Permanent Residence

You will be eligible for permanent residence in the UK (Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR) after:

  • 5 years as a spouse or partner of a British or EU citizen
  • 5 years of residence in the UK in all professional immigration categories (read more below)
  • 10 years of legal long residence in the UK
  • 20 years of illegal + 10 years of legal long residence in the UK
  • Usually 10 years or 5 years for those who have lived half of their life in the UK, subject to a number of immigration conditions

The table below provides complete information on the timing of obtaining permanent residence (ILR) in the UK for various immigration categories, as well as the possibility of summing up the time spent in various visa categories in relation to the deadlines for applying for ILR, and the need to take the Life in the UK test and the English language test from the list of approved tests.

A. Table on the terms of obtaining permanent residence

     

Immigration Category

Required period of stay in the UK

Categories that can be combined to complete the required qualifying period

English Language Test and Life in the UK

1

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)

3 or 5 years (depending on business generated)

None

Yes

2

Tier 1 (Investor)

2,3 or 5 years (depending on amount invested)

None

Yes

3

Skilled Worker Visa (formerly known as Tier 2);

Ministers of Religion;

Sportsperson;

Health and Care Worker Visa

5 years

Member of Operational ground staff of overseas owned Airlines, Minister of Religion, Sportsperson, Health and Care Worker Visa, Representative of Overseas Newspaper etc.,  Tier  1 & Skilled Worker Visa (formerly known as Tier 2)

Yes

4

Innovator

3 or 5 years (depending on business generated)

None

Yes

5

Global Talent Visa

After 3 or 5 years, depending on the endorsement path you are applying for

None

Yes

6

Airport based operation ground staff  of overseas owned Airlines

5 years

None

Yes

7

Representatives of Overseas newspapers, News Agencies etc.

5 years

None

Yes

8

Sole Representatives

5 years

None

Yes

9

Overseas Govt. Employees

5 years

None

Yes

10

EEA nationals and their family members

5 years

None

No

11

Long Residence – legal

10 Years

All visas, excluding time spent as a visitor, short-term student or on the seasonal worker routes.

The applicant must also have had permission on their current immigration route (for example, Skilled Worker visa, Student visa, Spouse visa, etc.) for at least 12 months on the date of application or have been exempt from immigration control within the 12 months immediately before the date of application. This requirement does not apply where the applicant’s current permission was granted before 11 April 2024.

Unexpected news of 08 July 2024 - violation of the basic principle of law

The limits of absences are the following:

  • any single absences started before 11 April 2024 must be no longer than 184 days
  • a 10-year period completed before 11 April 2024 must not have total absences of more than 548 days
  • from 11 April 2024 the applicant must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period

Yes

12

Long Residence – Illegal

20 Years + 10 years legal residence

None

Yes

13

Ancestry Visa

5 years

None

Yes

14

Refugee

5 Years

None

No

15

Discretionary Leave to remain

10 Years

None

No

16

Humanitarian Protection

5 Years

None

No

17

Spouses of persons present and settled in the UK

5 Years

None

Yes

18

Unmarried partners of persons present and settled in the UK

5 Years

None

Yes

19

Victim of Domestic Violence (Spouses / Unmarried partners of settled persons only)

No time limits  mentioned

None

No

20

Bereaved Partners (Spouses / unmarried partners of settled persons only)

No time limits  mentioned

Bereaved Partners (Spouses / unmarried partners of settled persons only)

No

21

Persons having right of access to their child

5 or 10 Years

None

Yes

22

Elderly Dependants

No time limits  mentioned

None

No

23

Those who have lived half of their life in the UK

10 or 5 years (5 years subject to meeting certain requirements)

None

Yes


 

B. Other requirements for obtaining permanent residence on the 10-year long residence

On 11 April 2024, Appendix Long Residence replaced the rules on the long residence which were previously contained in Part 7 (rules 276A-276D) of the Immigration Rules.

The below requirements are applicable to long residence settlement applications made on or after 11 April 2024.

Among the key amendments and clarifications introduced into the Appendix Long Residence are the following:

1. New qualifying period requirements for settlement on the long residence route

No periods of overstaying (disregarded or otherwise) are included in the calculation of the continuous residence for the qualifying period. No periods of exceptional assurance between 1 September 2020 and 28 February 2023 are included in the calculation of the continuous residence for the qualifying period. 

However, any extensions of leave granted under the Coronavirus extension concession and the following grace period (covering 24 January to 31 August 2020) count toward the qualifying period requirement. 

Even though they form part of the common travel area, time with permission spent in the Republic of Ireland or the Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) does not count in the calculation of the qualifying period for the purposes of long residence.

2. New requirement about 12-month validity of permission on the current immigration route

The applicant must also have had permission on their current immigration route (for example, Skilled Worker visa, Student visa, Spouse visa, etc.) for at least 12 months on the date of application or have been exempt from immigration control within the 12 months immediately before the date of application. This requirement does not apply where the applicant’s current permission was granted before 11 April 2024.

3. Time spent in the UK with a right to reside under EEA regulations

Sufficient evidence must be provided to demonstrate that the applicant has been exercising treaty rights throughout any period that they are seeking to rely on for the purposes of meeting the long residence rules.

4. Time spent in the UK as a British citizen

Time spent in the UK as a British citizen must be counted in the qualifying period. People may have spent time in the UK as a British citizen and since renounced their British citizenship. This time spent as a British citizen in the UK would still count in the qualifying period for 10-year long residence applications.

5. Time spent in the UK whilst exempt from immigration control

Time spent in the UK exempt from immigration control must be counted in the qualifying period. People exempt from immigration control include diplomats and members of the armed forces.

6. Limits of absences to qualify under the long residence route

The limits of absences are the following:

  • any single absences started before 11 April 2024 must be no longer than 184 days
  • a 10-year period completed before 11 April 2024 must not have total absences of more than 548 days - for 10-year periods which extend beyond 11 April 2024, there is no 548-day limit
  • from 11 April 2024 the applicant must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period

 

Our services

  • Preparation and submission of applications for permanent residence based on any immigration visa categories
  • Consulting on the application procedure
  • Appealing against the decision of the Home Office in case of refusal

Prices for Permanent Residence visa

Initial consultation (45 min.)

(the cost is deducted from the cost of further purchased services of the company)

£ 150

Second consultation (15 min.)

free of charge

Case's Review

starting at £550

Enquiry to Home Office

£ 550

ILR- main applicant

starting at £ 1500

Still have questions?

Contact us