Long Residence ILR UK may apply to people who have lived and worked in the UK for 10 years or longer. If you are such a person and if your family has been residing with you in the UK for all these years, then you could be granted an indefinite leave to remain.
What is Indefinite Leave to Remain
Indefinite Leave to Remain is synonymous with ‘settlement’ means a citizen of a no-UK citizen with complete settlement in the UK. The settled status enables you to go and study in Britain without delivering restrictions, travel to the UK is hence easy, provision of NHS healthcare and government allowances become simple. It also would provide you with British citizenship and the opportunity to apply for a passport.
Am I Eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain status?
There are several ways to acquire long-term residency in the UK, depending on your living situation, work or study status, and the type of visa you apply for. These factors can either limit or help you achieve Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status.
Typically, foreign nationals who live in the UK for 5 years can apply for ILR. Some visas allow you to gain permanent residency after this period, with extensions generally lasting two to three years. For more details on ILR requirements, refer to the official program criteria.
You can travel using your current and previous visas before applying for ILR. However, the process is complex and lengthy, so if multiple visa options apply to your case, it’s recommended to seek expert advice from immigration professionals.
What is Long Residence?
ILR being thereby in a long residence category is the route to permanent residence status in the UK after having spent ten years living in the country.
To be eligible for the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) you have to ascertain that you have spent 10 years in the United Kingdom on the overview category of UK visa or UK visas. Although a UK visa allows you to stay within its territory, the opposite is valid, you are restricted in the outside become more than 180 days within the year. You will be regarded as eligible for settlement outside the UK if your stay is short-term and does not exceed six months.
You can also request for discretion or the right to remain in the UK (long residence), even if you haven’t spent the past 12 months in the UK i.e. in this case, different from gaining ILR 5(Permanent residence) years.
Please note that the only type of ILR that is is granted to the ones who have lived in any of England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. It, however, will be an exception for those who have lived on, the Isle of Man.
Which Visas are Exempt from Qualifying for Long Residence ILR UK?
No special break will be considered to cover short-term student visas, seasonal worker visas, or short-term entry clearance for immigration matters over which you grant the UK ten years. In this respect, the panel shows a community to tolerates people with a different background.
What are the Eligibility Criteria for Long Residence ILR UK?
The applicant must comply with the following criteria:
- A person has been living here or in the UK lawfully/without interruption for the past ten years or more.
- Has to be a legally admitted person with no criminal convictions and has not committed any law of immigration but only a person who overstayed a visa for 28 days or less on November 24, 2016, without receiving any leave to stay in the country.
- No, it is neither considered, nor is it perceived, as a threat to British society.
- Must pass the test in English, Welsh, or Scottish Gaelic regarding proficiency, and British life and culture.
How to Calculate Long Residence ILR UK
Conversely, you must have spent a minimum of 10 out of 10 uninterrupted UK years with the periodic but overall majority of time in that country.
As for each calendar year, totaling ten years, in the UK you can be up to 180 days regularly outside of the UK. However, ‘Leave to Remain’ in this case will only be feasible if you have spent a combined total of only 540 days (up to 18 months) outside the UK for the past 10 years.
One example would be if you had been out of Britain for 180 days in your first year of these ten years, then you could only spend a maximum of 360 days out of the UK for the next 9 years.
When is Continuous Lawful Residence Considered Broken?
If you are not a monarchical traveler or reside for more than six months outside the country or stay in a foreign country for more than 540 days in a decade, then such residence is considered broken.
Failure to leave with valid residence leave in place and not subsequently apply for the appropriate entry authorization within 28 days causes you to break your period of residency.
Compelling or Compassionate Circumstances
Other than circumstances in which the Home Office can exercise discretion in the light of compassion or unavoidable reason, the applicant is allowed not to follow the stated rule. In this case, you will need to develop an understanding of your situation, in case if you can apply for this kind of discretion, it is advisable to use the services of the specialist immigration consultant who will be happy to support you with your application.
What are the English Language Requirements for Long Residence ILR?
One of the primary evidence you are required to provide while seeking an indefinite stay visa is the skill of using the English language to the maximum extent.
You can do this by having:
- An English B1, B2, C1, or C2 diploma (level).
