Settlement in the UK

Applicants who have lived in the UK legally for a certain length of time, may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (“ILR”) in the UK (i.e. settle in the UK). Once you have indefinite leave to remain you have the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like.

Once you have been settled in the UK for a certain amount of time, which varies according to your circumstances, you can apply for British citizenship. There are different ways to apply for indefinite leave to remain according to your circumstances.

Once you have continued to live in the UK for 12 months after receiving indefinite leave to remain, you may qualify for British citizenship.

This visa is for individuals who have previously been permanent residents in the UK and wish to return as a permanent resident after residing outside of the UK for a period of time losing their right to live and work in the UK. Your ability to apply as a Returning Resident depends on how long you have been living outside of the UK. 

You do not need a Returning Resident visa if you are a member of the British Armed Forces and have been posted overseas, this includes your partner.

If you have been residing permanently in the UK legally for 10 consecutive years – known as long residence, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). 

There is specific criteria that needs to be met in order to qualify for long residence ILR. It can lead to British citizenship.

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) if you either: have a visa on the basis of your private life, or you were born in the UK and have lived in the UK continuously until the age of 7 (at a minimum). 

You can confirm your eligibility for this. It does lead to British citizenship.

Most of the visa , settlement routes and citizenship applications can be done by yourself. However, most of these applications can be complex, based on your situation, and more often than not, the fees involved in the application will not be refunded if your application is not successful. 

We recommend using an Immigration Lawyer as it significantly reduces the risk of your application being rejected due to our experience and knowledge in Immigration Law. We have had numerous clients who had first attempted it themselves, failed, lost all of the fees and now have to pay it again as well as paying for lawyers to ensure it is done correctly. 

Our fees depend on the the visa or route you want to pursue and how complex your situation is. Get in touch with us to discuss your situation further and we will give you an obligation-free quote. 

Yes! We know each person is at different parts of their immigration journey and you want to speak to someone before committing to paying fees. We offer a 10-minute free initial conversation where we can help you determine your best course of action. We can also advise on fees and cost after this call. 

We offer a free 10-minute consultation. We will happily chat through your situation with you to help you determine your eligibility for the variuous routes. Get in touch for your 10-minute chat and obligation-free quote. 

We are able to help you regardless of where you are on your application journey. If you have already applied, we will need as much information as we can get from you in order to best assist going forward. 

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is the formal term for settlement. They are the same thing and the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Using an Immigration Lawyer does not stand you in better stead in the eyes of Home Office, however, using an Immigration Lawyer does result in a better quality application that is correctly filled out and has the correct documents attached. This gives less space for error and increases the chances of the application being successful. This is particularly true in complex cases.