Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or permanent residency (PR) is an immigration status settled for a person who does not possess the right of residence in the UK, but who has been admitted to the UK without any time limit on his or her stay, and who is free to take up employment or study without any boundaries. When indefinite leave is approved to persons outside the UK it is also known as indefinite leave to enter (ILE). Our immigration solicitors in London can offer suitable guidance and legal assistance if you want to obtain a permanent residence in the UK or British citizenship.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Who can apply for a permanent residence in UK? |
– self-employed, – job seekers, – students, – workers, – self-sufficient persons living in UK for at least 5 years |
|
Benefits of permanent residence in UK |
– the right to remain in UK, – family can join you in the UK, – healthcare aid, – social security benefits etc. |
|
Requirements for permanent residency in UK |
Those interested must have valid visa for 5 years and want to stay, are married to a UK citizen and expect to remain in the country, etc. |
| Documents required for pemanent residence in UK |
– current pay slips, – bank account statements, – address proof, – council tax letters, – appointment letter from employer, etc. |
| Permanent residence permit validity |
Indefinite |
| Individual application cost |
GBP2,389 |
| Proof of finances |
– at least £18,600 a year in case of no dependents, – at least £22,400 a year in case of one dependent child, – extra £2,400 a year for each child above the limit of one |
| Application processing period for permanent residence in UK |
Up to 6 months |
| Who deals with PR application? | The UK Home Office Visas and Immigration Service |
| Minimum temporary residence before applying for permanent residence |
You are not obliged to stay for full 5 years or have lived in the UK for the 5 years prior to applying for PR. |
| Citizenship after permanent residence |
After 1 year of acquiring PR |
| Naturalization after permanent residence |
After five years of acquiring PR in the UK |
| Is “Life in UK” test mandatory? (Yes/No |
Yes |
| Is knowledge of English language necessary? (Yes/No) | Yes |
| Dual citizenship permitted (Yes/No) | Yes |
Table of Contents
Important conditions for permanent residence
Owners of ILR may apply for British citizenship if they have detained ILR for 12 months or longer, are over 18 years and have been living in the country for the last 5 years. There are a few conditions for naturalization and the candidate must:
- be at least 18 years of age or over;
- be of good integrity;
- propose to continue living in the UK, or to continue in Crown service, the service of a worldwide organization of which the UK is an affiliate;
- be capable of speaking in English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic to an acceptable degree;
- have enough knowledge of life in the UK;
- meet the residential conditions.
If you are in UK on a Turkish business person visa, you can apply for ILR. Each applicant must pay a fee of £2,404. Our UK immigration lawyer can explain the requirements in this matter. There are some important permanent resident in UK conditions to respect and the candidate must:
- have been a tenant in the UK for at least 5 years (this is called “the residential qualifying period”);
- have been present in the UK 5 years before the date of the application;
- have not spent more than 450 days outside the country during the five-year period;
- have not spent more than 90 days outside the country in the last 12 months of the five-year period;
- have not broken the Immigration Rules at any stage during the five-year period.
People aged over 18, who possess another form of British nationality and employees (with husband, wife, or civil partner) of the Crown, civil service, or elected service outside the UK may instead apply for registration, which is an easier process than naturalization. Those interested in becoming permanent residents in UK can talk to our advisors. Also, they can explore the following infographic:
Documents requested for PR
The application for Permanent Resident in UK involves the preparation of documents, such as:
- A specific form provided by the authorities.
- A valid passport.
- The national identity card.
- 2 passport-sizes photos.
- Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate, if the application also comprises another person.
It is important to note that a certified translation must accompany all the documents, if not in the English language. You can talk to our UK immigration lawyer and solicit complete legal advice for document preparation. We can handle the entire application for obtaining the permanent resident in UK status on your behalf. Interested in British citizenship? Please talk to our London immigration lawyer. A perpetual residency permit in the UK is another name for indefinite leave to remain. You can be qualified to apply for indefinite permission to remain if you stay in the UK for a specified period. You are no longer subject to any restrictions on your stay in the UK as an ILR holder, and you are free to work, study, and do business at any time. Get in touch with our lawyers if you are interested in applying for residency in UK.
The EU Settlement Scheme
In order to continue living in UK as a permanent resident in UK after the 30th of June, 2021, citizens from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland can apply for the Settlement Scheme. In the case of Irish citizens, these can continue to stay in UK without entering this system or if they have the indefinite leave to remain status. Citizens from Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein can apply to the Settlement Scheme, as countries part of the European Union. At the time of application for permanent resident in UK, the personal documents, plus proof of the residence in UK are required. It is important to note that the pre-settled status cannot be obtained by citizens who did not live in the UK for at least 5 years. Please feel free to address your inquiries to one of our immigration solicitors in London and ask for complete legal advice. They can help you obtain a residence permit in UK.
