Settlement & Nationality
A UK indefinite leave to remain application allows you to settle permanently in the UK if you meet the requirements for your route. Indefinite Leave to Remain, often called ILR or settlement, lets you live, work and study here with no time limit on your stay. Meeting the UK indefinite leave to remain requirements usually means completing a qualifying period on an eligible immigration route, passing the Life in the UK test and English language requirement, meeting any residence and absence rules, and satisfying the Home Office suitability requirements. We prepare your application so it reaches the Home Office complete, accurate and with the right evidence behind it.
At a glance
Qualifying period
Usually five years on many family and work routes, ten years under Long Residence, or no qualifying period for some routes
Home Office fee
£3,226 per applicant, from 8 April 2026
Knowledge of Life and Language
Life in the UK test passed, plus English at B1 or above, unless an exemption applies
Our fee
Usually £800 to £3,000 plus VAT, depending on the route and complexity
Indefinite Leave to Remain, also called settlement, is the immigration status that allows a person to live in the United Kingdom with no time limit on their stay. Once granted, you can work, study, run a business and apply for benefits or public funds if you are otherwise eligible.
ILR is the final step on many immigration routes to the UK. It marks the move from temporary permission, granted in fixed periods, to permanent settlement. The route you came in on usually decides when you can apply. Many people can apply for British citizenship after holding ILR for twelve months, although some can apply sooner depending on their circumstances, for example if they are married to a British citizen. After citizenship is granted, a British passport application may be the next step.
The core UK indefinite leave to remain requirements are often similar across routes: a qualifying period of residence, the Knowledge of Life and Language (KoLL) requirement, residence and absence rules, and suitability. Each route also has its own conditions, for example the financial requirement on the spouse visa route or the salary and sponsorship requirements on the Skilled Worker route.
The rules sit across Appendix Settlement Family Life, Appendix Long Residence, Appendix Skilled Worker, Appendix Private Life and other parts of the Immigration Rules, depending on the route. Choosing the right route, and making the application at the right time, is often the difference between a clean grant and an avoidable refusal.
The most common routes to settlement are listed below. If you are not sure which one applies to you, we can look at your immigration history and tell you.
The Home Office expects every applicant to meet the rules for their own route. The detail differs, but the core issues below arise in many settlement applications.
A complete qualifying period of residence
You must usually have spent the required time in the UK on an eligible visa route. This is often five years on family and work routes, or ten years of continuous lawful residence under Long Residence. Time on short visit visas, or time spent in the UK unlawfully, does not normally count towards ILR.
Residence and absences
Many settlement routes have strict rules on absences from the UK. Some work routes apply a 180-day limit in a rolling twelve-month period, while family and Long Residence applications are assessed under their own rules. Long absences, gaps in permission, late applications and broken residence can all create problems, so we check your travel and immigration history before you apply.
Knowledge of Life and Language (KoLL)
Most adult applicants must pass the Life in the UK test and show English language ability at level B1 or above on the CEFR scale, unless an exemption applies. Exemptions can apply for applicants aged 65 or over, or where a long-term physical or mental condition prevents the applicant from meeting the requirement.
Suitability
The Home Office looks at criminal convictions, immigration history, deception, unpaid NHS debt above the relevant threshold, unpaid litigation costs owed to the Home Office and other suitability issues. Some issues can lead to refusal even where the residence requirement is met, so any concerns should be raised early.
Route-specific rules
Each ILR route has its own extra requirements. On the partner route, this can include the financial and relationship requirements. On work routes, this can include salary, sponsorship and employment requirements. On Private Life and Long Residence routes, the history of residence is especially important.
Home Office fees, English test thresholds and route-specific rules change regularly. The points on this page are a general guide, correct as at June 2026, and not legal advice on your case. We confirm the current figures and rules when you instruct us.
We start by mapping your immigration history against the route you are on. If a different route would be quicker or stronger, we tell you. We also flag absences, gaps, late applications, suitability issues and evidence problems before you apply.
You receive a tailored checklist for your route, and we review every document before submission. This stage often catches small problems, such as missing payslips, an incorrect test certificate, an undeclared absence or a document that does not cover the right period.
We complete the online form, draft a clear supporting letter that explains your case and addresses any sensitive points, and organise the evidence so the caseworker can see that the requirements are met.
We submit the application, help with the biometric appointment and deal with Home Office correspondence on your behalf until a decision is made. If further information is requested, we respond promptly to keep the case moving.
Our fee depends on the ILR route you qualify under, from £800 plus VAT for a straightforward spouse ILR (SET M) to £3,000 plus VAT for complex ten-year Long Residence cases. The exact figure for your situation is confirmed in writing before any work begins, after a free phone consultation. See our full fixed-fee schedule for the breakdown by route. Government costs are paid separately and are not part of our fee. These include the Home Office application fee (£3,226 per applicant from 8 April 2026), the Life in the UK test fee, any approved English test fee where one is needed, and biometric enrolment fees where charged. Priority and super priority services may be available from the Home Office at additional cost, depending on the route and appointment availability.
The UK indefinite leave to remain requirements depend on the route you are applying under. Most applications involve a qualifying period of residence, the Life in the UK test, English at B1 or above unless exempt, route-specific evidence and suitability checks. We review your route, immigration history, absences and documents before the application is submitted.
The qualifying period depends on the route. Many people apply after five years on a partner, parent or work visa. Long Residence applications require ten years of continuous lawful residence. Some routes, such as bereaved partner and victim of domestic abuse (SET DV), do not have the usual qualifying period. We look at your full immigration history and confirm the earliest date you can apply.
The Life in the UK test is a multiple-choice exam covering British history, traditions, society and government. Most adult applicants must pass it as part of the Knowledge of Life and Language (KoLL) requirement. Exemptions can apply if you are aged 65 or over, or if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition that prevents you from taking it.
It depends on the route. Some work routes apply a 180-day absence limit in a rolling twelve-month period. Long Residence has separate rules, and family routes are assessed differently. Because absence rules are route-specific, we check your travel history carefully before advising whether you are safe to apply.
Dependants do not automatically receive ILR because the main applicant qualifies. Each dependant usually needs to make an application under the route that applies to them. We assess each family member, including any child of a British citizen or settled person, work out who is eligible at the same time, and handle the applications together where possible.
Standard processing can take up to six months, although some decisions are made sooner. Priority and super priority services may be available at additional cost, depending on the route and appointment availability. We advise whether priority is available and whether it is worth using in your case.
A refusal letter sets out the reasons and the options open to you. Depending on the route and refusal reason, the next step may be an administrative review, a fresh application, or in some cases an appeal or other legal challenge. Many refusals come from residence issues, absences, suitability concerns or evidence problems. We review the refusal in detail and advise on the strongest next step.
Many people can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen twelve months after the grant of ILR. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, the twelve-month wait may not apply. Citizenship has its own residence, suitability, language and Life in the UK requirements. Once your ILR is in place, we can also advise on British citizenship and British passport application next steps.
Last updated: June 2026.
