UK Residency Visa | Indefinite Leave to Remain

UK Residency Visa also is known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, is an application you will be able to submit after the residency periods has been completed. Click here to complete the assessment, to check whether you can apply for indefinite leave to remain. Call our UK Immigration Lawyers on 0207 237 3388. 

There are strict requirements to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain. These depend on which visa you are on, and for how long you have been resident in the UK. Processing times also vary greatly depending on your visa class. Given the complexity of the different access routes to Indefinite Leave to Remain, and with so much at stake for you and your future, it is important to seek legal advice early on the options open to you for your specific circumstances, to avoid delays and ensure your case is effectively represented to the authorities.

After you have lived legally in the UK for a certain length of time, you may be able to apply for permission to settle here. This is known as 'indefinite leave to remain'. If you are applying to enter the UK as the child of a British citizen or a person who is settled here, we may be able to give you immediate permission to settle here permanently. If you are considering applying for indefinite leave to remain in the future, please note that the Immigration Rules are subject to change. You must meet all the requirements of the Immigration Rules at the time when you make your application for indefinite leave to remain. Most applicants for indefinite leave to remain must show that they have knowledge of language and life in the UK.

What is Indefinite Leave to Remain?

Indefinite Leave to Remain, or Permanent Residence, grant an applicant the right to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions and entitles them to apply for naturalisation. You can apply for indefinite leave to remain if you are under one of the following categories:

1. Partner of a British Citizen or Person settled in the UK visa: after two years for visas issued prior to 9 July 2012, after five or ten years if applied on or after 9 July 2012.

2. Tier 1 visa: after five years.

3. Tier 2 visa: in limited circumstances only, after five years.

4. UK ancestry visa: after five years.

5. Retired Person visa: after five years.

6. EU nationals and dependants: after 5 years.

7. Discretionary Leave to Remain: six years.

8. Long residence: after ten years continuous legal residency in the UK.

9. Returning resident: if settled in the UK prior to departure and returning to the UK within two years of departure, then may be able to apply immediately on return.

Across all visa types, you will need to be free of any unspent convictions.

What will I need to show to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain?

If you are aged between 18 and 64 then as part of your application you will need to:

• Pass the Knowledge of Life in the UK Test.

• Pass a recognised English language test.

What you need to know about Indefinite Leave to Remain

There is no time limit on Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK but it is important to understand that the status can be lost. For example, you should avoid spending periods of more than two years outside the UK as this may lead to the loss of Indefinite Leave to Remain. It may also be revoked if you commit an offence that could lead to you being deported from the UK, or for reasons of national security.

Postal applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain can take up to six months to be processed and completed, during which time you will need to surrender your passport. Appointments are available for a same-day decision, the waiting time for this is between four to six weeks.

Call our UK Immigration Lawyers on 0207 237 3388 to discuss your indefinite leave to remain application.