A person who has lived in the UK for 10 years continuously can apply for ILR on the ground of 'long residence' using Form SET(LR) as long as all time spent in the UK during the 10 years has been lawful, and he/she has not left the UK for more than 540 calendar days in total (18 months), or more than 180 calendar days (6 months) at one time. [4] After living in the UK for 10 years continuously (holding leave to remain on the grounds of private life during this period), he/she can apply for ILR. Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) means permission to live in the UK without any time limit. (The 10-year rule (paragraph 276B(i)(a)), which provides a route to settlement on the grounds of continuous lawful residence in the UK of at least 10 years, was unaffected and remains in place).[32]. You can apply for UK Indefinite Leave to Remain if you have completed the qualifying period of a visa category that leads to settlement. The changes were retroactive in the sense that people on a four-year visas must apply for a one-year extension before they can apply for ILR, but they did not affect people who had already been granted ILR after four years. The ability to apply for indefinite leave to remain or enter will depend on the person’s existing immigration category and ability to meet the relevant rules in place. In August 2010, the new government scrapped the Migrants Impact Fund. In 2018, the UK government has indicated that a new immigration status would be created for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens with settled status due to the fact that their permanent residence status would lapse following Brexit. In 2009 the Government introduced a £70m Migrants Impact Fund. [6], A person aged under 18 who has lived in the UK for 7 years continuously (lawfully or unlawfully, but discounting any period of imprisonment) can apply for leave to remain on the grounds of private life using Form FLR(FP) if it would not be reasonable to expect the applicant to leave the UK. You must comply with the law and any statutory regulations for that business, profession or employment. Holders of ILR may apply for British citizenship if they have held ILR for twelve months or longer, are over 18 and have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for the last five years. Holders of indefinite leave to remain are entitled to work in the UK and they are also entitled to receive any state benefits that they qualify for. [7][8], A person aged between 18 and 25 who has lived in the UK for at least half of his/her life (lawfully or unlawfully, but discounting any period of imprisonment) can apply for leave to remain on the grounds of private life using Form FLR(FP). Hence, for example, a French citizen who arrived to work in the UK on 1 July 1986 would have been treated as a permanent resident between that date and 1 October 2000. Where a child would be a British citizen but for the fact that the parents are not married, the Home Office will usually register the child as a British citizen under section 3(1) of the British Nationality Act provided that the child is still under 18. Under the law as it existed between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006, a citizen of an EEA state or Switzerland could be granted permanent residence on an application after four years' residence in the United Kingdom exercising Treaty rights (five years from 3 April 2006). Types of election, referendums, and who can vote, check if you can become a British citizen, Check if you can become a British citizenship, Apply for citizenship if your spouse is a British citizen, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services, Borders, immigration and citizenship: privacy information notice, Settle in the UK as a child under 18: form SET(F), Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support, Transparency and freedom of information releases, your passport containing your status or previous, you have legitimately changed your identity since being granted indefinite leave and want this confirmed on a, are liable to deportation but cannot be removed for legal reasons, such as the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention or the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), were granted leave as a refugee and cease to be a refugee. Information on this is available in the section on family in the UK. The type of evidence you need to provide in your application, and the length of the qualifying period (ie how many years you must have spent in the UK already) depend on the immigration category you were granted during that time. Use the BRP replacement service to do this. However the child can be registered as a British citizen under s1(3) of the British Nationality Act 1981 provided application is made before the age of 18. [7][8], A person who has lived in the UK for 20 years continuously (lawfully or unlawfully, but discounting any period of imprisonment) can apply for leave to remain on the grounds of private life using Form FLR(FP). Whether you can become a British passport British citizens may be able to travel into and of! Immigration conditions settlement or Permanent residence PR the pathway to becoming naturalised as a British passport with Discretionary leave apply. ) Documents in 2020 [ Checklist ] specific ILR guidance sure you are granted leave to Remain is also as. 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