Every year, citizens from all over the world relocate to the United Kingdom in the hopes of settling down with a dream career, pursuing a potential business opportunity, or simply feeling a connection to the place they have always wanted to live. Today, the United Kingdom is one of the most popular places for a better living since it provides a great opportunity to maximise your potential while also experiencing a vibrant new culture.
Voices from all around the United Kingdom are known internationally in the arts, science, business, sports, and politics.
With a typical wait time of 5 years, the procedure will require considerable patience and dedication. If you decide to stay in the UK permanently, you will be rewarded with promising chances.
We will go through the eligibility requirements, the application process, and the various application channels.
Permanent Residence UK
Permanent resident status in the UK allows anybody who want to live and work in the UK forever to do so. The interested individual must get this visa in order to work or do business in the UK without regard to time limits or immigration restrictions.
According to current immigration regulations, this status is only provided to those who do not have the Right of Abode naturally.
This visa may be revoked if the individual spends more than two years continuously outside the UK after being granted permanent residence in the UK.
What exactly is ILR?
ILR (indefinite leave to remain) is comparable to permanent residency (PR) in the United Kingdom. It provides foreign nationals with the right to live, study, and work in the United Kingdom without time limitations or restrictions.
Who is eligible to apply for PR or ILR?
To receive UK PR, you must reside in the UK for 5 years and fall into one of the following categories:
- Tier 1
- Tier 2 of the points-based system: for the skilled professionals from overseas who has a valid job offer in United Kingdom
- Businessperson
- Investor
- International students and Research Fellows
- Representative of an overseas newspaper, news agency, PR agency or broadcasting organization
- Private servant in a diplomatic household
- Domestic worker in a private household
- Overseas government employee
- Self-employed lawyer or solicitor
- UK ancestry
- Highly skilled migrant under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)
- Retired person of independent means
- Sole representative of an overseas firm
You can also apply for UK PR if you have a British citizen family member or partner.
Criteria for Eligibility
Applicants must be able to provide documentation of living in the UK for a certain time period, lawfully or otherwise, in accordance with their awarded visas. The table below illustrates the time duration of stay in the UK required to complete the indicated categories:
| S. No | Various visas/ Conditions of Stay | Duration of Stay |
| 1 | Marriage or unmarried partner to UK citizen | 2 years |
| 2 | Lawful stay on any basis (long stay) | 10 years |
| 3 | Unlawful stay | 14 years |
| 4 | Tier 1 and Tier 2 work permit | 5 years |
| 5 | Investor, sportsperson, business owner, arts | 5 years |
| 6 | Ancestry | 5 years |
Eligibility to settle as a family member of a British citizen
The applicant must be the partner of a UK citizen or a permanent resident of the UK. He or she must be currently on a family visa (for two, five, or ten years) as a partner or spouse of a British citizen.
Marriage
Current visa holders in the partner category are eligible if they are married to a British partner, in a civil partnership, or in a continuing relationship but not married.
Sharing a home
You must show proof that you are living together and intend to do so after being given residence. Shared bank accounts, a joint tenancy agreement, and other formal papers may be used as evidence.
‘Life in the UK’ Examination
The ‘Life in the UK’ test must be passed. This brief exam is aimed to assess your understanding of British life as well as your reverence and compatibility with it.
English examination
Because English is the official language of communication in all aspects of British society, candidates who do not speak English as their first language must take this exam to demonstrate fluency in speaking and comprehending the language. A degree from a recognised UK university is acknowledged as satisfying the criteria for this prerequisite.
Financial evidence
If you have dependent family members, your finances must be in order to meet the immigration system’s requirements. The following are the current financing requirements to support your family if you are on the 5-year route visa:
- In the absence of dependents, at least £18,600 per year.
- In the event of one dependent kid, at least £22,400 per year.
- Extra £2,400 per year for each kid beyond the one-child limit.
With the exception of children of British or EU origin, all children under the age of 18 are included in this income calculation system. The restrictions take into account both couples’ total income.
There is no minimum earnings requirement for the 2-year or 10-year paths. When proof of money is presented, it must demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to provide for their family without the assistance of UK public monies.
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Permanent residency as a family member of a UK resident
The spouse or partner must be in the UK on the basis of a work visa (Tier 1, 2 or 5 visa). To be eligible for permanent residency, the applicant must be married/in a civil partnership/in a relationship for at least two years.
Partners’ Eligibility
You must be on a visa as your partner’s dependant right now. If you acquired your visa after your partner was awarded established status, you must apply as a settled person’s partner.
You must have lived with your partner for at least two years if your current visa was obtained before July 9, 2012. If your visa was obtained on or after July 9, 2012, this period will be extended to five years.
When you apply, you must still be living with your partner and expect to do so in the future. When you apply, you should not be collecting benefits (using public funds).
English language and understanding of living in the UK criteria also apply, so make sure you meet them before submitting your application.
Documentation Required:
- Pay stubs Current
- Statements of bank accounts
- Address verification (like rent or lease contract etc.)
