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Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR): Your Guide to Settling in the UK
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), often referred to simply as ‘settlement’, is the official route to making the UK your permanent home.
Achieving ILR grants you the right to:
- Live, work, and study in the United Kingdom for an unrestricted period.
- Access public funds and benefits, provided you meet the eligibility criteria.
- Apply for British citizenship (holding ILR is the essential prerequisite).
The path to obtaining ILR is determined by your current immigration status and personal circumstances, as there are various specific routes tailored to different situations.
Note for EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens: If you or your family members are nationals of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you may need to apply for settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme rather than the standard ILR process.
ILR Based on Work Visas
If you are working in the UK, you may be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if you hold a qualifying work visa.
Eligibility and Residence Time
- You must usually have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years on a qualifying route (e.g., Skilled Worker, T2).
- The required time is 2 or 3 years if you have a Tier 1 visa (e.g., Entrepreneur or Investor, depending on investment/job creation).
- The required time is 3 years if you have an Innovator Founder or Global Talent visa.
- You may also need to meet the salary or financial requirements, which depend entirely on your specific visa category.
How to Apply
Your application process and required forms depend on the specific type of work visa you currently hold:
- If you have a Tier 2, T2, International Sportsperson, or Skilled Worker visa
- If you have a Scale-up Worker visa
- If you have a Global Talent, Tier 1 Entrepreneur, or Investor visa
- If you have an Innovator Founder visa
- If you represent an overseas business
- If you have a Turkish Worker or Businessperson visa
- If you are a private servant in a diplomatic household with an International Agreement visa, or a domestic worker
ILR - Family and Other Routes
The path to settlement is also available through family connections, long residence, or specific Commonwealth and humanitarian statuses.
If You Have Family in the UK
You may be eligible to apply for ILR if you have a partner, parent, child, or other relative who is already settled in the UK—either as a British citizen or as a person who holds Indefinite Leave to Remain themselves.
- The specific application process depends on the type of visa you currently hold (e.g., Partner/Spouse Visa) and how your family member gained their settled status.
- There are different ways to apply for settlement if:
- Your partner has died.
- Your relationship ended because of domestic violence.
If You’ve Lived in the UK for 10 Years (Long Residence)
You may be able to apply for ILR based on Long Residence if you have been lawfully living in the UK for 10 continuous years or more.
- There is a separate application process if you have a visa that is on the basis of your private life (e.g., the 10-year Partner Route or the Private Life Route).
Commonwealth Citizen Routes
You may qualify for settlement if you are a Commonwealth citizen through specific provisions:
- You can apply if you’ve been living in the UK for 5 years on a UK Ancestry visa.
- Some Commonwealth citizens have ‘right of abode’ in the UK, which allows them to live or work in the UK without immigration restrictions. You can apply to prove you have right of abode.
- You may be eligible for British citizenship instead, for example, by applying under the Windrush scheme.
Other Ways to Apply
You may also be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain if you:
- Are a refugee or have humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave.
- Are returning to the UK having previously held Indefinite Leave to Remain.
- Served in the armed forces.
- Have permission to stay in the UK as a stateless person.