Long Term Residency Visa

The Long Residency visa, which is granted only at the discretion of the Home Office, is a immigration UK service, which allows people who have been in Great Britain for exceptionally long continuous periods to stay in the country on Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR) often referred to as permanent residence in the UK.

Global Visas can assist you at all stages of your UK visa or UK work permit application. Whether you need to apply for permanent residency or a more short-term immigration visa such as a visiting visa or tourist visa, a UK immigration consultant from Global Visas will be able to provide a complete UK visa service including immigration lawyer advice and complete on arrival solutions.

Benefits

Once Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR) often referred to as permanent residency has been granted, there is no time limit on your stay in the United Kingdom. Furthermore as a permanent UK resident no restrictions are placed upon the work or business you are allowed to do in Great Britain.

Duration

While there is no time limit on a permanent residence visa, it is important to note that holders of ILR should not spend periods of more than two years outside the United Kingdom as this may lead to the loss of ILR. As long as the residency requirements have been met, a person with Indefinite Leave to Remain can normally apply for British citizenship or British naturalization as a UK citizen one year after being granted the Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Eligibility Criteria

Length of Residence

In the case of a long term Residency visa application Indefinite Leave to Remain will be granted for periods of exceptional continuous periods spent in the United Kingdom. Generally these long-term residency visas for Britain are awarded after 10 or 14 years in the country.

Some peope are entitled to the Right of Abode based on their family tree.

10 Year visa

This category of UK Long Residency Visa applies to applicants who have been in the country legally for ten years. In these circumstances Home Office approval is necessary. If approved by the Home Office, a grant of permanent residency will be awarded and the applicant will be permitted to stay in Britain.

14 Year visa

This class of visa for immigration for long-term UK residents may be granted to persons who have remained in Great Britain continuously for a period of more than 14 years whether legally or illegally. In these cases a successful applicant will be awarded indefinite leave to remain. 

Applications

 such as this will be considered so long as there are no circumstances which may counter the application for example a criminal record.

7 Year visa

On some occasions, a 7-year visa may be awarded where an applicant has remained in the country for more than 7 years if the person is facing removal from the country and has young children who have also lived in the United Kingdom for 7 years.

Spouse and Dependent Immigration

If you are applying for indefinite leave to remain in the long residence category, spouse immigration and fiance immigration are not permitted as part of your application. The long residence category does not allow you to bring you spouse, fiance or unmarried partner to the United Kingdom. However, your spouse may be able to immigrate to Britain in their own right if they qualify for another route such as the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP or a if they succeed in obtaining a permit to work in Britain. Please see the relevant pages on the site for more information on these and other immigration services. Find out further information on our UK Right of Abode page.