Citizenship Areas
Advice on the appropriate settlement pathway, from reviewing your current permission to preparing your application.
We assess your existing permission, earlier grants and personal circumstances to identify the relevant route to settlement.
We review qualifying residence, suitability and route-specific conditions before advising whether settlement or further permission is appropriate.
Indefinite leave to remain allows you to live, work and study in the UK without a time limit on your stay. Eligibility and the qualifying period vary between routes; there is no single five-year rule for every applicant.
We assess the individual immigration history, including any relevant legacy or transitional provisions, before recommending an application.
We prepare settlement applications around the relevant route and your individual circumstances.
Review your current status, earlier grants and intended settlement pathway.
Assess qualifying periods, absences, family circumstances and any issues requiring further advice.
Prepare the appropriate application and representations, and assist with submission and identity checks.
Explain the outcome, proof of settled status and any future family or nationality applications.
We advise on the relevant settlement application, including SET(O), SET(M), SET(LR), SET(F), SET(DV) and other route-specific processes where appropriate. The application form alone does not determine eligibility.
We assess settlement under qualifying work and business routes, including Skilled Worker, Global Talent, Innovator Founder and Scale-up. Earlier grants under legacy categories may require a separate review of continuing settlement provisions.
Applications may arise through partner, parent or eligible child provisions, as well as bereavement and domestic abuse. We assess the applicable pathway rather than treating all family permission alike.
We also advise on Long Residence, Private Life, UK Ancestry and Hong Kong BN(O) settlement. Protection, statelessness, Armed Forces and other specialist grants have their own provisions requiring an individual assessment.
Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme is assessed under that scheme’s distinct rules and application process.
We review which periods count, continuity and overseas absences under the relevant route. Time spent lawfully in the UK does not always count towards the same settlement pathway.
Family members must meet the provisions relevant to their own application. We assess whether they can settle with you or need further permission or a separate route.
We consider changes of permission, previous decisions and any suitability issues, alongside the applicable English language and Life in the UK provisions and relevant exemptions.
Where settlement is not yet appropriate, we can review further permission and plan the next application stage. Travel and expiry dates need to be considered alongside any pending application.
We explain the decision and help with questions about digital proof of status, UKVI account details and the distinction between an expiring identity document and immigration permission.
Indefinite permission can lapse after an extended continuous absence overseas. The applicable period and any exceptions depend on the type of settled status and individual circumstances.
Where a person has previously settled and is returning after a prolonged absence, we can assess whether a Returning Resident application or another step is appropriate. Each family member’s position requires its own review.
Settlement does not automatically confer British citizenship. We assess the appropriate nationality application and its separate residence, status and other conditions.
The relevant timing can depend on your circumstances, including your relationship to a British citizen and any existing form of British nationality. Children may have registration options that differ from adult naturalisation.
We review future nationality options alongside the settlement decision, without assuming that eligibility for one application guarantees eligibility for another.