Long Residence in the UK
10 YEARS’ LAWFUL RESIDENCE
If you have lived in the UK legally for 10 years then, under UK immigration law, you may apply for indefinite leave to remain. You must have passed the Life in the UK Test or achieved an appropriate level in English for Speakers of Other Languages (With Citizenship).
You will normally be granted indefinite leave to remain unless one of the following applies:
- The 10-year period has been broken; or
- You have one or more unspent criminal convictions; or
- There are public interest reasons to refuse the application.
14 YEARS’ UNLAWFUL RESIDENCE
If you have lived in the UK for 14 years then you may apply for indefinite leave to remain even if some or all of your presence in the UK has been unlawful. You must have passed the Life in the UK Test or achieved an appropriate level in English for Speakers of Other Languages (With Citizenship).
You will normally be granted indefinite leave to remain unless one of the following applies:
- Before you had spent 14 years in the UK, you were served with a notice that you were liable to be removed; or a decision to remove or deport you;
- The 14-year period has been broken; or
- You have one or more unspent criminal convictions; or
- There are public interest reasons to refuse the application.
BREAKS IN THE 10-YEAR OR 14-YEAR PERIOD
The period will be broken if:
- You were outside the UK without current leave to enter or remain; or
- You were outside the UK and had demonstrated a clear intention not to return; or
- You were outside the UK for a total of 18 months; or
- You spent time in prison or detention due to a sentence from a criminal court.
CONTACT US
For advice and assistance with a Long Residence application or appeal, call our immigration barristers direct on 0203 440 5820 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it