The right to live, work and study in the United Kingdom without restriction is called Indefinite leave to remain or settlement. You are allowed to enter and leave the UK at any time. You also can spend up to 2 years in a row outside the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man without losing your status. You may be eligible to apply for British citizenship within a further qualifying period.
There are different ways to apply for indefinite leave to remain based on your circumstances and your previous visa type.
All settlement criteria depend on your visa type. Your visa category sets the obligatory residence period. In order to apply for the settled status you need to prove your knowledge of the English language (B1 or higher) and pass the Life in the UK test. You will be also required to provide the salary or financial statements.
You can apply for a settled status:
The processing time is usually 6 months. Application fee is £2,404.
You can apply for ILR if you have a partner, parent or child or other relative settled in the UK, if they are a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain. The terms and requirements of your Settlement application depends on the type of your current visa and your partner’s type of settlement in the UK: obligatory residence period, salary or financial statements, supporting documents. In order to apply for the settled status you need to prove your knowledge of the English language (B1 or higher) and pass the Life in the UK test.
You can apply as:
The processing time is usually 6 months. Application fee is £2,404.
You can able to apply based on your private if you have been living in the UK for 10 years or more. You can apply for this route starting June 2022. The application fee is £2,404.
UK Ancestry visa also allows you to apply for a settled status after 5 years of living in the UK.
Besides, some Commonwealth citizens have rights to live or work in the UK without immigration restrictions, depending on the country of origin.
In order for people to adapt to the Brexit and new rules eliminating freedom of movement between the UK and the EU, the British government devise a special route for EU, EEA or Swiss citizens residing on the British Isles. The immigration rules enabled them to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme before 30 June 2021. The scheme preserved all their rights and freedoms, which they enjoyed before. After 12 months, you can apply for British citizenship.
The EU Settlement Scheme issued the EU applicant either the settled or pre-settled status. The settled status means the indefinite leave to remain and the pre-settled requires you to spend 5 continuous years in the UK. If you have been granted pre-settled, you need to apply for settled status once you’re eligible before your pre-settled status expires.
Would you like to learn more about this visa or find out which UK immigration route best suits your needs? Speak to us at +44 (0) 020 808 73583 or fill out our Quick Consultation form.
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