Overview
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as settlement, is the immigration status that ends the time-limited phase of your UK residence. With ILR you can live and work in the UK without restriction, leave and return without your permission lapsing (subject to absence rules), and apply to naturalise as a British citizen 12 months later.
Most ILR applicants in the Individual & Family hub reach settlement through the partner 5-year route: an initial Spouse Visa, then an FLR(M) extension, then ILR at the 5-year mark. Long residence (10 continuous years lawfully in the UK) is a separate route under Appendix Long Residence.
Updated for 2026: Home Office fees rose by 6-7% on 8 April 2026. The English requirement rises from B1 to B2 on 26 March 2027. Anyone close to qualifying should apply before that date if their English is at B1 but not B2.
This page focuses on partner-route ILR. If you are settling through 10 years of long residence, see our detailed long residence guide. We handle both routes from our Glasgow office.
Key Benefits
5-year clock checked
We audit your full immigration history, every grant and gap, and confirm you meet the continuous-residence test before you submit. Catching a hidden gap before the Home Office finds it saves the application.
Evidence rebuilt for ILR
ILR needs fresh documentation across relationship, finances, accommodation, English, and Life in the UK. We rebuild every category from scratch. Old extension documents do not carry over.
Absence audit
We list every trip outside the UK in the last 5 years against the 180-day rolling rule and the absence-evidence requirements. Borderline cases get a written justification before they reach the caseworker.
Citizenship-ready
Every ILR we file is set up for the citizenship application that follows. We track the 12-month settled-residence clock and the Life in the UK certificate validity from ILR day one.
Our Service Packages
Advice Package
A one-to-one consultation with a Glasgow immigration adviser. We confirm the right ILR route, audit your residence and evidence, and lay out a clear action plan to the application date.
From £150 + VAT
Application Package
Full end-to-end ILR application. We prepare every document, draft the cover letter, complete the online form, and submit on your behalf. Includes one revision after Home Office contact.
From £950 + VAT
Document Check
Already prepared your application? Our advisers review every document and the completed form before you submit, with a written checklist of any gaps.
From £350 + VAT
Refusal Review and Re-Application
If your ILR was refused, we review the refusal letter and rebuild the application or advise on administrative review and judicial review grounds.
From £600 + VAT
UK ILR Requirements 2026 (Partner Route)
To qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the partner route, you must complete 5 continuous years of UK residence as the partner of a British citizen or settled person, meet the financial requirement, demonstrate B1 English, and pass the Life in the UK test. The application is decided against Appendix FM and Appendix Continuous Residence of the Immigration Rules.
Continuous residence
- 5 years of continuous lawful residence on family visas as a partner (Spouse Visa + FLR(M))
- No more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during the qualifying period
- You must not be in breach of immigration laws (overstayers’ positions are limited)
- Time on other visa categories does not count towards the 5 years on this route
Relationship requirement
- Your relationship with your sponsor must still be genuine and subsisting
- You must intend to continue living together permanently in the UK
- If you have separated, ILR on this route is not available; alternative settlement routes may apply
Financial requirement
For applicants who first applied for their family visa on or after 11 April 2024, the income threshold at ILR is £29,000 per year. For applicants on the legacy £18,600 threshold (visa first granted before that date), transitional rules apply. Income can come from employment, self-employment, pensions, savings, or a permitted combination.
⚠️ Important: The threshold may rise to £38,700 in line with the planned phased increase. Confirm which figure applies to your case before filing. Call us on 0141 496 0321.
English language requirement
ILR applicants currently demonstrate English at CEFR B1 level in speaking and listening. From 26 March 2027, the standard rises to B2 across all four components. If you are close to qualifying and your English is at B1 but not yet B2, apply before the change.
You can satisfy the requirement by:
- Passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) at the required level
- Holding a degree taught in English with Ecctis confirmation if non-UK
- Being a national of a majority English-speaking country listed in Appendix English Language
- A pre-existing UK qualification used at extension stage where it covers the relevant level
Life in the UK test
All ILR applicants aged 18 to 64 must pass the Life in the UK test, unless exempt on medical grounds. The test is a 24-question multiple-choice exam covering UK history, culture, and civic structure, with a 75% pass mark. The £50 booking fee is paid separately to the Home Office application. The pass certificate is valid indefinitely once issued. Most Glasgow applicants take the test at the Renfrew Street centre.
Documents Required for ILR
An ILR application is decided on the strength of a complete evidence bundle. Documents from earlier visa applications do not carry over. Every category needs fresh evidence covering the period since your last grant.
