EU Settlement Scheme | Eligibility & Application Guide

Under the EU Settled Status Scheme, pre-settled EU residents have up to the time when their pre-settled status is no longer valid to submit an application for settled status.

If you are able to demonstrate that you have “settled status,” then you will be permitted to live in the United Kingdom forever. An immigrant may submit a petition for citizenship after holding their status in the country for a period of 12 months.

Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK. It’s also called ‘settlement’. It gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like.

After staying for 12 months one can apply for British citizenship.

There are different ways to apply for indefinite leave to remain based on your circumstances.

If you or your family member are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you may be able to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme instead.

If you work in the UK

You may be able to apply if you have a work visa.

You must usually have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years.

You may also need to meet the salary or financial requirements – this depends on your visa.

If you have family in the UK

You may be able to apply if you have a partner, parent or child or other relative settled in the UK – either as a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain.

How you apply depends on which visa you have and how your family member settled.

There are other ways to apply if:

• your partner has died
• your relationship ended because of domestic violence

If you’ve lived in the UK for 10 years

You may be able to apply if you’ve been living here for 10 years or more.

There’s a different way to apply if you have a visa that’s on the basis of your private life. Applications open in June 2022.

If you’re a Commonwealth citizen

You can apply if you’ve been living in the UK for 5 years on a UK Ancestry visa.

Some Commonwealth citizens have ‘right of abode’ in the UK. This means you can live or work in the UK without immigration restrictions.

Other ways to apply

You may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain if you:

• are a refugee or have humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave
• are returning to the UK having previously had indefinite leave to remain
• served in the armed forces