The term ‘settlement’ means that the applicant can stay in the UK without any time restrictions. Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold the right of abode in the United Kingdom (UK) but is permitted to stay in the UK without any time limit and is free to take up employment or study, without restriction. It is to be noted that Indefinite leave is not a permanent status. It lapses where the holder has stayed outside the United Kingdom for a continuous period of more than two years

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Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

An Indefinite leave to Remain (ILR) can be granted to applicants in various visa categories. There are several categories within which to apply for an ILR. Applicants can use form SET (O) to apply for the ILR if they have been in the UK as a/an:

Work permit holder Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrant, accelerated
Work permit holder – dependant Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent)
Employment not requiring a work permit Tier 1 (Investor) migrant
Investor Tier 1 (Investor) migrant, accelerated
UK ancestry Tier 2 migrant
Bereaved partner Other purposes/reasons not covered by other application forms
Highly skilled migrant under the terms of the HSMP indefinite leave to remain (ILR) judicial review policy document PBS Dependant
Tier 1 (General) migrant Biometric immigration document
(Biometric Residence Permit (BRP))
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrant


At The SmartMove2UK, our UK Immigration experts have helped hundreds of clients apply for their Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). You cancontact us if you are seeking legal help from UK visa consultants in relation to applying for your ILR.

ILR – 10-year Long stay

UK Immigration rules recognise that applicants who have resided in the UK for longer periods of time would have formed ties to the UK. According to UK Immigration rules, a person who has completed 10 years of residence in the UK can apply for an indefinite leave to remain (ILR) on this basis. For the purposes of ILR under the 10-year long residence category, the residence in the UK must be both continuous and lawful.

Continuous residence means that the residence in the UK was for an unbroken period. For the purposes of long residence, a period is not considered broken if the applicant was absent from the UK for six months or less at any one time, and had existing leave to enter or remain upon their departure and return.

It may be appropriate for the UKVI to exercise discretion in certain cases.

You can contact us if you are seeking legal help from UK visa consultants in relation to applying for your ILR based on your 10-year stay in the UK.

How do I know where I get my passport after I have applied for settlement UK visa?

You will receive an Email / SMS from Visa Facilitation Service Centre advising the status of your passport once received at the Visa Application Centre where you originally submitted your biometrics and supporting documents. If you have opted for self-collection you will receive an update through SMS and Email for collection of passport from VFS Centre and if opted for courier then you will receive a dispatch of shipment notification accordingly.

I got my UK settlement visa now in how many days I have to enter into UK from Visa date of issue

You should enter the UK before expiry of your visa granted – as per the initial entry visa validity.

I am UK permanent indefinite visa holder living with my wife since 2004 I wish to approach for family visa for my parents along with my two grand daughters is it acceptable for them to obtain two half year visa as per policy given

You can apply for your family through various visa routes. You can take the advice of immigration experts like The SmartMove Immigration, who will guide you through the entire process.

ILR – Victim of Domestic violence

UK Immigration rules allow for the ILR to be granted to certain people who have limited leave to enter or remain, or have an extension of stay, in the UK as the spouse, unmarried partner, registered civil partner or same-sex partner of a British citizen or person present and settled in the UK. This is an opportunity to applicants whose relationships have genuinely broken down, due to domestic violence, during their probationary period of leave, to be granted an indefinite leave to remain (ILR).

Domestic violence is classed as any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. An adult is someone who is 18 years or over. The legal definition of injury is when any harm is done to a person by the acts or omissions of another.

Knowledge of language and life in UK test is not required for victims of domestic violence. Applicants are exempt from fee payments if they meet these conditions.

If you are a victim of domestic violence and would like to evaluate your options to remain in the UK, you can book an appointment for a consultation with our UK qualified Solicitors. You can contact us if you are seeking legal help from UK visa consultants in relation to applying for your ILR based on Domestic violence.

ILR – Bereaved Partner

Applicants can apply for settlement in the UK if they currently have temporary permission to stay as the husband, wife or civil partner of a person present and settled here who has died; or have temporary permission to stay as the unmarried or same-sex partner of a person present and settled here who has died, and the applicant and sponsor were still living together and intending to live permanently together at the time of their death. The Immigration rules require that the applicant’s partner must have been present and settled in the UK when they died.

However, these Rules are not applicable to fiancé(e)s and proposed civil partners.

You can contact us if you are seeking legal help from UK visa consultants in relation to applying for your ILR as a bereaved partner.

If you would like to ascertain your eligibility for this category, we would advise you to book an appointment with our UK Immigration Solicitors based in Mumbai | Delhi | Gurgaon | Chandigarh | Vadodara | Bangalore by calling on +91 22 2850 9857 or +91 9819 127 002 to discuss the merits of your case.

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Valuable Resources

Document on UK Visas and Immigration guidance on what they must consider when they refuse entry or leave to remain in the UK on general grounds. Click here.

*The link will be directed to GOV UK site.

Minimum account balance required to apply for permanent residence in the UK

- Question asked in a forum
To apply for indefinite leave to remain, the requirements do not have a minimum savings requirement. If you would like to determine your eligibility for ILR you can visit https://www.gov.uk/indefinite-leave-to-remain