At the end of five years on a Skilled Worker Visa you can apply for settlement in the UK via Indefinite Leave to Remain. Our comprehensive guide below, looks at the exact requirements and process for making an application. Should you need any assistance with your application, please contact us by calling or requesting a callback.
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There's no doubting that the Skilled Worker Visa route provides excellent opportunities for prospective migrants to come to the UK. However, after five years on the visa, many migrants are eager to obtain more security and flexibility over their future by applying to settle in the UK. Settlement is achieved by successfully applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which can then lead to British citizenship via Naturalisation. Not only does ILR provide the applicant with greater certainty for the future and a route to citizenship, it also unlocks additional rights and benefits that aren't available to Skilled Worker Visa holders, including access to public funds.
Our guide to applying for ILR as a Skilled Worker Visa holder will walk you through each step of the process. We'll begin by examining the key eligibility criteria before reviewing the documentary requirements, associated fees, and expected processing times. Our intention is that by the end of this guide, you'll have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the requirements for successfully obtaining ILR.
If you have any questions or would like personalised support with your application, please don't hesitate to contact us. Our customary 5* service sets us apart from other UK immigration consultancies and we offer a free initial assessment to all customers.
You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after continuously residing in the UK for five years. In fact, you don't even need to wait this long; you can apply 28 days before your five-year residency anniversary. However, before you apply, you must ensure you have satisfied all the eligibility requirements, some of which require forward planning and preparation. We therefore suggest to all clients to begin the process of collecting your documents and ensuring you satisfy all the requirements three to six months before your application is submitted.
When applying for ILR you will need to meet the standard requirements that are customary for all UK visas, specifically:
In addition to these general requirements, you must also satisfy the specific requirements for the ILR application. These are generally more complex and more challenging to meet.
The first ILR-specific requirement is residency. This is the cornerstone of any ILR application, and it's essential that you both meet the criteria and can clearly evidence this by comprehensively detailing your travel history. You must demonstrate you have lived continuously in the UK for the full five years, with only limited periods away from the UK. If you spend over 180 days outside the UK during any rolling 12-month period, your continuous residence period will restart.
The second requirement, and a key one for Skilled Worker Visas, is the employment and income requirements. When applying for ILR, you will need to demonstrate the following:
The ongoing support of your employer remains key to your application. You cannot apply for ILR under the Skilled Worker route without these undertakings from your employer.
The other primary requirement is the Knowledge of Language and Life (KOLL) in the UK. The requirements are two-fold. Firstly, you must pass the Life in the UK Test, a multiple-choice examination that tests your knowledge of British history, culture, and traditions. It's a test that you will need to study for, and one that even many native British people wouldn't be able to pass without studying. Secondly, you must pass an approved English language test at level B1 or higher unless you are exempt or can demonstrate your English proficiency through other accepted methods. Alternative ways to satisfy this requirement include holding a degree-level qualification taught in English (with an accompanying ECCTIS certificate where appropriate), being a national of a majority English-speaking country, or being over 65 years of age.
As outlined above, if you meet the eligibility criteria for ILR you need to demonstrate this through clear, unambiguous, supporting documentation. When applying for ILR under the Skilled Worker Route, you will typically need to provide the following documents:
The documents listed above reflect the standard requirements for an ILR application. However, you may need to supply additional supporting evidence if you have dependents or complex circumstances, such as prolonged absences from the UK.
You can apply for ILR up to 28 days before completing five years in the UK on your Skilled Worker Visa. Applying too early or after your visa expires may lead to refusal. When working out your continuous residence, use your visa start date rather than the date you arrived in the UK. As long as you arrived in the UK promptly and haven’t spent over 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, you should meet the continuous residence requirement.
In 2025, the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application fee for Skilled Worker Visa holders is £3,029. This applies to both the main applicant and any dependents who will be applying with you. Applications for ILR are relatively slow, taking up to 6 months for a decision to be made. This makes the priority service a popular option, although there’s an extra £1,000 fee to be paid by each applicant. This reduces the decision time to just a single working day, and is considered money well spent by many applicants who get the certainty of a quick turnaround on their application. Please note that both the application and priority service fees are non-refundable once you’ve applied.
If you want expert advice about the options available to you or if you are preparing your application and want access to First Migration's knowledge and experience, this is the service for you.
If you want to prepare your own application, why not take advantage of our Document and Application Review Service. Our specialist team can ensure your application is correctly prepared and all supporting documents meet the requirements for your application to be approved.
Our Full Consultancy Service is for clients looking for an end to end service where we take care of the full application process. We'll provide document lists and templates, complete the application forms and take care of everything else for you.
Our Priority Consultancy Service provides you with all the benefits of the Full Consultancy Service plus we will prepare and submit your application within 48 working hours of receiving all the supporting documents for your application.
Many clients choose First Migration for our history of excellent service and track record of success. However, we feel our greatest strength, and what makes us truly unique, is our small dedicated team that offers a truly personalised service. We genuinely love what we do, and our team relishes making a difference to the lives of our clients.
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First Migration is a private visa and immigration company offering consultancy services. We are regulated and authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority with the registration number F200700083.
If you want to apply for a UK visa, you can do so directly on the UKVI website.
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