If you want to invest in the UK, you are recommended to seek legal advice to understand your migration options. This is to ensure that your application satisfies the increasingly stringent regulations and to avoid any delays with your application. If you are interested to apply for an investor visa in UK, the services of our lawyers are at your disposal.
Apply to stay in UK as a stateless citizen
Stateless persons who cannot live permanently in a country or who are not recognized as a citizen of any state can apply to stay in UK. This means that stateless persons must currently live in the UK in order to apply. There are also other delicate cases where refugee persons are looking for a home. These persons can claim asylum in UK. We remind that the United Kingdom sustains human rights and it is involved in many organizations and programs to provide the necessary support for refugees and stateless persons. If you find yourself in this difficult position, please feel free to ask for legal advice from our UK immigration lawyer. The same legal support will be provided to family members who live outside UK who have the same status. Besides helping you with obtaining permanent residence in UK, the services of our lawyers are also at your disposal in other matters. For instance, if you are planning to apply for UK citizenship, our lawyers can offer you comprehensive information about the possible options and procedures. If you are a spouse of a British citizen and are interested in applying for citizenship, you are required to meet certain requirements. You must have lived in UK for 3 years before applying for citizenship, and have no previous serious criminal convictions.
What happens if my application for residence in UK is rejected?
If you do not meet the entire criteria at the time the permanent resident in UK application is made, the authorities have the option of rejecting such incomplete applications. Yet, if you solicit the assistance and the legal support of an experienced immigration lawyer in London, you have lots of chances for success. In the case of rejected applications, the first thing to do is to get in touch with our advisors and let them analyze your case step by step. It is best to ask for legal support right away because there are cases in which the eligibility criteria might not be fully understood.
How to apply for a UK residence card
Swiss citizens and persons outside the EEA must apply for a residence card for UK. Work benefits and the possibility of re-entering UK are possible with the help of the UK residence card and the permanent resident in UK status. However, it is important to note that the residence card will have validity until 31st of December 2020, after this date, the citizens having the obligation of applying for the EU Settlement Scheme. Complete legal advice can be provided by one of our immigration solicitors in London. A residency permit is required if you want to stay in the UK for more than six months at a time. An immigration license known as a resident permit enables foreigners to enter the nation to live, work, and settle there. If you are planning to apply for residency in UK, get in touch with lawyers. They can practically assist you in the whole application process.
The benefits of permanent residence in the UK
Unlike people with Limited Leave to Remain (LTR) in the UK, PR owners do have access to public funds. The phrasing “No recourse to public funds” is not written on PR holders’ visas. They have the possibility to claim job seekers grants and other remunerations that are frequently only available to British, EU, and EEA citizens. However, if an ILR holder spends more than two years continuously outside the UK, the right to permanent residency may lapse. If you need more details about the permanent resident in UK application, and about residence permit in UK, feel free to talk to our team of immigration lawyers in London.
Why live in the UK
The UK offers a multitude of advantages and possibilities for all categories of citizens. The large, multicultural, and ethnic communities, the prestigious colleges and universities, the numerous job offers in most of the sectors of interest, and having one of the best health care systems in the world place the UK among the preferences of foreign citizens looking for better living conditions. London is one of the most important financial and business centers within the EU countries, so international entrepreneurs and investors can thrive through their companies and activities in UK. We have gathered information about the immigration in UK, provided by the Office for National Statistics, that you might find it interesting:
- About 270,000 citizens entered UK, intending to live in the country for at least one year, from December 2018 – December 2019.
- About 677,000 people moved to the UK over the last year.
- Around 407,000 people left UK over the last year.
- Most of the students who came to UK during December 2018- December 2019 came from countries like China and India.
- There were over 230,000 applications for the EU settlement scheme between August 28, 2018 and March 29, 2019.
If you are planning to apply for UK permanent residency in 2023, you should know that the UK has a national healthcare system, the NHS, which provides free or low-cost healthcare to residents. The healthcare system is generally considered to be of high quality and accessible to all. Please feel free to contact our immigration solicitors in London for extra information and guidance, in order to obtain permanent residence in the UK or British citizenship.
Furthermore, if you want help regarding UK immigration, our lawyers can assist you. They can explain to you all types of visas on which you can relocate to this country. With the assistance of our lawyers, you can move to the United Kingdom on a suitable visa. If you also need practical help with your application, you can also consult with our lawyers. They can offer you detailed guidance in this regard.
