Trusted UK Immigration Services

Settle with confidence—
expert ILR & long residence support

Let us guide you to secure your indefinite leave to remain (ILR), whether through standard routes or the more challenging long residence option. ILR unlocks freedoms like unrestricted work and provides a pathway to British citizenship. The long residence route can be complex, with stricter requirements and careful monitoring of time spent abroad, but our experienced team ensures every detail is covered. Rely on our expertise for a seamless journey to ILR and a settled life in the UK.

Trusted UK Immigration Services | TS Immigration

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BRITISH CITIZENSHIP

Your path to settlement, simplified

A person with ILR is considered settled and free from immigration control, allowing them to live in the UK indefinitely.
They gain the right to work for any employer or choose not to work at all.
Any visa restrictions or conditions previously placed on them are removed.
To qualify for British citizenship, an individual must first hold ILR (or settled status for EEA or Swiss nationals), typically for at least 12 months. ILR holders married to a British citizen can apply for citizenship immediately upon meeting the three-year residency requirement in the UK.
A child born in the UK to a parent with ILR is automatically considered a British citizen and may apply for a British passport immediately. If a child is born before their parent obtains ILR, they can apply for British citizenship once the parent has ILR, provided they are still a minor.

ILR, also known as settlement, grants the right to live in the UK permanently with no time restrictions. Not all UK visa categories lead to settlement. For example, the Skilled Worker (previously Tier 2 (General)) route allows sponsored employees to apply for ILR after a continuous five-year period in the UK, provided they meet certain salary and employment requirements. In contrast, the Global Business Mobility routes do not lead to settlement. In some cases, those who have lived in the UK under various visa categories that typically do not count towards settlement may still apply for ILR under the long residence rules.

Continuous residence in the UK

Applicants for ILR must demonstrate that they have lived in the UK continuously for a specified period (the qualifying period) to meet residency requirements. Most often, the qualifying period is five years, but each visa category will specify the minimum qualifying period. Generally, the qualifying period must be spent in the same visa category. For instance, a person switching from a Skilled Worker visa to a spousal visa must complete a new five-year qualifying period on the spousal visa before becoming eligible for ILR.

In some categories, including Skilled Worker, an applicant's absences from the UK must align with the original purpose of entry or be due to serious or compelling reasons. Some applicants must provide documentation explaining their absences. For example, Skilled Worker applicants need an employer letter detailing annual leave entitlements and any approved business travel. Absences for serious or compelling reasons, such as severe illness of the applicant or a close relative or a pandemic (like COVID-19) that prevented timely return to the UK, must also be supported by evidence.

How long can you be outside the UK and still qualify for ILR?

The allowable time outside the UK depends on the ILR route. The long residence route, based on ten years of lawful residence, permits a maximum of 18 months (540 days) of absence within this period. Absences exceeding six months may break continuous residence. The Home Office may allow absences over 540 days or single absences longer than six months on a discretionary basis. Our expert team helped an applicant qualify under the long residence route despite having been absent for 543 days.

Under the partner routes, there is no set absence limit, but the Home Office may question an applicant's intention to live permanently in the UK with their partner if there are prolonged periods of absence.

Yes, ILR status can expire or be revoked. ILR expires if the holder is absent from the UK, Ireland or the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey) for over two consecutive years. For EU settled status holders, the absence limit is five years instead of two. Returning to the UK briefly resets the two-year period, but ILR holders should be mindful that frequent short visits may cause border officers to question their intent to settle in the UK.

If ILR status is lost under the two-year absence rule, the individual will need to apply for entry clearance as a returning resident to live in the UK again.

Your life, your roots—
private life visa

Applying for a visa on the basis of private life allows individuals with strong, established connections in the UK to build a stable future here. Whether you have grown up in the UK, spent most of your life here, or have significant ties to the community, we understand that moving away would create major challenges. Our dedicated team is here to guide you through every step, ensuring you have the comprehensive support and documentation needed to make a compelling application. We help you present the evidence you need to demonstrate the depth of your connection to the UK, giving you the best chance for a successful outcome in your private life visa application.

A private life visa application is only available to individuals already living in the UK. Applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

Be under 18 and have lived in the UK continuously for at least seven years, where it would be unreasonable to expect them to leave.
Be aged 18 to 24 and have lived continuously in the UK for more than half their life.
Be 18 or older, have lived in the UK for less than 20 years, and demonstrate that relocating to another country would present very significant problems.
Have lived in the UK continuously for 20 years.
Be born in the UK to a parent who has, or is applying for, permission to remain based on private life.