Immigration and Asylum
Settlement can remove the need for repeated visa extensions, but eligibility is tied to the route you have followed and the evidence you can provide. SJS can review your immigration history and help prepare an indefinite leave to remain application when the relevant requirements are met.
Understanding your next steps
Work, family, long residence and other routes have different settlement rules. Time spent on one visa does not always count towards settlement on another. We establish the route and the relevant qualifying period before deciding when an application may be made.
Travel dates, gaps in permission and changes of status can affect eligibility. We can help build a clear chronology from passports, decision letters and travel records. Where an absence or gap needs explanation, it is better to identify it before submitting the application.
Depending on the route, evidence may be needed about employment, income, relationships, English language and the Life in the UK test. We identify the requirements that apply to you and check whether an exemption needs consideration.
A clear way forward
Send previous grants, current status evidence, passport details and a list of absences. Include dependants whose applications you want to consider.
We assess the qualifying period and supporting requirements, then explain any documents or steps needed before applying.
We agree the work, prepare the application and explain the decision and the practical steps needed to evidence the status granted.
Planning ahead
Our quotation will identify the legal work and the number of applicants. Home Office application fees, tests, translations and any optional priority service are separate costs to check before submission.
Plan before your current permission expires, leaving time for tests and employer or family documents. Applying too early can cause problems. We will check the appropriate application date for the relevant route.
Read our published Price Guide, then contact us to confirm the work you need and the costs involved.
View Price GuideUseful to know
No. Some routes have different qualifying periods and some do not lead directly to settlement. The history and rules of your particular route must be checked.
Possibly, but each person's qualifying period and other requirements need assessment. A dependant may need an extension even where the main applicant can settle.
No. Settlement and citizenship are different statuses. Citizenship has its own application requirements, and settlement does not automatically produce a British passport.
Yes. Absences can affect eligibility before settlement and can also cause settled permission to lapse afterwards. The applicable rules depend on the status held.
General information about UK immigration. Contact us for advice about your circumstances.
SJS Solicitors · Balham
