Indefinite Leave to Remain

INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN

If you have indefinite leave to remain or enter (ILR or ILE)
If you have ILR or ILE there is no longer any time limit on your ability to stay in the UK.
If you have ILR or ILE and your home is in the UK you are regarded as settled in the UK.

If you do not have a document to prove your ILR or ILE
If you believe that you have ILR or ILE but do not have a document to prove it, you can make a no time limit (NTL) application for confirmation of your status in the form of a biometric residence permit (BRP).

You can apply for NTL if:
• your passport containing your status or previous NTL endorsement has been lost, stolen or has expired
• you have ILR or ILE but you do not have any documentary evidence confirming this
• you have legitimately changed your identity since being granted indefinite leave and want this confirmed on a BRP

 

Generally, healthcare is available free to a person who is settled in the UK.

If you have a child in the UK while you are settled here they will normally be a British citizen automatically at birth. If you have a child who was born in the UK after 1 January 1983 and who is not a British citizen, they may be entitled to be registered as a British citizen once you are settled in the UK. You can.

You are free to study in the UK.

You are free to work in the UK in any business, profession or employment, including self-employment. You must comply with the law and any statutory regulations for that business, profession or employment.
If you are thinking of going to live or work on the Isle of Man or Channel Islands, you should consult the immigration authorities of those islands first.

If you have ILR (settled status) granted under the EU Settlement Scheme, you will not need to apply for a document confirming your status.

Family members who are not British citizens may be able to join you in the UK

You should take your BRP with you if you travel outside the UK otherwise you may be refused re-entry to the UK.
If you stay outside the UK, Ireland or the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey), for 2 or more years at a time your ILE or ILR will automatically end. If you have been granted settled
status under the EU Settlement Scheme, your leave will automatically end if you stay outside the UK, Ireland or the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey) for 5 or more years.
If this happens you will need to apply for entry clearance as a returning resident before coming back to live in the UK.

If you are deported from the UK your indefinite leave will be invalidated.
Indefinite leave can also be taken away (revoked) if you:
• are liable to deportation but cannot be removed for legal reasons, such as the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention or the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
• obtained leave by deception
• were granted leave as a refugee and cease to be a refugee
Your indefinite leave will lapse if you stay outside the UK for 2 or more years (5 or more, if granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme) at a time.

To apply for citizenship, you must usually have been living in the UK for at least 12 months after being granted indefinite leave. There are also other requirements.

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