UKPermanent residence

UK indefinite leave to remain in the UK

Indefinite leave to remain, or settlement, is a status that removes the time limits on staying in the United Kingdom: the holder can live, work, study and use public services and, if further conditions are met, apply for British citizenship. Several routes lead to it: a work visa, a family connection with someone already settled in the country, long continuous residence, or other grounds that the Home Office accepts as sufficient.

Source: GOV.UK — the official UK government portal

Who can get it

The route and the waiting period depend on the basis on which the person lives in the United Kingdom — work, family or long residence in the country.

Through work

Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 (General) — after five years of living and working in the United Kingdom on that visa
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur, Investor) — after two or three years, depending on the type of visa
Innovator Founder or Global Talent — after three years
Scale-up Worker, representative of an overseas business, Turkish worker or businessperson, domestic staff in a diplomatic household — under the separate rules of their own route

Through family

A partner (husband, wife, civil partner) of someone already settled in the United Kingdom as a British citizen or ILR holder
A parent of a child who is a British citizen or a child with ILR
A child of a parent who is already settled in the country
Another relative of the applicant on a family visa (adult dependent relative)
A dependant (partner or child) on a work visa — through a separate route, without their own family visa

On other grounds

Someone who has lived in the United Kingdom lawfully for ten continuous years (long residence)
An applicant on the basis of private life in the country
A Commonwealth citizen on a UK Ancestry visa — after five years
A holder of a British National (Overseas) visa — after five years
A refugee, a person with humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave
A veteran of the UK armed forces
A stateless person with leave to remain in the country
A returning resident who previously held ILR

What it costs

ILR application (per applicant)	3 226 GBP
Priority service — a decision within 5 working days	+500 GBP
Super priority service — a decision on the next working day after giving biometrics	+1 000 GBP

Documents to gather

The Home Office gives the exact list during the application itself, but these documents are needed on almost any route.

A valid passport or another identity document
All the passports the applicant used while in the United Kingdom during the qualifying period
The biometric residence permit (BRP), if you have one — an expired one is also accepted
The eVisa share code, if the status is proven through the UKVI online account
A certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh
Proof of passing the Life in the UK Test (for applicants aged 18 to 64–65)
Proof of the English language level — if it is required on the particular route
A letter from the employer (sponsor) confirming that the job and salary still meet the requirements — for work visas
Proof of income and place of residence — for family routes on the 5-year and 2-year tracks
For children over 16 — a bank statement, credit card bill, driving licence, an NHS registration document or a letter from a school or university on official headed paper

How the process runs

The order of steps is roughly the same on all routes; only the residence period and salary requirements differ.

1
Check whether you have completed the required period of residence
The period depends on the visa: five years on Skilled Worker, T2 and most work visas; two or three years on Tier 1; three years on Innovator Founder and Global Talent; ten continuous years on the long residence route; five years on UK Ancestry and British National (Overseas).
2
Stay within the limit on absences from the country
On most routes you cannot spend more than 180 days outside the United Kingdom in any 12 months. For periods of absence that began before 11 April 2024 a different rule applies — no more than 184 days in a row and 548 days in total.
3
Pass the Life in the UK Test and prove your English
Applicants aged 18 to 64 (up to 65 on the long residence route) must pass the Life in the UK Test. For work visas the English level has usually already been proven when the previous visa was granted; on family and long residence routes you must separately prove a qualification at level B1 or above in speaking and listening, or a degree taught in English.
4
Apply online and pay the fee
The application is made through the online account on GOV.UK no earlier than 28 days before the residence condition is met — applying earlier can lead to a refusal. The fee is £3,226 per applicant; a partner and children who meet the conditions can be included in the same form.
5
Give biometrics and supporting documents
You must book an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) point, give fingerprints and a photograph — this is free — and submit the documents: through the online account or during the visit. Children under 6 do not give biometrics. Until the decision arrives you cannot travel outside the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man — otherwise the application is withdrawn.
6
Receive the decision and the eVisa
usually within 6 months of giving biometrics
The decision usually arrives within six months of giving biometrics; for an extra fee it can come sooner. The approved status is recorded as an eVisa in the UKVI online account. From that point you can work, run a business, study and use public services and benefits, and no earlier than 12 months later apply for British citizenship.

Who you can bring with you

A partner and children can be included in one application if they meet the conditions of their route; otherwise they apply separately.

Partner (husband, wife, civil partner)

As a dependant on a work visa — you normally have to have lived with the applicant in that status for at least five years. As a holder of their own family partner visa — two, five or ten years depending on the route. Aged 18 to 64, the partner must pass the Life in the UK Test and prove English at level B1 or above.

Child under 18

Included in the application if they have leave to be in the country as a dependant, are not married or in a civil partnership, are not living an independent life and are supported by their parents without public funds.

Child aged 18 and over

They can be included only if the leave as a dependant was granted before they turned 18 and they still do not live an independent life — for example, they have not married or had children. They must also pass the Life in the UK Test and prove their English.

Parent of a child who is a British citizen or a child with ILR

They apply on the parent family visa: five years of residence on that visa (or ten years on the long residence route), and they must have sole or shared responsibility for the child with the other parent.

Renewal and the grace period

ILR status itself is indefinite and does not need renewing, but it can be lost. If you spend more than two years in a row outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, the status lapses, and to return you have to apply for a separate Returning Resident visa. For those who obtained status through the EU Settlement Scheme the absence limit is different — five years for most holders of settled status and four years for Swiss nationals and their family members. If the absence was shorter than two years the status is kept: on entry it is enough to prove it through the UKVI online account (eVisa) or to show the stamp, visa vignette or expired biometric residence permit (BRP) that originally gave the right to settle in the country.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Indefinite leave to remain is itself the way to settle in the United Kingdom. It gives the right to live, work and study in the country indefinitely and to claim benefits if the conditions are met.

Frequently asked questions about UK indefinite leave to remain

How much does an indefinite leave to remain application cost?

The standard fee is £3,226 per applicant; a partner and children can be included in the same form if they meet the conditions. Giving biometrics (fingerprints and a photograph) is free.

After how many years of residence can you apply for ILR?

The period depends on the visa: five years on Skilled Worker and most work visas; two or three years on Tier 1 visas; three years on Innovator Founder and Global Talent; ten continuous years on the long residence route; five years on UK Ancestry and British National (Overseas).

Do you have to pass the Life in the UK Test and how much does it cost?

Yes, if the applicant is aged 18 to 64 (up to 65 on the long residence route). The test is booked online at least three days in advance and costs £50.

Can the ILR application be processed faster?

Yes. For an extra £500 you can choose the priority service and get a decision within 5 working days. For an extra £1,000 there is the super priority service: the decision arrives on the next working day after giving biometrics if the appointment was on a weekday, or two working days later if the appointment was at the weekend.

What happens to the status if you leave the United Kingdom after getting ILR?

If you spend more than two years in a row outside the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, ILR status is lost, and to return you have to apply for a Returning Resident visa. With a shorter absence the status is kept — you only need to prove it on entry.

When after getting ILR can you apply for British citizenship?

Usually no earlier than 12 months after obtaining ILR status — provided the other requirements for naturalisation are met.

What if you do not have enough qualifying time for ILR on the long residence route?

You can apply to extend your leave to remain for a further 2 years, provided the applicant has already lived in the United Kingdom for 10 continuous years. The extension fee is £1,407 and the decision usually arrives within 8 weeks of giving biometrics.

Other ways to move to UK

Every route in one list — migration programmes: UK.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.