UK PR: Your Guide to Permanent Residency in the UK

The UK offers great career opportunities, countless art galleries, museums, theatres, and welcoming, polite, and friendly people. If you’re dreaming of living in the UK or have been living there and want to be a Permanent Resident (PR), you are at the right place. This blog will discuss everything you need about the United Kingdom Green Card, and UK PR.

Table of Contents:

What is UK PR?
Eligibility Criteria for UK PR
Requirements for UK Permanent Residence
How to Apply for UK PR?
Frequently Asked Questions

What is UK PR?

Permanent Residency (PR) in the UK is called Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and Settlement. With a permanent residency in the UK, candidates can live, work, settle down without any time restrictions and apply for benefits (if eligible).

There are certain eligibility criteria for applying for UK PR. You are required to stay in the UK for a minimum of 5 years, the specific duration depends on the type of UK visa you have. The duration necessary to stay in the UK to get PR is:

Type of Visa	Minimum Duration of Stay
Family Visa	5 years
Work Visa	5 years
Business Visa	3 – 5 years
Long Residence to ILR	10 years

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Eligibility Criteria for UK PR

There are several ways to fulfill the eligibility criteria for UK PR. The details are as follows:

If you Work in the UK

If you have a work visa in the UK, you will have to meet the salary or financial requirements based on your visa. The type of visa if you work in the UK are:

Type of Visa	Eligibility Criteria
International Sportsperson, Skilled Worker, T2 or Tier 2 Visa	Lived and worked in the UK for 5 years Must meet the salary requirements Continue to be essential for your job and meet the salary requirements (document from your employer or sponsor to confirm this)
Scale-up Worker Visa	Lived and worked in the UK for 5 years Must meet the financial requirements
Global Talent, Tier 1 Entrepreneur or Investor Visa	Lived in the UK for 2 – 5 years Must meet the financial requirements
Innovator Founder Visa	Lived in the UK for 3 years New endorsement showing that you’ve met your requirements for expanding your business
Representative of an Overseas Business Visa	Lived and worked in the UK for 5 years Proof that your employer still requires you Proof of actively trading of the establishment of a UK-registered branch
Turkish Worker or Businessperson Visa	Prove your English language proficiency Passed the Life in the UK test Lived and worked in the UK for 5 years (without receiving any public funds)
Overseas Domestic Worker Visa	Domestic worker in a private household Applied for a domestic worker visa on or before April 5, 2012 Living legally as a domestic worker for 5 years Maintained and accommodated without use of any public funds throughout 5 years Have knowledge of English and Life in the UK.

Note: Apply 28 days before your current visa expires. If the visa expires, you will have to renew the visa first to apply for UK PR.

If you have Family in the UK

Candidates can apply for UK PR if they have a partner, parent-child, or relative settled in the UK. They must be a British citizen or permanent resident. There are different ways to apply for UK PR. They are:

Type of Visa	Eligibility Criteria
Partner (Family Visa)	You have family visa as a partner or spouse Your partner is settled in the UK as a British citizen or with a UK PR
Partner (Dependant on Work Visa)	Depending on your partner’s work visa Partner is settled on applying to settle
Parent (Family Visa)	The child must be living in the UK as a British citizen or with a UK PR The child is applying for PR at the same time as you
Child (Family Visa)	Have a family visa as a child The parent is a British citizen or with a UK PR
Child (Dependent on Work Visa)	The parent is settled in the UK The parent is applying to settle in the UK using their work visa
Adult Dependent Relative (Family Visa)	Must be 18+ years of age Have permission to enter the UK as an adult dependent relative

If you’ve Lived in the UK for 10 Years

You may be eligible to apply for UK PR if you’ve been living in the UK legally for 10 years, also known as Long Residence. The details are as follows:

Your “Continuous Residence” is when you are continuously living in the UK legally for 10 years without any gaps
You can leave the UK during your continuous stay for up to 180 days (in any 12 months)
If not eligible for UK PR, you may extend your stay for 2 years

If you’re a Commonwealth Citizen

Candidates can apply for UK PR if they’ve lived in the UK for 5 years on a UK Ancestry Visa. The details are as follows:

You are eligible to apply if you’ve lived for 5 consecutive years on the UK Ancestry Visa
Must have spent no more than 180 days in 12 months
Prove that you have enough money to support yourself (and your dependants, if any)
Prove that you can and plan to work in the UK
You are also required to prove that you are still a Commonwealth citizen

Other ways to get UK PR

You are a refugee or have humanitarian protection, Discretionary or Section 67 Leave.
You are returning to the UK (in less than 2 years), and you previously had UK PR
You have served in the Armed Forces for a minimum of 4 years

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Requirements for UK Permanent Residence

Meeting the requirements beforehand ensures that you have a smooth PR process. Ensure that you meet the key requirements for UK PR before applying. The requirements are:

Residency Requirements: You must have lived in the UK for at least 2 – 10 years (depending on the type of your visa). You must have not spent more than 180 days in any 12 months.
English Requirements: You may be asked to prove your English language through tests such as IELTS, Pearson or LanguageCert
Life in the UK Test: You must pass your Life in the UK Test. You’ll have 24 questions about British traditions and customs, which you must complete within 45 minutes.
Good Character Requirement: You must meet the good character requirement. The requirement is applied to those who are 10+ years of age. It usually means that you do not have any criminal record and no history of rule-breaking.

How to Apply for UK PR?

PR process for the UK is not as complicated as you think. If you are planning to apply for UK PR from India or any other country, follow this simple steps for a seamless process:

Complete and submit the application form online on the official UK visa government website. The form can differ based on your type of visa.
Pay the application fee of £2,885 per person.
Provide your biometric information, fingerprints, and photos by scheduling an appointment at a UK visa center.
Provide any necessary documents, if required by the Home Office/

Documents Required for UK PR

Current Passport or any Document showcasing your Identity and Nationality	Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or eVisa (Online Proof of your Immigration Status)
Passed Life in the UK Test	Certified Translation of Documents which are not in English or Welsh
Proof of Financial Requirements (if applicable)	Proof of English Language Proficiency (if applicable)

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the application fees for PR in the UK?

If you apply for Permanent Residency in the UK, you must pay £2,885 per person.

When will I receive my PR decision update in the UK?

You can expect to receive your UK PR decision within 6 months of applying.

Can I get my decision faster than the usual time for UK PR?

You can apply for a faster decision by paying an extra £500 for priority service (get a decision in 5 working days) or £1,000 for super priority service (get a decision in 2 working days).

How can I make a successful UK PR application?

Start early by preparing your application and required documents. Double-check all your documents to avoid any delay in your UK PR application. Consult an expert if necessary.

Do Canadian permanent residents require a visa for the UK?

If you are a permanent resident in Canada, you do not need to apply for a visa in the UK.