If you have permanent residency (PR), you can live, work, and study in the UK indefinitely without needing to apply for a new visa. Permanent residency in the United Kingdom is sometimes known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). In general, one of the key requirements for UK permanent residency is that you have resided in the UK continuously for at least five years. However, the actual time span for becoming a British citizen is determined by the type of UK visa you now hold. Individuals who hold either the Global Talent Visa or the Innovator Founder Visa may be eligible to apply for UK permanent residency (ILR) in as little as three years.
The most common immigration paths leading to residency in the UK are as follows:
- Work permit: five years.
- Family visa: five years.
- Business permit: three to five years.
- Time spent in ILR: 10 years
Please be aware that there are alternative avenues to permanent residency in the UK for both EU and non-EU nationals.
As a family member of a UK citizen or permanent resident in the nation
If you are a relative of a permanent resident in the United Kingdom, you may also be eligible for permanent residency. Partners or spouses, children, and dependent relatives in need of care are all eligible family members. Someone who is a British citizen or who has moved to the UK and secured permanent status is termed settled.
The following are some of the most prevalent family visas that can lead to permanent residency in the UK:
- Child visa: After one’s parents become permanent residents
- 2 or 5 years for a spouse visa
- Adult dependent relative visa: Upon your caretaker’s permanent residence in the UK
To enable your British citizen or established family member to be awarded permanent residency in the UK, you must:
- Have a family member with a permanent residence visa, or if you are applying on behalf of a child or adult dependent, have lived in the UK for two or five years.
- Meet the requirements of the partnership (e.g., partners must stay together as spouses, civil partners, or solitary partners).
- Meet the required financial requirements. These differ based on the application type you are choosing; for instance, you and your spouse must earn a minimum of £18,600 combined to apply for a spouse visa through the 5-year route.
- Take the Life in the UK test.
- Obtain the required level of English language proficiency.
Get a work visa and permanent residency in the UK.
You can come here to work for a UK employer if you hold a work visa, such as a skilled worker visa. After five years on a work visa, you are normally awarded permanent residence. The skilled worker visa is now one of the simplest ways for non-EU citizens to get permanent residence in the UK.
The following work visas are eligible for UK residency:
- Visa For Skilled Workers
- Increased Visa
- Visa for workers in the healthcare industry
- Visa For Global Talent
It is critical to understand that not all work visas lead to permanent residency in the United Kingdom. Consider the High Potential Individual (HPI) and Senior or Specialist Worker visas under the Global Business Mobility route (previously known as Tier 2 ICT visas). Even if visas such as the HPI visa do not provide a direct path to permanent residence in the UK, they can be converted to a different type of visa that does. In addition to its advantages over other work visas, the HPI visa allows qualified students to work in the UK even without a job offer.
To be eligible for permanent residency in the UK while holding a work visa, you must:
- Have been in the country for the required amount of time (typically five years)
- Keep your employer’s sponsorship if it is situated in the UK.
- Continue to work in a position that qualifies.
- Get the bare minimum salary that your position requires.
- Become certified for Life in the UK.
- Obtain the required level of English language proficiency.
Obtain permanent residency in the United Kingdom through your business.
If you want to start an innovative business in the UK, you may be eligible for a business visa, such as the innovator visa. Under current immigration procedures, the innovator visa is one of the simplest ways for non-EU people to get permanent residence in the United Kingdom. It only takes three years to achieve PR under the Innovator Founder visa. Remember that not all business visas, including the startup visa, provide a direct road to permanent residence. To gain permanent residence, you must first convert your start-up visa to an innovator visa.
To qualify for permanent residency, an innovator visa holder must:
- Have stayed in the UK for the last three years on your innovator visa.
- Get a fresh endorsement for your firm.
- Take the Life in the UK test and meet the English language competency levels.
EU nationals with permanent residency in the UK
EU citizens who wish to apply for permanent residency in the UK following Brexit must go via the EU settlement process. EU nationals who arrive in the UK before January 31, 2021 may be granted settled or pre-settled status. Pre-settled status means that you are still pursuing PR and have not completed five years in this country. If you are settled, you have gained permanent residency after five years of stay.
If you are an EU national who arrived in the UK after January 31, 2021, you can still apply for permanent residence (PR) under one of the aforementioned visa options.
How to apply for permanent residency in the UK
To apply for permanent residency in the UK, you need to:
- Fill up and submit the online application; the form you must complete will change depending on the path you have chosen. Your ILR application allows you to list your children and eligible partners.
- Cover the application costs.
- Make an appointment to provide your biometric data (photo and fingerprints) at a UKVACS office.
- Deliver any papers requested by the Home Office, such as your certificate of passing the Life in the UK exam.
Typically, you will hear back within six months with a decision. For £500, you can use the priority service to receive a decision in five working days, or for £1000, you can use the super priority service to receive a judgement in one working day.
Additional options for getting permanent residence in the UK.
- A number of additional tactics for obtaining public relations in the UK that have not been addressed above include:
- Exceptional permission to remain in the ILR following domestic abuse.
- The seven-year child path
- The residency path for ten years
- The path of private life
- Participating in Military Service
Conclusion
Obtaining permanent residency in the United Kingdom is an exciting first step toward living a fulfilling life in this vibrant country. You may confidently navigate this system and guarantee your future in the United Kingdom by being aware of all of your alternatives, carefully fulfilling the requirements, and seeking professional assistance as needed. Remember that diligent planning, thorough paperwork, and a proactive attitude are essential for securing your seat in this welcoming and thriving country.
Feranmi Nureni