UK’s pre-April 2023 immigration rules allowed individuals to apply for indefinite leave to remain after continuous lawful residence in the UK for at least ten years. Rules for the long residence route got harder after 12 April 2023 as the Home Office made some changes in its eligibility criteria.
In today’s post, we will discuss the 10-year rule on the long residence route and also shed light on what has changed in its regulation after April 2023. After that, you will also learn about the UK’s leading indefinite leave to remain lawyers who can assist you in the long residence application process and help you to settle in the UK. Let’s start with the basics of indefinite leave to remain.
Indefinite Leave to Remain Overview
Indefinite leave to remain is the process you can exercise to settle in the UK, also known as settlement. Individuals with this status hold the right to live, study, and work as long as they want in the UK. They can also use it to apply for British citizenship.
After a five-year stay in the UK, people who don’t qualify for accelerated settlement or ILR can opt for the long residence route. The majority of individuals who come to the UK on family visas or skilled worker visas usually qualify for indefinite leave to remain after five years. Those who don’t qualify for indefinite leave to remain after five years can still look to settle in the UK using the long residence route.
Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible for indefinite leave to remain:
- One must have permission to stay in the UK, also known as ‘leave to remain’. It can be any immigration category or an amalgamation of different categories.
- The applicant must have been legally in the UK for ten years without gaps, known as continuous residence.
- If your partner is settled in the UK or is already a British citizen, you will be allowed to appeal for indefinite leave as a partner instead.
- Applicants aged 18 to 65 years must pass the Life in the UK Test and prove their proficiency in the English language.
What Is the 10-Year Rule on Long Residence, and What Has Changed in This Rule?
Paragraph 276B of the UK’s immigration laws allows individuals with ten years of continual and lawful residence in the UK to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Under the pre-April 2023 immigration rules, any official residence in the UK counts towards the applicant’s ten years, even if he spent part of his ten years in this country with temporary visas. This rule was changed on 12 April 2023. Now, the authority will not count an applicant’s time on temporary visas toward his long residence time.
What Should You Do Now?
Rules for the long residence route have definitely become harder after April 2023. However, an indefinite leave to remain solicitor can help you navigate the process and overcome all hurdles to get what you deserve. Intime Immigration Limited(Intime Solicitors) is the house of the best indefinite leave to remain lawyers. Contact us now to discuss your case. Let us help you settle in the UK and get the right to live, work, or study here for as long as you want.
