship pathways that will enable refugees from specified countries to come to the UK. These schemes have been developed and are being implemented by the UK government.
Under the named sponsorship route, community groups and organisations will be able to sponsor eligible refugees to come to the UK. The refugee study route will enable participating universities and higher education institutions to sponsor refugee students. A further refugee work route will allow employers to sponsor refugees for employment opportunities.
For further information, including eligibility criteria and application processes, please visit the UK Government website: Refugee sponsorship routes – GOV.UK.
The first arrivals under the named sponsorship and study routes are expected from autumn 2027. Applications for the work route are expected to open in spring 2027, with arrivals anticipated later that year. Further details will be provided by the UK government in due course.
UNHCR’s role in the schemes is limited to the verification of refugee status of those persons for whom a sponsorship application is submitted to the UK government.
UNHCR does not have a role in the identification or referral of refugees under these schemes and is not involved in decisions regarding sponsorship applications, which will be made by the UK government. As a result, UNHCR is unable to respond to enquiries about UK sponsor eligibility, referrals and status of applications.
FAQs
Individuals will not be able to apply directly for these new routes. Instead, sponsors (community groups, universities and employers) will identify individuals they wish to sponsor, with lead sponsors referring cases to the Home Office for consideration.
These routes will operate under a lead sponsor framework where organisations will apply to the Home Office to be accredited as lead sponsors. Accredited lead sponsors will act as intermediaries between the Home Office and sponsors. For further information on how to apply to become a lead sponsor, see the UK Government website Apply to be a lead sponsor for refugees.
The Government will set out further details, including sponsor eligibility requirements, in due course.
No. Only refugees present in Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan and Uganda can be considered.
Individuals in these countries must be registered with the relevant authorities or UNHCR before 1 October 2026.
Refugees residing in countries that are not included in the eligible country lists cannot be considered under these schemes, even if they have family members, friends, or prospective sponsors in the UK.
For further information on refugee eligibility requirements, please visit the UK Government website: Named community sponsorship, refugee study and refugee work routes: policy guidance.
No. Only individuals who have been displaced from their home country and are currently residing in Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan or Uganda may be eligible through the new routes, subject to meeting the relevant eligibility requirements.
No. These routes are only eligible to refugees residing outside their country of nationality, or if stateless, their country of former habitual residence.
No. To be considered, individuals must have been registered with the relevant government authority or UNHCR before 1 October 2026 in one of the countries eligible for these routes. For this reason, people should not travel to another country in the hope of becoming eligible.
No. To be considered, individuals must have been registered with the relevant authorities or UNHCR before 1 October 2026 in one of the countries eligible for these routes.
Travelling to an eligible country after this date will not make a person eligible for these routes. For this reason, individuals should not travel to another country in the hope of becoming eligible.
To be eligible for consideration under these routes, individuals must have been registered with the relevant authorities or UNHCR before 1 October 2026 in one of the countries eligible for these schemes. Given that registration arrangements differ between countries, further information will be provided by the UK Government on how this requirement will apply in each country, including where access to registration is limited/not available.
If you are a refugee and have urgent protection concerns, you should contact the UNHCR office in the country where you are currently seeking asylum to find out what assistance or support may be available to you.
However, please note that registration with UNHCR after 1 October 2026, or any support provided by UNHCR after that date, would not make an individual eligible for these schemes. Eligibility is limited to individuals who were registered with UNHCR or the relevant government authority before 1 October 2026.
Yes. Nationality is not restricted under these schemes. Refugees of any nationality may be eligible for consideration, provided they meet the requirements of the relevant route, including being verified by the UNHCR as meeting the definition of a ‘refugee’.
The new refugee sponsorship routes currently provide a 5-year pathway to settlement. Further details will be provided by the UK Government in due course.
For further information, including eligibility criteria and application processes, please visit the UK Government website: Refugee sponsorship routes – GOV.UK
Do not approach UK consular posts aboard, they are unable to provide further information.
UNHCR offices, outside the UK, are also unable to provide further details about the scheme.