- Letters regarding council taxes
- Proof of computation of an applicant’s reported other sources of income, if any.
- In the event of a job employee, an appointment letter from the employer on company letterhead with signatory authority stamp and date.
- Material pertinent to the registered business address, applicable legal permits, and so on must be submitted in the case of business owners.
The Application Process
Check all qualifying criteria requirements carefully and gather all essential papers to provide as evidence. Allow access to your immigration history, including data on UK visas obtained after your arrival.
Application forms are available in the following categories:
Choose the one that best fits the applicant’s personal background from the two options:
Set(O):
This applies to the partner of a UK citizen or the parent of a kid living in the UK.
Documents proving your legal relationship status include:
- Certificate of Marriage / Birth (as the case may be).
- Photo/video evidence with the claimed settled family member.
Set(M)
Applicable to immigrants in any of the above-mentioned groups living in the UK.
Registration of non-EU immigrant family members in the UK
Non-EU immigrants must fill out separate application applications for each individual family member who wishes to join them. Minors and children under the age of 18 can have a parent or guardian submit the application on their behalf. If all of the qualifying conditions are met, each case will be assessed on its own basis for residence registration.
If each specific permission for sponsoring a spouse or dependent children is verified as legal, applicants on Tier 1 or Tier 2 visas have the option of allowing their family to join them in the UK.
Online applications must include a copy of the downloaded application form filled out with proper and confirmed information in all essential fields. A copy of the applicant’s passport, biometric information, and supporting documentation for all information provided must be included.
Your application can be submitted online. Within 6 months, you will receive a response to your application.
You can choose the premium processing service if you like. You will be given an appointment to have your application reviewed in person, and you will be notified of the outcome on the same day.
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Processing Time
It will take at least 6 months.
Visa application for permanent residency for EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens
Visa applications for permanent residency in the United Kingdom are no longer being accepted from EU, EEA, or Swiss residents. If an application is submitted before January 1, 2021, it will be examined but may take up to 6 months to receive a decision.
All previously awarded EEA permanent residence cards, which affirm the right to permanent residence in the UK for persons who have exercised Treaty rights in the UK for a continuous period of 5 years, will no longer be valid after June 30, 2021.
It can still be used to apply for British citizenship and to sponsor your partner’s visa application if they are applying for a visa based on your presence until that date.
Living in the United Kingdom after June 30, 2021
Those who were residing in the UK on December 31, 2020, can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, and if granted settled status,’ they can seek for British citizenship at a later date. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2021.
Members of the family
Close family members (spouse or civil partner, kid, grandchild, parent or grandparent) are also eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme. If you have a UK resident card, your ‘extended’ family members (unmarried partner, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, or niece) can apply.
Making an application for British citizenship
A PR document allows you to apply for British citizenship after one year if you have resided in the UK for at least five years previous to the application.
If your spouse, wife, or civil partner is a British citizen, you can apply after three years in the UK.
Conditions for obtaining permanent residence
Your visa status will expire if you:
- You have spent more than two years outside of the nation. The pre-settled status is no longer valid, and you must reapply if you wish to continue living in the nation.
- Any criminal violation committed by the individual would result in the cancellation of the PR permit and deportation.
Permanent residence applications may be denied if the applicant’s social media handles fail the fairness criteria. Immigration agents have the power to check the information supplied by applicants using data gathered from social media accounts.
FAQs
Why do I need to apply for permanent residency in the United Kingdom?
Permanent resident status in the United Kingdom allows any person with a valid work visa or student visa to stay in the country eternally. It is a long-term alternative to avoid the inconvenience of renewing visas to sustain a lawful stay. It is an opportunity to obtain this permission to verify that your presence in the nation is legally approved by the immigration system. You can also pursue higher study, work, or conduct business in the UK without violating immigration regulations or feeling pressed to leave.
Who is eligible for permanent residency in the United Kingdom?
Permanent residency is normally granted to those who have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 5 years and want to stay for longer, often indefinitely. Another popular reason for requesting this visa is if the applicant is married to a UK citizen and intends to stay in the UK in the near future. They normally have a shorter acclimatisation stay.
How can you apply for permanent residency in the United Kingdom?
Online applications must include a copy of the downloaded application form filled out with proper and confirmed information in all essential fields. A copy of the applicant’s passport, biometric information, and supporting documentation for all information provided must be included.
What happens if your permanent residency in the UK runs out?
This permission is subject to a lapse condition. After being awarded permanent residence in the UK, the person’s permission will expire if he spends more than two years continuously outside the country. For a fresh application, the entire terms and conditions must be repeated, including the length of stay beginning on the person’s day of return to the UK. Previously interrupted periods of stay will not be deemed genuine.
How do International Students Get PR in the UK?
The United Kingdom is one of the greatest places to pursue higher education since it is student-friendly, among the leaders in practically all areas, and has 12 institutions ranked among the top 100 in the world. Admission to a UK university, employment with full-time work in the UK with a steady income, strong moral character, and no criminal record will all aid in obtaining an ILR or PR visa.
CHECK YOUR ELIGIBITY FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM PR VISA
