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Still confused about which documents are required to apply for an ILR? A variety of documents and pieces of information are required to demonstrate eligibility to the Home Office in order to apply for ILR. Make sure you have all the necessary documents for an ILR application with our ILR Document Checklist 2024.
You can live freely in the UK with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status, meaning there are no temporal limits or restrictions on immigration. Additionally, you can contact us at any time for further details about the required paperwork and qualifying requirements. To speak with an expert at UK Immigration Solicitors, dial 02033844389 or send an email.
Indefinite Leave to Remain ILR Document Checklist
The Home Office requires the proper documents from applicants seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain. Depending on your individual situation, you may need different types of supporting documents.
When applying for an ILR, you may need to include a number of the following documents:
- Your current passport or travel document.
- Two passport-sized photographs.
- Your BRP card, if you have one.
- An English language test certificate (if applicable).
- A UK degree taught in English (if applicable).
- Life in the UK test certificate.
- Proof of continuous residence in the UK.
- A list of all absences from the UK during the qualifying period.
- Evidence of your employment or self-employment.
- Accommodation details (e.g., tenancy agreement).
- Proof of finances (e.g., payslips, bank statements).
- Certificate of police registration (if requested)
- Documents indicating changes in your circumstances.
The UK Home Office typically prefers original documents. When you apply online, you might be required to scan and upload copies of your original documents.
If your original documents are not in English or Welsh, you must include a full and verified translation alongside the original items.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
Valid Passport
Your passport must be current and valid for travel. You will also be required to provide evidence of any previous entries into the UK made with a different passport. Moreover, you will have to show any other papers you have had while you were in the UK.
You will also be required to present another form of valid travel documentation if you do not possess a passport or have not had one during your stay in the UK.
Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs)
Many individuals who have been granted leave to remain or further leave to remain possess a biometric residence permit.
Anyone planning to remain in the UK for more than six months will usually be asked to submit biometric data. Biometric Residence Permits are issued to biometric users. You will need to show it when you apply for ILR if you have one.
Also, if you have dependents, you will need to include their Biometric Residence Permits with your application.
Information about Accommodation
You have to show proof that you own or rent a home in the UK. This could be your renting agreement or mortgage statement. You should also include a letter from your landlord if you currently rent the home.
If you are living with family or friends and they own or rent the housing, you should include a letter from them saying that you are allowed to live there.
If you have changed residences while in the UK, you need to provide proof of this along with your council tax and energy bills, as well as a statement from your mortgage lender or landlord.
Documents Relevant to Periods of Absence
All applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain must meet the minimum residency criterion, which is the most important requirement.
To qualify, you usually need to have lived in the UK for a certain amount of time—usually five years.
This duration must be in a continuous format. According to the rules of international law residence (ILR), unless there are extraordinary circumstances, you are not allowed to leave the UK for more than 180 days in 12 months while you are qualifying to live there.
During your qualifying residency period, a period of absence is defined as any time spent outside of the UK.
Please ensure that you have all the necessary documentation to explain your absences. Include a letter from your employer stating that your absence was in compliance with your yearly leave entitlement if your duration of absence was related to your employment.
You need to submit a self-written letter detailing the reasons behind your absence if it was for compassionate grounds. You may need further proof.
If your absences were for important reasons, like major travel problems caused by a natural disaster or war, you will need to show proof, like travel documents and letters from travel companies confirming the problems.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
Continuous Residency Documents
It can be hard to figure out how long you’ve lived in the same place continuously, but it’s important to meet the Home Office’s standards.
To qualify for ILR, you need to have lived in the UK for a specific number of days; to determine this, you need to track how many days you have spent outside the UK.
Throughout that time, you were required to have a valid visa to enter or stay in the UK. Start counting backward from the date that will benefit you the most to determine the qualifying period. Additionally, it can be the date of application, the day of decision-making, or any date up to 28 days after the application date.
Please ensure that you have all the necessary documents, including a letter from your employer, a work contract, an official document relevant to a family event or emergency, your medical record, and an invitation to a workshop, to support your absences.
Certain absences won’t impact your continuous period. For example, absences that occur between the time that your entry clearance is issued and when you enter the UK, as well as part-day absences, where only full days (24 hours) spent outside the UK are considered. Consult an expert at 02033844389 if you have any doubts regarding your eligibility.
English Language Requirement
To further complicate matters, ILR applications have to show proficiency in English. You must provide evidence that your English proficiency meets the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level B1.
It is required that the majority of those applying for ILR undergo an English language test. The four SELT exam providers are as follows:
- Trinity College London
- IELTS SELT Consortium
- Pearson Education Ltd
- LanguageCert
The English language test is available at centres across the United Kingdom. In the past, if you passed the test, you were given a certificate of test pass, which you would put in your ILR application portfolio.
These days, you may only receive a special reference number to provide in your application.
If you are from a country where English is the official language, you are exempt from taking this test. Additionally, if you have completed a degree-level or higher English-taught course at an accredited academic institution, you will not be required to take an English language test.
Some further exceptions are:
- People who are 65 and over
- Everyone dealing with a chronic mental or physical illness
- Adult dependent whose age falls between eighteen and sixty-four
- Individuals who have been victims of domestic violence and whose abuser is a citizen or permanent resident of the UK.
- A person’s spouse or partner who was a British citizen or had settlement status in the UK at the time of their death
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
Life in the UK Test
In order to apply for ILR, you must pass the Life in the UK test. A variety of multiple-choice questions related to British history, customs, and culture make up the Life in the UK test. To pass, you must get at least 75%.
After successfully completing the test, you will receive a pass certificate and, in some cases, a special reference number. When applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain, be sure to provide this information.
Documents to Demonstrate Changes in Situations
If your situation has changed a lot since you first came to the UK, you will need to give certain information about those changes.
Among the changes that require your attention are:
- Changes to marriage and civil partnerships
- A divorce
- Change of name
- Children you have had or are legally responsible for
Additional ILR Document Checklist
More documents may be required when applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain status, depending on your existing visa type and other considerations.
Example: if you are applying for a UK Ancestry visa, you will be asked to submit the birth and/or marriage certificates of your grandparents as proof of nationality; if you are applying after holding a Global Talent or Skilled Worker visa, you will be asked to provide employment data.
Additional documentation may be requested in support of a Spouse Visa, including proof of cohabitation. In all other cases, a marriage licence is enough.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
Do Documents Need to Be Original?
In most circumstances, original paperwork is not necessary. If the Home Office needs original papers, you will be told. The only exception to this rule is passports, which almost probably must be presented as the original.
However, keep in mind that the Home Office may ask you to confirm a document if they have any doubts regarding the information you have supplied.
My Documents Aren’t Written in English. Is this an issue?
According to UK immigration rules, all the information on an application for immigration must be given in English, Welsh, or Scottish Gaelic.
Any information that is not available in English, Welsh, or Scottish Gaelic must have a translation provided. A certified translator is required to complete the translations.
Be careful to include both the original and translated versions.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
How Can UK Immigration Solicitors Help?
At UK Immigration Solicitors, we are passionate about helping you achieve your immigration goals. We assist you in gathering all necessary documentation for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
If you’re applying for ILR, one of our experienced immigration solicitors will guide you every step of the way. They will provide tailored advice, assess your individual situation, and prepare a detailed ILR document checklist.
Our team will help you gather the correct information from reliable sources and ensure all documents meet the Home Office’s requirements. Once everything is ready, we will submit your complete ILR application to the Home Office on your behalf.
We are committed to maximizing your chances of successfully securing UK ILR status. Additionally, we offer services to support your application for British citizenship or a passport.