UK refugee sponsorship opens for Afghans living in Pakistan
Community groups, universities and employers can sponsor UNHCR-verified refugees hosted in Pakistan and six other countries; Pakistani nationals at home remain ineligible.
Britain has launched three sponsorship routes—Community Sponsorship, Refugee Study and Refugee Work—covering refugees hosted in Pakistan and six other countries.
Only UNHCR-verified refugees who fled their own country and registered in a listed host country before 1 October 2026 can apply; Pakistani citizens living in Pakistan cannot.
Afghans, Rohingya and other Myanmar refugees in Pakistan may qualify if they meet the rules.
Community Sponsorship and Refugee Study applications for sponsors are open; Refugee Work is due in spring 2027, with first arrivals expected in autumn 2027.
Successful applicants get five years’ leave, with work, study and benefits rights, and a path towards permanent settlement that is still being detailed.