Relationship evidence
- Original marriage or civil partnership certificate (still valid)
- Cohabitation evidence covering the full qualifying period: joint utility bills, joint tenancy or mortgage, joint bank statements
- Family photographs across the period
- Letters from family or friends confirming the relationship is ongoing
- Travel records of trips taken together
Continuous residence evidence
- All passports covering the 5-year qualifying period (current and expired)
- Biometric Residence Permit (or eVisa screenshots if your BRP has expired)
- Boarding passes, travel itineraries, or stamps for any absences over 28 days
- Schedule of every trip outside the UK with dates, destinations, and reasons
- Where compelling absences are claimed (illness, bereavement, humanitarian work), supporting documentation
Financial evidence
- 6 months of payslips ending close to application date (or 12 months under legacy Category B rules)
- Employment contract and current employer letter confirming role, salary and start date
- 6 months of bank statements showing salary credits matching payslips
- Most recent P60
- Self-employed: SA302, last full year accounts, business bank statements
- Savings: 6 months of statements showing the qualifying amount held continuously
Accommodation evidence
- Tenancy agreement or property deeds in the sponsor’s or applicant’s name
- Most recent council tax bill
- Recent utility bill addressed to the applicant or sponsor
- Where staying with family, a letter from the property owner plus their tenancy or deeds
English language and Life in the UK evidence
- SELT certificate at B1 within validity, or qualifying degree certificate plus Ecctis statement
- Or passport showing qualifying nationality for the exemption
- Life in the UK test pass certificate (no expiry once issued)
Identity and immigration history
- Current passport plus all previous passports covering the qualifying period
- Police certificate from any country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years (where applicable)
- Records of any contact with the Home Office during the qualifying period (refusals, administrative reviews, appeals)
How to Apply for ILR
The application is made online through the gov.uk service. The process moves through five practical stages once we have agreed scope.
Stage 1: Eligibility audit and timeline
We confirm you meet the 5-year continuous residence test, audit your immigration history for any hidden gaps, and agree a target submission date. The 28-day pre-eligibility window dictates when the form goes in.
Stage 2: Evidence build
We send a personalised checklist by category and start collecting documents. Your sponsor pulls payroll and accommodation evidence; you assemble identity, travel, and Life in the UK certificates. We chase what is missing.
Stage 3: Application preparation
We complete the online ILR form, draft your supporting cover letter setting out how each requirement is met, and label every document for upload. The cover letter is not a Home Office requirement, but it materially shortens decision times.
Stage 4: Submission and biometrics
We submit the form, pay the application fee, and confirm your biometric appointment at UKVCAS Glasgow on Bath Street. You attend with your passport. Documents are uploaded in advance through UKVCAS or on the day at the centre.
Stage 5: Decision and grant
The Home Office issues a decision, typically within 6 months on standard service. A successful decision gives you Indefinite Leave to Remain: no expiry date, full access to the labour market, and the gateway to British citizenship 12 months later.
ILR Costs and Processing Times 2026
The total cost of an ILR application has three Home Office components: the application fee, the Life in the UK test fee, and the biometric capture fee. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge at ILR (it is paid only on time-limited applications). Adviser fees are separate.
| Cost | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ILR application fee | £3,226 | Per applicant; subject to 6-7% rise from 8 April 2026 |
| Life in the UK test | £50 | Booked separately; takes around 45 minutes |
| Biometric enrolment | Included | Captured at UKVCAS appointment |
| Priority service | +£500 | Decision within 5 working days where slots available |
| Super-priority service | +£1,000 | Decision by end of next working day |
Total Home Office cost (standard, partner route): approximately £3,276 per applicant. Family members applying together each pay the full fee. Fee waivers are available where the applicant is destitute under specific criteria.
Processing times in 2026
Standard ILR processing is up to 6 months from biometrics. Cases referred for further checks can take longer. Priority service (5 working days) and super-priority service (next working day) are available for an additional fee where slots are released.
What happens after ILR is granted
Your ILR has no time limit, but it can be lost if you spend more than 2 continuous years outside the UK. The next milestone is British citizenship: most ILR holders qualify after 12 months of settled residence (or immediately if married to a British citizen). We start citizenship preparation 3 to 6 months before the eligibility date.
Read our guide to British citizenship after ILR
Frequently asked questions
You can submit your ILR application up to 28 days before you complete 5 continuous years of UK residence as a partner. Submit too early and the application is refused. Submit too late and you fall into overstayer territory. Most Glasgow clients aim to submit in the 21 to 14 day window before eligibility.
Yes. The standard rule is no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period across the 5-year qualifying period. Some compelling-circumstances absences can be disregarded with evidence. We pull every passport stamp and reconcile it against the rolling rule before filing.
ILR partner-route applicants need to evidence the financial requirement at the date of application. The income for the period leading up to ILR is what matters. Where income dipped, savings, self-employment alternatives, or non-employment income can plug the gap. We map the qualifying combination before you apply.
Partner-route ILR is for someone who has spent 5 continuous years on family visas as the partner of a settled person. Long residence ILR (under Appendix Long Residence) is for anyone who has been lawfully in the UK for 10 continuous years on any combination of permitted visas. The same person may qualify for both at different points. We see partner ILR for clients on the natural Spouse + FLR funnel; long residence for clients whose visa history is non-linear.
A computer-based test of 24 questions on UK history, culture, and government. You need 75% (18 of 24) to pass. The test costs £50 to book and takes around 45 minutes. The pass certificate is valid indefinitely once issued. Most Glasgow applicants book the test at the Renfrew Street centre in the city centre.
Children settled in the UK as the dependants of a partner-route applicant can apply for ILR alongside the parent, provided their own residence and Suitability requirements are met. Each family member needs their own separate application and fee. Children do not have to take the Life in the UK test or English test.
Most ILR refusals carry a right of administrative review (within 14 days). If administrative review fails, the only further routes are a fresh application or judicial review. We review every refusal letter against the Immigration Rules to identify the right next step.
If you are married to a British citizen, you can apply for naturalisation immediately upon receiving ILR. If your sponsor is settled but not British, you wait 12 months from the ILR grant date before applying for citizenship. Either way, the path runs through our British Citizenship service. We start citizenship preparation 3 months before the eligibility date.