Do you want to settle in the UK? With great healthcare, world-class education, and lots of art, history, and culture, it’s an excellent place to call home. Are you trying to apply for a UK permanent residency? Then this article is for you, it elaborates the 4 facts about UK’s permanent residency you need to know when undergoing the permanent residency journey.
Citizens from all over the world move to the UK every year with hopes of settling down with a dream job or exploring a promising business opportunity, or simply because they feel a connection to the place, they have been wanting to live in. Today the United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations for a better life because it offers a great way to harness your potential and enjoy a dynamic new culture simultaneously.
4 Facts About UK’s Permanent Residency
Permanent resident status in the UK provides any person who wants to live and work in the UK indefinitely an opportunity to do so. The interested person needs to acquire this permit in order to work or conduct business in the UK, without any time limits on their stay and immigration restrictions.
In accordance with current immigration rules, this status is granted exclusively to a person who does not have the Right of Abode naturally. There are facts that need to be pointed out to you upon application for permanent residency.
1. Eligibility Requirements
The applicant must be 18 years of age or above.
The applicant must have held a valid Indefinite Leave to Remain status for a continuous period of 12 months.
The applicant must not have any unspent criminal convictions.
The applicant must have held comprehensive sickness insurance coverage for the whole period of 12 months.
Read Also: Scholarship in the UK
Permanent Residency Requirements
The applicant must have held a valid visa that is compatible with the UK’s immigration regulations.
The applicant must be of good character and have no criminal convictions.
The applicant must not be subject to any exclusion or deportation orders.
The applicant must have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family during their stay in the UK.
2. Getting Permanent Residency in the UK for Non-EU Citizen
There are a few ways that a person can acquire permanent residency in the United Kingdom. One way is through ancestry, and another way is by having lived in the UK for a certain number of years. However, the most common way to acquire permanent residency is by having a job offer from a UK employer.
If you are a non-EU citizen or another member state of the European Union, and you do not have either a job offer from a UK employer or an indefinite leave to remain in the UK, and you meet the eligibility requirements for permanent residency, you can apply for a visa to stay in the UK. The visa will allow you to live and work in the UK while your application is being processed.
Read Also: 6 Graduate Jobs with Visa Sponsorship in the UK
Once your application is approved, you will be granted a temporary residence permit that will expire six months after it is issued. You must then apply for a permanent residence card, which will allow you to live and work in the UK permanently.
If you are not a citizen of the EU or another member state of the European Union, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. This status will allow you to live and work in the UK without having to obtain a visa or any other form of residency. You will need to meet the eligibility requirements for indefinite leave to remain, and you will also have to apply for it through the UK government.
3. Eligibility for Settlement
Many people think about the settlement because they are a partner of a British citizen and are currently on a family visa as a partner or spouse. This type of visa has three routes:
- 2-year route
- 5-year route
- 10-year route
If you are on any of the above visas, you need to have lived in the UK for 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years, respectively. Once you meet the time spent in the country criteria, you are ready to submit an application, on the condition you meet the other criteria below such as;
- Marriage;
- Proof of funds;
- Living together;
- Life in the UK test, and;
- English test.
Read Also: How can international students get sponsors in the UK?
4. Permanent Residency Application Process
The application usually takes up to six months before getting a reply, sometimes it could take more than six months. It mostly takes six months though.
A processing fee is applicable, and as of the time of writing, the cost is £2389 for an individual application by post. You will pay more if you decide to make an application in person. The benefit of an in-person application is that you will receive a decision on the day and will not have to wait up to 6 months for your request to be processed.
There are two types of permanent residency application forms this will come in handy as you should know which one to fill, these forms are;
- Set(O), and;
- Set (M).
The set(O) application forms are used by individuals that;
- are the partner of a UK citizen, or;
- the parent of a child settled in the UK.
The set (M) forms are used by individuals that possess one of the immigration categories below;
- family members of non-EU Immigrants in the UK, and;
- for EU, EEA Nationals, or Swiss citizens.
