An Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK is more powerful than any ordinary visa. It allows you to stay in the United Kingdom as long as you wish. An ILR is sometimes called permanent residence, and it allows immigrants to work and live without any boundaries in the UK.

There are specific qualifications you need to meet to be considered for an ILR in the UK. Some long-term visas can lead to an ILR, though you still have to take the necessary steps to receive them. Regardless, suppose you are interested in how to get ILR UK. In that case, this article will show you the qualifications and how to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain in the United Kingdom!

Qualifications

To qualify for an ILR in the UK, you must pass some lengthy residence checks. To even begin thinking about an ILR, you will need to have lived in the United Kingdom for at least five years. Within these five years, your residence needs to be continuous, and the majority of it has to be spent in the UK.

You need to physically live in the United Kingdom for over five years and display all the merits of a good citizen. Your record must be clean from any significant offenses. Any crime or bad standing in your record may make you illegible for an Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK as the immigration offices will check if you are of good character.

Leaving the UK

The United Kingdom immigration will look into your residence, so you must keep a detailed account of your stay during those mandatory five years. They will check if you have left the country and lived anywhere else during that period. It would be best to note any instances where you leave the country as long absences may make your 5-year tenure illegible.

You must not spend more than a total of 450 days outside of the United Kingdom at any point during your 5-year stay. Furthermore, during your last year of the application, you can not spend more than 90 days outside the nation.

It is important to note that you should refrain from leaving the Uk for long periods even after receiving your ILR. Immigration officers may think that you do not intend to live in the United Kingdom is spend more than two years away from the country. You need to get separate visas if you intend to do so.

English Language Test

To prove you were truly living in the United Kingdom for the past five years, you must pass a test that shows your proficiency in both the local language and way of life in the country. The test is a requirement, and it takes around 45 minutes to answer. You may study if you like, though the test should be a breeze if you have truly lived in the nation for that long.

You may be exempted from taking the English language test for specific reasons. Those from a majority English-speaking country usually would not need to take the English proficiency test unless their English is poor.

There are also specific exemptions about certain groups and categories of people. People ages 65 and up also do not need to take the English test. Furthermore, if you hold a degree from an accredited university that teaches English, you are exempted from the test. UK immigration helps people in need as well, so victims of domestic abuse and people under protection do not need to take the English test.

If you think you qualify for an Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, you can contact immigration lawyers at total.law to learn more about the process! They can guide you and provide you with all the information to prepare for the ILR procedures.

Applying for an ILR

Applying for an Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK is relatively straightforward. Unlike typical applications, you need to send your application for an ILR at the start of the entire process when physically living in the United Kingdom. Please send the application to the UK Home Office, and upon receiving it, your five years will officially start. Five years after sending your application, you will be eligible to move further on in the process.

An Indefinite Leave to Remain in the United Kingdom does not come free, unlike natural-born citizenship. You must pay around 1,400 euros for the application alone. The ILR is the UK that grants you restrictionless living and work in the nation, so that euro amount is nothing compared to the benefits!