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Named Community Sponsorship: What We Know So Far

Named Sponsorship: What We Know So Far

A couple with a young child, holding his father's hand, walks through a bright alleyway. They are smiling and chatting with a gentleman from a Community Sponsorship group.

This page is for anyone who has heard about the UK Government's plans for new "safe and legal routes" or "Named Sponsorship" and wants to know more. We get a lot of enquiries about this, so we've put together what we currently know, what we don't, and where to go for more information.

Citizens UK is no longer delivering Community Sponsorship. We are not able to assess individual cases, sponsor families, hold a waiting list, or connect people with sponsor groups. We've written this page so that you have accurate, useful information even though we can't act on individual enquiries directly.

What is Named Sponsorship?

Named Sponsorship is a new type of safe and legal route to the UK that the Government has been developing. Unlike the existing Community Sponsorship Scheme, where the Home Office allocates a family to an approved sponsor group; Named Sponsorship is intended to let communities, charities, faith groups, universities, or employers choose who they want to sponsor, in a similar way to how Homes for Ukraine worked.

It was first announced by the Government in November 2025, and the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has since set out further detail as part of a planned Immigration and Asylum Bill.

Has it launched yet?

No. As of July 2026, Named Sponsorship is not open, and there is no application process to join.

  • The Immigration and Asylum Bill that would create the scheme has not been published.
  • The detailed eligibility rules have not been set.
  • The Government's current expectation is that applications will not open before autumn 2026 at the earliest.

We will update this page as soon as we know more.

What don't we know yet?

A lot is still undecided, including:

  • Which nationalities or circumstances will be eligible
  • Whether people already known to a sponsor (such as a family member or friend) can be named, and under what conditions
  • How people already registered with UNHCR abroad, or in particular circumstances (for example, Palestinians from Gaza, who fall under UNRWA rather than UNHCR), would be identified and verified
  • What the application process will look like, for both sponsors and the people being sponsored
  • Whether there will be a registration list or way to express interest in advance

We are not able to speculate on these points or offer individual guidance, since the details simply don't exist yet.

I want to sponsor someone I know. What can I do now?We understand many people are reaching out to us because they have a specific person or family in mind, often a relative, friend, or someone they've connected with online, who they hope to sponsor once the scheme opens.There is currently no route to register a specific named individual in advance, and no formal waiting list run by the Government. However, the following organisations are actively organising and preparing communities ahead of the scheme launching, and may be able to help you prepare or connect you with others in a similar position:

I'm in Afghanistan, or I have family connections to AfghanistanNamed Sponsorship is separate from the Afghan resettlement schemes (ARAP and ACRS, now combined into the Afghan Resettlement Programme). These closed to new applications and referrals on 1 July 2025. If you or a family member already had a case accepted before that date, you may still be progressing through that scheme; this page does not cover those routes.Citizens UK previously delivered Communities for Afghans (CfA), a community-sponsorship-style scheme for people already recognised as eligible under the Afghan resettlement schemes. We stepped back from this role in autumn 2025. CfA continues to be delivered by three organisations:

Please note that CfA only supports people already recognised as eligible under the Afghan Resettlement Programme; it does not offer a way to name or select individuals from outside this group.I'm seeking asylum, or want to claim asylum in the UKThis page is about sponsorship and resettlement routes, not asylum claims. The UK does not allow asylum claims to be made from outside the country; this can only be done once you are physically in the UK or at the UK border. If you are already in the UK and wish to claim asylum, you can contact the Home Office's Asylum Registration Appointment Line on 0300 123 4193, or go to a screening location in person if you have nowhere to stay. Migrant Help (migranthelpuk.org) and the Refugee Council (refugeecouncil.org.uk) both offer free, practical support throughout the asylum process. You are entitled to free legal aid; you can find a legal aid adviser at gov.uk/check-legal-aid.

Three women involved in a Sponsor Refugees welcome group are outside a supermarket after some grocery shopping. The woman on the left is smiling and looking to her left, whilst the woman in the middle and on the right are laughing and hugging.

I'd like to offer my home, time, or support to refugees

Thank you — this kind of generosity is exactly what makes community sponsorship work. We're not able to coordinate this directly any more, but you can:

  • Contact one of the Afghan resettlement organisations above, if you'd like to support an Afghan family
  • Contact the International Rescue Committee (rescue.org/uk/community-sponsorship-training), the national training and capacity-building organisation for the existing Community Sponsorship Scheme, if you'd like to explore forming or joining a group under the current scheme
  • Follow the Community Sponsorship Alliance for updates on Named Sponsorship

Where can I get general advice about my situation?

We are not able to provide immigration or legal advice. If you need advice about your individual circumstances:

Stay informed

We'd encourage you to follow the Community Sponsorship Alliance and Communities for Palestinians UK (if relevant to your situation) for updates, rather than contacting us directly, as we won't be able to offer more than what's set out on this page until the scheme is formally launched.

This page reflects our understanding as of July 2026. We're sorry we're not able to respond individually to enquiries about Named Sponsorship at this time.

Around 40 primary school children from St Antony's Catholic Primary school stand singing outside in Parliament Square in a semi circle. In front of them is a teacher conductor and a crowd watching. Some of the children are holding up big love heart signs.

Our migrant communities and citizenship work

Up and down the country, there are people living in our communities who have migrated to the UK and made this country their home.

Yet for many, it will be more than a decade of limbo, spending tens of thousands of pounds and living with constant stress before they can have permanent residency or access to citizenship.

Learn more