Indefinite Leave to Remain and Citizenship

You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) (equivalent to the US Green Card) in the UK if you have been lawfully residing in the UK for an uninterrupted period of 5 years and depending on the type of visa you have been on.

ILR means you can stay in the UK without any time restrictions. Once you have been in the UK a further 12 months, you can apply for Citizenship.

Applicants must have sufficient knowledge of the English language and sufficient knowledge about life in the UK. Applicants must also have been in the UK for more than 183 days in each year of the 5 years.

Once you have been granted ILR, you must not spend 2 years or more outside of the UK, as this can lead to ILR being revoked.

There are different ways to become a British citizen. The most common is called ‘naturalisation’.

You can apply for British citizenship by naturalisation if you are aged 18 or over, you have met the knowledge of English and life in the UK requirements and you meet the residency requirement.

In additon, you must usually have lived in the UK for at least the 5 years before the date of your application, spent no more than 450 days outside the UK during those 5 years and spent no more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months.

There are different requirements if your spouse or civil partner is a British citizen. A list of fees payable for immigration services for individuals is set out here.

Please contact us to speak to our specialist immigration advisors to avoid unnecessary expenses and ensure your Indefinite Leave to remain/Citizenship application has the best chance of success.