- A degree where it was the language that was being taught or the research that was studied remained the English language.
- You must also take the Life in the UK test and get passed.
Exemptions
You shall drop down the IELTS scores by default if you were born in any of the renowned English-speaking countries.
When Should I Apply for Long Residence?
Naturally, within the 10-year range of uninterrupted lawful stay in the UK, you will be liable for citizenship regardless of your re-emergence in the UK after some time abroad. Consequently, after 10 years of IRA savings accumulation, you can withdraw anytime you want.
One of the first steps you can take is to apply twenty-eight days before your last day of residence is eligible for long residence status. However, If you apply earlier than this 28-day window, your application will be rejected. This has an expiration date that says you should submit your application before your leave end date.
What are the Documents Required to Apply for 10 Years ILR?
These documents are the general requirements considered crucial for a successful Visa application, however, they may vary based on your circumstances.
You will need:
- It is important to make these documents strong and sound as they play a role in confirming the identity during the process and ease the verification process.
- A biometric residence permit
- Two valid and recent passport photos
- Police registration certificate
- Please submit your other passports and travel documents issued within the last 10 years, both expired ones and current, if you have got any of them, (these can be used too to work out the total amount of leave).
- It is worth noting that you should prepare the translated copies of the documents that are not in English or Welsh languages if you submitted the specific documents that are not in any of these two languages.
How Do I Get a Biometric Residence Permit?
- If you require a relevant visa or certain immigration permissions, biometric information is needed, thereby necessitating the application for a biometric residence permit (BRP).
- You will not need to file for a BRP separately otherwise; it is all-inclusive in your ILR application. Applying for 10-year indeterminable leave to remain you may be requested to have an appointment for UKVBAS or a visit centre for those you are not in the U.K.
- To gain access to the club, you need to register biometrics of your face and of your fingers. It is only a matter of minutes during which you will go through all the necessary procedures. If it is not, you can put the word “FINGER N/A” on your application, and biometric data will be just via your face.
BRP for Children
For the kids under age 16, they will need to be with someone who is over age 18 and is responsible for the minor legally.
A biometric verification should be thus not applied to children aged under 5 since they do not need to give out their fingerprint data.
How Much Does it Cost to Apply for Long Residence ILR UK?
Here are the current rates for the same position to apply for indefinite project-long residence. However, rates are preliminary and subject to change and shall change at our discretion. Such costs that you may have to bear, besides the cost of the Life in the UK test and the BRP, may creep in. In addition, you could be required to obtain the verification of some of your official documents like special transcripts that may attract some additional fees.
Applications must be made by post as physical documents such as passports must be submitted.
Furthermore, we offer a premium service option for clients who require expedited application processing. With this service, you will visit the Premium Service Centre to have your details scanned. As a result, you can expect responses to your inquiries within one day, unless during peak periods of high demand.
- 10 Years Long Residence Application cost: £2404 as budget
- Priority Service Centre cost (response within 5 working days): with the additional £500
- Super Priority Service Centre cost (response within 1 working day): additional £800
- Leave to remain extension: £1048
Receiving these certificates also includes paying for more costs, including the Life in the UK test (£50), and taking one of the tests to demonstrate your knowledge in English (£190).
To explore your chances of obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) based on long residence, an immigration lawyer can provide personalized support tailored to your situation. They can assist you in preparing the application and gathering the necessary documentation. ILR is a milestone worth achieving, and with the right guidance through a personalized consultation, you can not only reach this goal smoothly but also cherish the outcome. Keep in mind that ILR in the UK requires meeting specific requirements outlined by the UK Home Office’s eligibility criteria.
How Law and Visas Can Help?
At Law and Visas, our team of expert immigration consultants is here to make your travel to the UK straightforward and successful. Whether you’re applying for an Ancestry Visa or a Spouse Visa, we handle every step—from preparing your application to gathering the required documents.
Our Immigration Consultants and Lawyers ensure that your application meets the highest standards, with no details missed. We’ll also keep you informed throughout the process and coordinate with the immigration office or embassy on your behalf.
Law and Visas have a strong record of helping clients secure the visas/permits they need to visit the UK. You can call us today at +234 812 5505 986 to learn how we can help you.
