UK Settlement Visa Guideline
If you have lived in the UK legally for a certain duration of time, usually between two and five years you may be able to apply for Settlement in the UK.
Settlement in the UK is also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR.
Duration of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
There is no time limit with a UK Settlement Visa; however it is always recommended that a person with settled status in the UK should not spend more than two years outside of the United Kingdom. A UK resident with settled status should consider the UK as their home and if the individual only spends short periods of time in the UK this may lead to them losing their settled status.
Benefits of UK Settlement
UK Settlement imposes no time limit on the individual. Also there are no immigration restrictions upon the business or work the person is undertaking. A person who is settled in the UK may become eligible for British Naturalisation to the UK if they meet the requirements for citizenship.
Eligibility of UK Settlement
Whether an applicant may be eligible to apply for UK settlement is dependent upon the type of visa they currently have in the UK.
The applicant must already have settled status in the UK for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application. With Student Visas excluded, settled status means that the applicant has lived in the UK on another visa for at least four years. People in the UK with Marriage Visas or Unmarried Visas (De facto Visa) require two years of settled status before Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is granted.
Below are some examples of when settled status can be granted:
- Marriage / Unmarried (De Facto) (after 2 years)
- Ancestry (after 5 years)
- Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) (after 5 years)
- Work Permit (after 5 years)
- EU Nationals and their dependants (after 5 years)
If you have been living in the UK with a Marriage Visa and wish to apply for a UK Settlement Visa you must be able to prove that you are still married and intend on continuing the marriage.
Applicant will need to show they have sufficient English language skills and knowledge of life in the UK.
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