+44(0)2081445588 / +44(0)7535959450
info@LSLegaLUK.com liliya_scott

LS Legal News Bulletin

What happens after your three years’ leave and other FAQs if you are on one of the Ukrainian Schemes

What happens after your three years' leave and other FAQs if you are on one of the Ukrainian Schemes

Friday 9th December 2022

We have recently received many enquiries from the clients like you who arrived in the UK on one of the Ukrainian Schemes. Many of you wonder what happens after your three years' leave and how you can plan and better prepare for a long-term future in the UK for yourself and your family.

We have prepared a small digest on how we can assist you in planning your further stay in the UK.

What happens after your three years' leave?

According to the current laws, your right to stay in the UK is limited. If your goal is to settle in the UK as soon as possible and eventually apply for British citizenship, consider switching to another visa category sooner rather than later. Please seek professional advice before you do so, as some visa categories lead to settlement, but others do not. We have extensive experience helping with the following visas that lead to settlement in the UK: Skilled Worker, Innovator, Global Talent and Exceptional Promise, Scale-Up and others.

If you apply to switch to another visa just before your current visa expires, and that category does not lead to settlement (for example, a Student visa), you may be able to settle in the UK after spending 10 years legally on various visas (also called Long Residence). Provided your new visa is granted, you may combine your stay on your Ukraine Scheme visa with the subsequent visas to apply for your settlement. This means you would need to stay in the UK legally for seven more years before you can apply to settle.

Please feel free to reach out if you consider staying in the UK beyond three years, as there might be an immigration category that will allow you to qualify for ILR sooner.

Am I a tax resident in the UK?

If you are employed in the UK, the tax you pay will usually be taken out of your salary automatically. If you are self-employed, you may need to register for Self-Assessment and send a tax return each year.

Our accountant at our sister company, LS Financial Group, will be able to advise you on your circumstances and whether you pay the correct rate of tax.

There are other reasons you might need to send a tax return, for example, if you have income outside the UK. If you also have income in Ukraine, you might get double-taxed in the UK and Ukraine for income that only needs to be taxed once. If this happens, you will usually be able to claim 'double-taxation relief'. We have experienced Accountants, Tax Advisors and Trust Specialists who can answer all your questions on tax matters in the UK: Double-taxation, Tax Planning, Business Tax, and Self-Employment.

Action plan for the future

Our diverse team can also support you in other legal areas falling beyond Immigration Law.

If you plan or have set up your business in the UK, our Corporate & Commercial team can cover all legal aspects of business set-up, shareholders agreements, business structures, GDPR and data protection. We can review your Employment and business contracts. Our Accounting department can take care of your bookkeeping, financial statements, tax calculations and other HMRC and Companies House documents. If you plan to relocate foreign workers to join your company as employees, our Immigration team is always there for you.

If you are getting married, starting cohabiting, or your relationships have unfortunately ended, our friendly and supportive Family Law team can provide guidance on pre-nuptial agreements, divorce procedures, financial settlement, and child arrangements.

If you have a contract dispute or have been treated unfairly, our Civil Litigation team will guide you on all the steps you can take within the UK legal system to resolve and protect your interests.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can help with any questions.