Applying For Indefinite Leave
To Remain? We Promise

Indefinite leave to remain – or ‘settlement’ – gives non-British citizens the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as they like.

If you are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you can apply for the free EU Settlement Scheme. You must have started living in the UK before 1st January 2021. If eligible, this means you would not need to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

To apply for indefinite leave to remain, you typically need to have spent a minimum of 5 years in the UK. Some of the visas that require 5 years include Family or Skilled Worker visas.

There are some circumstances where you require less than 5 years of UK residence to apply for indefinite leave to remain. For example, an Innovator visa will allow you to be eligible after 3 years.

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain 28 days before you become eligible. 

To apply for indefinite leave to remain, you must apply online.

When applying, you’ll need to provide the following:

• Your current visa
• A valid passport
• Proof of any absences from the UK
• (For workers) proof from your employer that you meet the minimum income requirements
• Proof that you have the required knowledge of English and passed the Life in the UK test

In some cases, you may need to provide other documents. Some examples include a criminal record certificate or tuberculosis test results. These other documents will depend entirely on other factors, like which country you are coming from and who with.

You must pay an application fee of £2,404 when applying for indefinite leave to remain. You will need to pay an additional fee of £50 per dependant that is applying with you (i.e. your spouse, children etc.)

When applying, you will need to have your biometric information taken (i.e fingerprints and photo). You will not be charged for this.

Typically, a standard indefinite leave to remain application will take around 6 months to process.

However, the Home Office may require more time to process the application if:

• Documents need to be verified
• They need to interview you
• Personal circumstances complicate the process (e.g. criminal convictions)

You can pay an additional fee of either £500 or £800 for priority and super priority processing respectively. This will speed up your application.

There are a number of reasons why your application may have been refused. This could be due to:

• The application form being incomplete or invalid
• Fee payments not made
• Your criminal or immigration history invalidated your application

If your application was refused, you may apply for an administrative review of the Home Office’s decision. You have up to 28 days to file this request if outside the UK or, alternatively, 14 days if within the UK. If this is refused, you can submit a judicial review to further this.

We highly recommend consulting an experienced immigration solicitor if your application is denied. We can help explore other options or assist in submitting forms to question why your appeal was refused. This can save you time and expenses in the long term, purely by letting our solicitors do the work for you.