Being able to get a permanent permission to enter and leave a country ensures one does not need permission to live, work and remain in country and is a preferred immigration status (next only to a full citizenship). Settling in the UK can eliminate the need to Permission to stay in the UK without any travel restrictions and it is known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR).

An ILR is an important milestone in the journey of British citizenship, it leads to a relaxation in the immigration control exercised without having to seek separate clearances in order to work, live, study, bring in family members or invest. Those who have been granted an ILR are allowed to work in the UK and receive any state benefits for which they are eligible.

It is important to note that an ILR status is not the same as British nationality. A person with an ILR retain their original nationality, and are not eligible for visa free travel available to British citizens. Once an ILR status is granted, you may be eligible for British Citizenship after a year of holding an ILR.

In general, immigrants who are granted indefinite permission to stay are free to leave and return to the UK. However, they risk losing their indefinite leave to stay status if they are not in the UK for more than two consecutive years. This could hamper your ILR status as well as your eligibility for citizenship eventually. So, make sure to ensure your continuous residence in the UK for at least 180 days in a year.

The eligibility requirements to apply for an ILR vary as per the visa you hold. Whereby, there are three different routes to qualify for an ILR- 10 year route, 5 year route and an accelerated route, i.e. 3 years based on different visa categories.

Holders of innovator and entrepreneur visas could be eligible to after three years if they can demonstrate that their companies have expanded significantly. Depending on the amount of investment made, holders of investor visas may apply after two or three years. Please take notice that fresh applications are not accepted for investor and entrepreneur visas. At present, holders of Global Talent and Innovator visas may apply for ILR after three years.

You may be eligible for an ILR as a Global Talent Visa holder if you have lived in the UK for a period of 2-5 years and you meet the financial requirements therein. In order to get an ILR you must go through the Life in the UK test and prove your knowledge of English. Your partner and children can also apply for an ILR. This is an excellent way to secure an ILR within a couple of years in the UK.

This is another great visa category wherein you may be eligible for an ILR only within 3 years of living in the UK. To qualify, you will need to spend 3 years in the UK on an Innovator Visa and get a new endorsement to prove that you are growing your business.

If you generate at least 10 new full-time employment or your firm has a revenue of at least £5 million, you can apply for ILR through the Entrepreneur visa route after 3 years

If you are living in the UK on any type of a work visa, you may be able to apply for an ILR within 5 years of continuous residence. These include- UK Skilled Worker Visa, Minister of Religion and Sportsperson Visa. It is not necessary for you to live in the UK for 5 years on these visas itself; even a combination of some other visas may be counted to prove your continuous residence in the UK for 5 years.

For instance, if you lived in the UK for 3 years on a representative of an overseas business visa and then switched to a Skilled worker visa, the time spent before getting your skilled worker visa will also be counted in order to determine your eligibility for an ILR. You will need to prove that you are meeting all the requirements from your employer in order to apply for an ILR.

You may be eligible for an ILR within 5 years if your partner, parent or child is a British Citizen or holds an ILR.

The ILR requirements could be relaxed in some cases, or you might be able to apply sooner. In case of death of a partner or spouse; or if you were the victim of domestic abuse, holders of spouse visas may be eligible to apply for ILR before to the 5-year qualification term. Also, persons over 65 or with a chronic physical or mental ailment are exempt from the English language requirement. Even nationals of certain countries are exempt from the English language requirement. However, India is not a part of these countries.

There are a lot of different routes to apply for an ILR as the immigration rules and the visa categories keep changing. The abovementioned routes are at present the quickest ways to get an ILR and eventually a British Citizenship based on your eligibility.