Residence permit (ILR)
Indefinite Leave to Remain allows a you to reside and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions and apply for Naturalisation. Your eligibility to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK depends on the visa category you are currently on and for how long you have been residing in the UK. There are very strict requirements and complex rules to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain and the applicants are strongly recommended to seek qualified legal advice before making your application.
Once you were granted Indefinite Leave to Remain there is no time limit how long you can stay in the UK, however, it may be lost or revoked in certain circumstances if, for example, you spend more than two years outside the UK or commit an offence that could lead to your deportation.
WHEN CAN I APPLY?
You may be qualified for Indefinite leave to Remain subject to a number of restrictions depending on your current immigration status:
- Tier 1 visa: after two, three or five years depending on level of investments, assets and business activities
- Tier 2 visa: after five years
- EU nationals and family members: after 5 years
- Partner of a British Citizen or Person settled in the UK visa: after five or ten years
- Discretionary Leave to Remain: after six years
- Long residence: after ten years continuous lawful residency or twenty years continuous lawful and unlawful residency in the UK
- UK ancestry visa: after five years
- Retired Person visa: after five years
- Returning resident: upon return if settled in the UK prior to departure and returning to the UK within two years of departure
REQUIREMENTS FOR INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN
Apart from a number of restrictions and qualifications for Indefinite Leave to Remain, you will also need to demonstrate that:
- You can communicate in English to an acceptable degree
- You have sufficient knowledge about life in the UK
