10 Years Lawful Route

1. Requirements for 10 Years Long Residence

You must meet the following requirements in order to successfully apply for indefinite leave to remain based on ten years of residency, according to UK Visas and Immigration:

• you have consistently and legitimately resided in the United Kingdom for a minimum of ten years;
• you have lived in the UK lawfully for ten years without interruption;
• there are no reasons why granting you indefinite leave to remain would be undesirable to the public interest;
• there aren’t any standard reasons (such a criminal conviction) to reject your application;
• you have demonstrated sufficient knowledge about life in the UK and of the English language. 

2. How To Apply for a Long Residence ILR

Online applications are accepted for long-term legal residency (ILR) based on ten years of continuous residency.  You will be able to pay if you would like to get an answer on your application for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) faster.

Please keep in mind, that you cannot include your family members (‘dependants’) in your application. Your children may have to leave the UK if they are not eligible to apply separately and are over 18.

3. When to apply

Up to 28 days before the end of your qualifying term of continuous lawful residence, you may file for immigration under the ten-year long residency category. A request for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) with a basis of ten years of residence that is submitted with less than twenty-eight days’ notice will be denied.

4. Required documents

Any UK entry and exit stamps on your passports and landing cards will be taken into account by the Home Office when evaluating your application for permanent residence (ILR) based on ten years of continuous and lawful residency. Should you possess a vast travel record, you might think about submitting a topic access request. Absences will only be recorded on full days. The days when you arrived or left the UK do not need to be included.

You should consider providing the documents to prove your continued residence in the UK including:

• evidence of accommodation, tenancy agreements or mortgage statements;
• travel tickets and receipts;
• utility bills;
• evidence of education or employment;
• bank statements.

You will also need to have your biometric information taken.

5. Application Fee

The Home Office application fee for indefinite leave to remain based on the 10 years long residence is £2,885 (standard service). You will usually get an answer within 6 months.

If you’re applying to settle you can pay an extra £800 for the super priority service. You’ll get a decision by the end of the next working day after providing your biometric information if your appointment is on a weekday. if your appointment is at the weekend, you will get a decision during 2 working days after providing your fingerprints and biometric photo. 

Until you get a decision, you are not permitted to leave the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. If you do, your application will be withdrawn.

6. How Long Does Indefinite Leave To Remain (ILR) Last For?

Once you have been granted indefinite leave to remain, it will not expire. You will be permanently free of immigration time restrictions. However, if you spend more than 2 years outside the UK, you may lose your ILR, if you live abroad for longer than two years.

7. Other ways you can stay

There are alternative options to apply for indefinite leave to remain if your time in the UK disqualifies you. With «leave to remain,» you might be able to prolong your stay for an additional two years. You must have maintained continuous residency in the UK for a minimum of ten years, without any breaks.

If you’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you might still be eligible to apply for the free EU Settlement Scheme if you or a family member moved to the UK before December 31, 2020.

8. How can our company help?

For expert assistance in relation to an ILR application based on 10 years lawful long residence, contact our immigration advisers.

Our advisers will assist you with completing the application, verifying that all the information is correct, and ensuring that you have all the necessary supporting documents. Additionally, our advisers will be available any time to address any queries you may have about your application.