At lunchtime, the UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, announced that the scheme was being widened to include parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings.
This evening, the States released a brief statement confirming that the changes would apply in Guernsey to “extended family members” as well as “immediate family members”. The visa scheme otherwise remains as initially announced.
Earlier in the day, Jersey’s External Relations Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, told his island’s States’ Assembly that the changes would be introduced in Jersey, although he said that personally he would like the UK to go further still.
Senator Gorst said: “This lunchtime, the UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has widened UK visa eligibility for people wishing to join family members.
“It will now include adult parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings – in addition to the immediate family members who had previously been eligible.”
Pictured: This afternoon, Jersey’s External Relations Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, confirmed that the changes announced to the UK’s visa scheme would be mirrored in Jersey and this evening the States of Guernsey made effectively the same announcement.
“A new visa sponsor route will also be created to let British businesses bring Ukrainians to the UK,” said Senator Gorst.
“I’m pleased to announce that Jersey will mirror these changes.
“We are maintaining ongoing discussions with the UK Home Office and look at the best ways to assist these families.
“There is an existing immigration route to enable Ukrainian nationals who are the immediate family members of British nationals to come to Jersey, but we are examining further options to assist these families.”
Senator Gorst also said that in his opinion the qualifying criteria for the new fast-track visa scheme “remains too narrow” even with the changes announced by the Home Secretary.
However, he added: “It’s far easier for me to stand in this place to say that because we have few Ukrainian nationals – we have probably less than 50. Therefore, a broadening for them to bring family members and cast the family definition wider is something I believe islanders will support.”