If you wish to apply for a visa in this category then our team at Hunter Stone Law will be able to guide and assist you throughout every step of the process. In order to qualify for this visa you would have to meet the requirement of the relevant section of the Immigration Rules. However we have attempted to simplify the requirements below.
You can apply to settle (Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain) in the UK if you’ve been in the UK legally for 10 continuous years (known as ‘long residence’). You must meet all the eligibility requirements.
You may be able to extend your stay for another 2 years (known as ‘leave to remain’) even if you don’t meet all the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility
You must have permission to stay (‘leave to remain’). This can be in any immigration category, or a combination of different immigration categories.
You must also have:
If you’re aged 18 to 65 years old, you must:
If you don’t meet these 2 requirements you can apply to extend.
Your 10-year qualifying period starts from either:
Continuous residence
Continuous residence is time you’ve spent in the UK without gaps. So you can leave the UK during the continuous residence for up to:
You can’t count time spent in:
Documents you must provide
You’ll need to provide:
Apply to settle
Fill in form SET(LR) and post it to the address on the form.
You’ll also need to:
Find a Post Office that takes biometric information (called ‘biometric enrolment’) - choose ‘Home Office Biometric Enrolment’ from the drop down list.
When to apply
You can send your application as soon as you meet all the eligibility requirements - you don’t need to wait until your current visa expires. You must be in the UK to apply.
You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, eg:
If you’re applying to extend then fill in form FLR(LR) and post it to the address on the form.
You’ll also need to:
When to apply
You can send your application as soon as you meet all the eligibility requirements - you don’t need to wait until your current visa expires. You must be in the UK to apply.
You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, eg:
Family members
Your family members (‘dependants’) can apply separately if they’re eligible.
A dependant is your:
You can’t include your family members (‘dependants’) in your application.
Dependants who aren’t eligible - Your partner can apply to remain in the UK as the partner of a settled person if they aren’t eligible to apply separately and your application for settlement is successful. They may be able to include their children under 18 in their application.