Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
Settle permanently in the UK. Indefinite leave to remain has no time limit, so you can live, work and study here for as long as you like.
- Screening A few questions about your work, your family and your plans.
- Documents A checklist built around your route and who is coming with you.
- Expert review A qualified adviser reads every document before anything is filed.
- Application Every answer is checked against the published rules for your route.
- Submission Filed, with everything that went with it kept in one place.
- Arrival We stay with you through the crossing and the first steps after.
Time in the UK needed
Usually 5 years
10 years by long residence
English level needed
B1
Rises to B2 from 26 March 2027
Application fee
£3,226
Per person, GOV.UK
How long it lasts
No time limit
Settled status, live and work here
What is indefinite leave to remain (ILR)?
Indefinite leave to remain (ILR), also called settlement, removes the time limit on how long you can stay in the UK. Most work and family routes need 5 years' continuous residence; the long residence route needs 10 years. Once granted, you can work, study and apply for public funds, and later apply for British citizenship.
Qualifying routes and periods
There are several ways to qualify for indefinite leave to remain, and the qualifying period is not the same on every route. Someone on a work visa or a family visa usually needs a continuous qualifying period of lawful residence in the UK, with the exact length set by their specific route. A separate route exists for a person who has built up a long period of continuous lawful residence in the UK without qualifying on a work or family route — known as the long residence route. Alongside the qualifying period, most routes require a period of continuous residence without excessive time spent outside the UK and, depending on age, passing the Life in the UK Test and showing sufficient knowledge of English.
Requirements
- Qualifying period (most work and family routes)Most work and family routes need a continuous qualifying period in the UK. This is usually 5 years, though it can be 2 or 3 years on a Tier 1 visa or 3 years on an Innovator Founder or Global Talent visa.
- Qualifying period (10-year long residence route)The long residence route needs a qualifying period of 10 years spent lawfully in the UK, counting time held on most permission types, as an exempt person, or as an EEA national exercising a right to reside before the end of 2020.
- Held current permission for 12 monthsOn the long residence route, an applicant must usually have held their current immigration permission for at least 12 months before applying, unless that permission was granted before 11 April 2024.
- Continuous residence and permitted absencesOn most routes, an applicant must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during the qualifying period.
- Long residence route: additional absence limit for time abroad before 11 April 2024For the long residence route, any period abroad that started before 11 April 2024 also counts towards an overall limit of 548 days across the qualifying period, and no single such absence can exceed 184 days.
- Knowledge of language and lifeApplicants aged 18 to 65 must usually pass the Life in the UK Test and show sufficient English language skills, unless an exemption applies.
- English language level (long residence route)For settlement on the long residence route, you must show English language ability at level B1 in speaking and listening for applications made before 26 March 2027, rising to level B2 for applications made on or after that date, unless an exemption applies.
- SuitabilityAn applicant must not be in breach of UK immigration laws or on immigration bail, and must not fall for refusal on general suitability grounds.
Documents typically needed
- Current passport or other valid travel ID
- All passports held during your time in the UKIncluding expired passports.
- Biometric residence permit or eVisa proofYour biometric residence permit (BRP), which can be expired, or online proof of your immigration status if you have an eVisa.
- Certified translationsFor any documents that are not in English or Welsh.
How to apply
Check which settlement route applies to you
Confirm the qualifying period, continuous residence rules and any language or Life in the UK Test requirement that apply to your route.
Prepare supporting documents
Gather your current and previous passports, proof of your immigration status, and certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.
Apply online
Complete the online application for your route. You can save the form and finish it later, and you must be in the UK to apply.
Provide biometric information
Book an appointment to give your fingerprints and photograph, and submit or have your supporting documents checked.
Wait for a decision
Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until a decision is made. A faster decision service is available for an extra fee.
Fees & costs
- Indefinite leave to remain: main applicant
- £3,226
- Extend your stay (long residence route, if not yet eligible for settlement)
- £1,407
- Priority service (in addition to the application fee)
- £500
- Super priority service (in addition to the application fee)
- £1,000
- Life in the UK Test
- £50
- Biometric information (fingerprints and photo)
- No fee
Fees are set by the Home Office and can change. Applications are normally withdrawn without a refund if you travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision is made. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/long-residence
Processing times
- Standard service
- Usually within 6 months
- Priority service
- Usually within 5 working days
- Super priority service
- By the end of the next working day, or 2 working days if your appointment is at a weekend or bank holiday
- Extend your stay (long residence route, if not yet eligible for settlement)
- Usually within 8 weeks
Standard service times published by the Home Office; a faster decision may be available for an extra fee. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/long-residence
What you can and can't do
Permitted
- Live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like
- Work in any business, profession or employment, including self-employment
- Apply for public funds and pensions, depending on your circumstances
- Apply for British citizenship, usually after a further qualifying period
Not permitted
- Stay outside the UK, Ireland or the Crown Dependencies for 2 years or more at a time without it lapsing
- Get a British passport without separately applying for citizenship
After indefinite leave to remain
Once granted, indefinite leave to remain lets the holder work, study and access public services without a time limit, and apply for public funds and pensions, depending on their circumstances. It also opens the route to British citizenship, which can usually be applied for after holding indefinite leave to remain for a further qualifying period. Indefinite leave to remain does not last forever regardless of circumstances, though: it lapses automatically if the holder spends too long outside the UK, Ireland or the Crown Dependencies at any one time, and it can also be withdrawn in narrower circumstances, such as if it was obtained by deception. Someone who has lost their indefinite leave to remain through a long absence would need to apply for a Returning Resident visa before they could live in the UK again — and indefinite leave to remain does not by itself carry a right to a British passport, which only follows a separate application for citizenship.
If the application is refused
A refusal decision sets out the published requirements the Home Office was not satisfied were met, which can include applying before the qualifying period was complete. The decision explains whether an administrative review or appeal is available and the time limit for using it.
Common questions
How long do I need to live in the UK before I can apply for indefinite leave to remain?
How many days can I spend outside the UK without breaking continuous residence?
Do I need to pass the Life in the UK Test?
Can indefinite leave to remain be lost?
Can I apply for British citizenship after getting indefinite leave to remain?
How much does it cost to apply for indefinite leave to remain?
How long does a decision take?
Can I include my partner or children in my application?
Talk it through with one of our solicitors.
Book a consultation and one of our immigration solicitors will go through your situation, the documents involved, and what happens next.
Skilled Worker Visa
Work in the UK for approved employers in skilled occupations. Minimum salary £41,700 (or going rate), B2 English required, with a pathway to settlement after 5 years.
Read the guide →Spouse and Partner Visa
Family visa for spouses, civil partners, and unmarried partners of British citizens or UK settled persons with pathway to settlement.
Read the guide →Child Visa
For a child under 18 to live in the UK with a parent. A child can be added to a parent's application as a dependant, or apply separately.
Read the guide →