Long Residencey

The long residency route to the indefinite leave to remain (ILR) status provides a route for individuals looking to settle in the UK based on 10 years of continuous residence in the UK. Individuals who have completed a lawful 10 year residence period in the UK and fulfill the requirements become eligible to apply for ILR.

Requirements For ILR Via 10 Years Long Residency Route

Fulfilling the below mentioned requirements will make the applicant eligible to apply for ILR via the long residency route.

1. Must have spent 10 years of continuous and lawful residence in the UK
2. There are no reasons of public interest why it would not be desirable to not grant the applicant ILR based on grounds such as criminal convictions
3. Applicant has sufficient knowledge of the English language and life in the UK
4. Applicant has not been outside of the UK for a total of 18 months in total during the 10 years, and not more than 6 months at one time during the 10 year period
5. Must not have left the UK with a clear intention to not return during the 10 year period

How To Apply

Applications for ILR based on 10 years of continuous residence are made online. This process can take several weeks, for those who need urgent services the application can be processed more quickly at an additional charge.

While the process of evaluation is underway the applicant must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man otherwise the application will be cancelled.

When To Apply

Applications can be submitted for ILR through the 10 year long residency category up to 28 days in advance of completing your qualifying period of lawful residence.

Required Documents

When calculating the lawful time you have spent in the UK the Home Office will consider all entry and exit stamps in your passport and landing cards. Only full days will count as absences and days on which you entered or exited the UK will be omitted. The documents provided should prove your continued residence and should include but are not limited to:

1. Evidence of accommodation such as rent agreements and mortgage statements
2. Utility bills
3. Bank statements
4. Evidence of education or employment
5. Travel tickets and receipts
6. Applicant will also need to visit a UK Visa And Citizenship Application Service(UKVCAS) center to provide biometric information (fingerprint scans and a photo)

Application Fees

The Home Office fee for an ILR application through the 10 years long residence is GBP 2389 while those who want super priority service will have to pay an additional GBP 800.

ILR Validity

The ILR has no expiry period and gives you free entry and exit to the UK however staying outside of the UK for more than 2 years will cancel the ILR

Appeal Rights Against A Refusal Of ILR

In the case that an application of ILR is refused the applicant does have the right to resubmit the application for evaluation and consideration.