The Czech Republic has made changes to the rules for extending temporary protection for refugees who hold long-term visas to Canada or the United Kingdom. Find out more about what has changed and what the conditions for extending protection are now

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The Czech Republic has amended the conditions for the extension of temporary protection for refugees, in particular for those who hold long-term visas to Canada or the United Kingdom. According to the new rules, these visas will not automatically prevent a person from obtaining or extending protection if they have not used them to travel.

Main changes to the conditions for extending protection in the Czech Republic

Previously, holders of long-term visas to other countries, such as Canada or the United Kingdom, could not obtain or extend temporary protection in the Czech Republic. This included Canadian W1 visas issued after February 10, 2023, as well as all visas under the UK's Ukraine Scheme program. However, these restrictions have now been changed, proukrainu.blesk.cz reports.

New conditions for holders of Canadian and British visas in the Czech Republic

According to the updated rules, holding visas to Canada or the UK will not be an obstacle to extending temporary protection in the Czech Republic, as long as these visas were not used for actual travel to the respective countries. For example:

• Canadian W1 visas issued after February 10, 2023 will not prevent the extension of protection if the person has not traveled to Canada. Stamps in the passport will be used to confirm the fact of travel.

• Canadian V1 visas are also not an obstacle to extending protection if they were not used to enter Canada.

A British visa of the Ukraine Scheme category will be an obstacle to the extension of temporary protection only if the person used it to travel to the UK.
A UK visitor visa for up to 6 months does not affect the right to extend temporary protection in the Czech Republic.

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Special cases and other countries

As for other countries, the same rules apply to long-term visas. If the visa was used to enter another country, it may become an obstacle to obtaining or extending temporary protection in the Czech Republic. However, the US program “Uniting for Ukraine” does not affect the possibility of extending temporary protection.

Re-applying for temporary protection

If temporary protection was previously revoked due to a Canadian visa, a person has the right to submit a new application for temporary protection. However, it will no longer be possible to extend temporary protection again.

Thus, the updated rules greatly simplify the procedure for Ukrainian refugees who have long-term visas to other countries but have not used them to travel.

Do you need help with visa application or extension of temporary protection? Visit Ukraine 's lawyers are a team of professionals who will help you resolve all visa issues quickly and without unnecessary hassle. We provide consultations, support documents and guarantee an individual approach to each client. Entrust your visa case to experts and be sure of the result! You can do it in a few clicks by following the link.

We remind you! Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, a large number of Ukrainians have chosen Sweden as a new place of permanent residence. This is due to the high standard of living, stable economy and decent salaries. Read more about the peculiarities of moving to Sweden in 2024 for Ukrainians in our previous article.

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

Ihor Usyk is the Head of Legal Department at Visit Ukraine

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