Skip to content

Settlement — SET(LR)

Advice on settlement based on ten years of qualifying lawful and continuous residence in the UK.

At a Glance

Qualifying lawful residence

We review your UK immigration history to assess whether the required ten-year qualifying period has been completed and which periods can count.

The appropriate application

We assess continuous residence, current permission and suitability, alongside the additional conditions for settlement.

Review the full immigration history

Long Residence can bring together qualifying time spent in different immigration categories. Eligibility depends on the permissions held, continuity and the rules applying to your circumstances; ten calendar years in the UK does not automatically qualify.

Long Residence is distinct from Private Life applications. We assess the appropriate route before recommending an application.

Process and Procedure

We assess the residence history and prepare the appropriate in-country application around your individual circumstances.

  1. Initial assessment

    Review the history of permission, current status and the intended application.

  2. Residence and case review

    Assess qualifying periods, absences, earlier decisions and any issues affecting the case.

  3. Application preparation and submission

    Prepare the relevant application and representations, and assist with submission and identity checks.

  4. Decision and next steps

    Review the outcome, explain its effect and advise on any further application or nationality planning.

Choose the appropriate stage

We consider settlement and further permission separately, including the relevant current-permission conditions and any transitional provisions.

Residence and Absences

Assess which periods count

Different types of permission do not all count in the same way. We review the complete timeline, including changes of route, earlier applications and any gaps or periods requiring further assessment.

  • We assess lawful residence and continuity across the qualifying period.
  • We review overseas travel against the applicable absence rules.
  • We consider current and transitional provisions where the residence history spans changes to the rules.

Address individual issues

Previous refusals, changes in status or lengthy absences can affect the assessment. We review the circumstances and any relevant exceptions before advising on the prospects and appropriate application.

Family Arrangements

Separate family applications

Long Residence does not provide a dependant application route. Partners and children must qualify for permission or settlement in their own right or through an appropriate separate route.

Coordinated advice

We assess each family member’s status, expiry dates and available options so that your Long Residence application forms part of a coordinated family plan.

Review the effect on existing arrangements

Your own grant does not automatically grant settlement or further leave to your family. We assess whether existing dependant permission, a family application or another route is appropriate for each person.

Permission and Next Steps

The effect of settlement

A successful SET(LR) application grants indefinite leave to remain. We explain the effect of the decision and matters relevant to maintaining settled status, including future travel.

Plan around your current status

We review the timing of the application, any pending applications and travel plans, together with the conditions attached to your existing permission.

If settlement is not currently available, we assess whether further permission under Long Residence or another appropriate route can be considered.

Settlement and Citizenship

Settlement under Long Residence

We assist with SET(LR) applications after assessing the qualifying residence, suitability and the applicable English language and Life in the UK conditions, including any relevant exemptions.

British citizenship is a separate application

Settlement does not automatically confer British citizenship. We assess naturalisation separately, including the relevant residence, status and other nationality conditions. Children may have different registration options that require their own assessment.

Discuss your Long Residence application →

Further Permission — FLR(LR)

Support with further permission under Long Residence where the relevant residence conditions are met but settlement is not yet available.

At a Glance

Qualifying lawful residence

We review your UK immigration history to assess whether the required ten-year qualifying period has been completed and which periods can count.

The appropriate application

We assess continuous residence, current permission and suitability, alongside the conditions for a grant of further permission.

Review the full immigration history

FLR(LR) is not a general extension to help reach ten years. The qualifying ten-year period and the other relevant residence conditions must already be met. This application may be relevant where the English language or Life in the UK conditions for settlement are not yet met.

Long Residence is distinct from Private Life applications. We assess the appropriate route before recommending an application.

Process and Procedure

We assess the residence history and prepare the appropriate in-country application around your individual circumstances.

  1. Initial assessment

    Review the history of permission, current status and the intended application.

  2. Residence and case review

    Assess qualifying periods, absences, earlier decisions and any issues affecting the case.

  3. Application preparation and submission

    Prepare the relevant application and representations, and assist with submission and identity checks.

  4. Decision and next steps

    Review the outcome, explain its effect and advise on any further application or nationality planning.

Choose the appropriate stage

We consider settlement and further permission separately, including the relevant current-permission conditions and any transitional provisions.

Residence and Absences

Assess which periods count

Different types of permission do not all count in the same way. We review the complete timeline, including changes of route, earlier applications and any gaps or periods requiring further assessment.

  • We assess lawful residence and continuity across the qualifying period.
  • We review overseas travel against the applicable absence rules.
  • We consider current and transitional provisions where the residence history spans changes to the rules.

Address individual issues

Previous refusals, changes in status or lengthy absences can affect the assessment. We review the circumstances and any relevant exceptions before advising on the prospects and appropriate application.

Family Arrangements

Separate family applications

Long Residence does not provide a dependant application route. Partners and children must qualify for permission or settlement in their own right or through an appropriate separate route.

Coordinated advice

We assess each family member’s status, expiry dates and available options so that your Long Residence application forms part of a coordinated family plan.

Review the effect on existing arrangements

Your own grant does not automatically grant settlement or further leave to your family. We assess whether existing dependant permission, a family application or another route is appropriate for each person.

Permission and Next Steps

A grant of further permission

A successful FLR(LR) application normally grants two years of further permission. We explain the duration and conditions of the grant and assess the appropriate next stage before it expires.

Plan around your current status

We review the timing of the application, any pending applications and travel plans, together with the conditions attached to your existing permission.

Further permission is a separate assessment from settlement. We review whether the outstanding settlement conditions can be met and whether the other relevant requirements continue to be satisfied.

Settlement and Citizenship

Moving towards settlement

When settlement becomes appropriate, we can assess and prepare a SET(LR) application. A grant of further permission does not guarantee a later settlement decision; the relevant conditions must be satisfied when that application is made.

British citizenship is a separate application

Settlement does not automatically confer British citizenship. We assess naturalisation separately, including the relevant residence, status and other nationality conditions. Children may have different registration options that require their own assessment.

Discuss your Long Residence application →

Citizenship Areas

Turkey

Passport in Timing varies

Minimum investment - $400,000

Visa free travel to 110+ destinations countries

Read more

Grenada

Passport in Around 3½ months; timings vary

Minimum investment - $235,000

Visa free travel to 140+ destinations countries

Read more

St. Kitts and Nevis

Passport in Around 3½ months; timings vary

Minimum investment - $250,000

Visa free travel to 150+ countries countries

Read more

Dominica

Passport in around 6 months; timings vary

Minimum investment - $200,000

Visa free travel to a range of destinations; rules vary countries

Read more