Long Residence ILR
If you have lived legally in the UK for 10 years with valid visas then you might qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain based on Long Residence.
Long Residence ILR Eligibility Requirements
In order to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain based on 10 years’ lawful residence in the UK you must be able to evidence that:
- you have spent at least 10 continuous years in the UK with valid UK visas;
- met the terms of those visas;
- you can satisfy the English language requirement;
- you have passed the Life in the UK test;
- you have not spent more than 180 continuous days outside the UK during the 10-year qualifying residency period;
- you have not spent more than 540 days in total outside the UK during the 10-year qualifying residency period;
These applications can be complex to prepare due to the length of time over which you qualify as this can make it difficult to obtain suitable documents to evidence your previous visa status and confirm that you met the terms of those visas. It is often a good idea to obtain the records held by the Home Office by submitting a Subject Access Request.
We have extensive experience with Long Residence ILR applications and can help to ensure that your application has the best possible chance of success.
Family Members
Your family members cannot be included in your Long Residence application. Family members need to meet the eligibility requirements for ILR and submit their own applications when they qualify. Until they qualify for ILR they might have to switch into a different visa category. Once you have Settled Status (ILR) they might, for example, switch to a Spouse Visa or another suitable category.
Conditions of Long Residence ILR
Once you are granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK you will be free of immigration restrictions. If you are outside the UK for 2 or more continuous years then you can lose your ILR status.
