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 |
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 |
6 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 (ILR)
Additional rules for obtaining permanent residence (ILR) also affect situations where an applicant is involved in the criminal activity.
Namely, if such an applicant is sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 12 months or more, he will not receive permanent residence (ILR) for 15 years after the verdict of the court.
With shorter terms of imprisonment, shorter bans on obtaining ILR are provided.
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