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Skip to content Ready to make the UK your permanent home? After five years of residency, you may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), giving you the freedom to live, work, and stay in the UK without immigration limits.
For more information on ILR eligibility criteria, and how to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years, call our trusted immigration advisors at 02033844389 or send us an email. We’re always here to help!
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One way to get permanent residency in the UK is to apply for indefinite permission to remain, or ILR. After establishing five years of qualified residence in the UK, most applicants will be eligible to apply for permanent resident status.
But keep in mind that this 5-year rule comes with some rules and limits. Among these are the maximum amount of time you are allowed to spend outside the UK on a single visa and the restrictions on changing your visa during those five years.
Time spent outside the UK can be counted towards your five-year residency requirement under certain exceptional circumstances.
You may be able to apply for permanent resident status (IRS) with a shorter time frame than the usual five years if you hold a certain type of visa.
You will be eligible to apply for British citizenship when you have spent twelve months in the UK with IRL.
If you’re applying for ILR after 5 years in the UK, contact our expert immigration solicitor at 02033844389 for legal advice.
To be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain, you typically need to spend at least five years in the UK, according to most UK visas. The following UK visas require 5-year ILR applications:
If you’re seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) but have fewer than five years of qualified residence, you may be able to apply for it through some visas. The majority of visas in that category are reserved for highly talented persons, investors, and entrepreneurs. Here we’ve covered the specific visas and how to qualify for permanent resident status in five years or less.
Keep in mind that not all UK visas let you apply for ILR after 5 years or less. Ten years of qualified residency is required for a few additional visas/permits, including Long residency.
If you are married to a British citizen or an established person in the UK, you can join your spouse in the UK with a UK Spouse visa, which is also called a Marriage visa,
Under the 5-year route to settlement, a spouse visa entry clearance application is often approved if all the requirements listed in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules are met.
If you have been a spouse for five years and have used the 5-year procedure to apply for a spouse visa, you may be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
You must use the SET (M) application form to apply for ILR as a Spouse online if you are on a Spouse visa (under the 5-year route) and meet the other standards.
If you are married to a British citizen or permanent resident, and you fulfil certain conditions, you may be able to apply for ILR through the 5-year route:
All ILR spouse visa requirements must be satisfied. If you need legal assistance or an evaluation of your eligibility, contact our team of qualified immigration solicitors at 02033844389.
The Skilled Worker visa, formerly referred to as the “Tier 2 (General) Work visa,” allows international workers to work in the UK for an approved employer.
It is possible to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) as a skilled worker after five years on a UK skilled worker visa, which is both a long-term work visa and a route to settlement.
Skilled Workers can apply for ILR if they have been on a Skilled Worker visa for 5 years (under a 5-year route) and meet the other standards.
To apply for ILR as a Skilled Worker, you need to fill out the SET (O) application form online. This is necessary if you have lived and worked in the UK for five consecutive years.
If you want to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you have to fulfil these conditions: