Who is this article for?
Nonresidents looking to permanently live in the UK and become British citizens.
Topics Covered in This Article:
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Global Talent Visa
- Scale-up Worker Visa
- Innovator Founder Visa
If you want to live, work, or study in the UK permanently, and become a British citizen, then you can apply for an indefinite leave to remain or settlement status. The benefit of having an indefinite leave-to-remain status is:
- You can work, run a business, study, use public services, and apply for public funds and pensions in the UK. You can also apply for British citizenship after a minimum of 12 months.
- You lose your settled status if you stay outside the UK for more than 2 years at a time.
There are several pathways you can take:
- Family - Have a partner, parent, child, or another relative who is a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain
- If you have lived in the UK for at least 10 years
- Have a certain work visa:
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Global Talent Visa
- Scale-up Worker Visa
- Innovator Visa
- Representative of an Overseas Business Visa
- Holders of this visa are employees of an overseas newspaper, news agency, or broadcasting organization on a long-term assignment to the UK
- Turkish Worker or Businessperson visa (closed to new applicants)
If you qualify and obtain one of the below visas you can then apply for settlement after a specified time frame. Review the qualifications, eligibility, and required documentation for each type of visa.
Skilled Worker Visa
Skilled worker visas are for nonresidents looking to work in the UK who are or will be sponsored by an employer. This was previously called the Tier 2 (General) work visa. In the UK, skilled worker jobs are those that require A-levels, Scottish Highers, or their technical equivalents. These are advanced technical and service-based positions. For the qualifications and how to apply see our article on Skilled Worker Visa.
Eligibility for settlement:
- Lived and worked in the UK for 5 years, spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.
- Meet the minimum salary requirements. No need to meet the minimum wage if the job you’re sponsored for is on the list of healthcare, education, and other shortage occupations.
- £25,600 per year
- £10.10 per hour
- The going rate for your role
- Book and pass the Life in the UK Test
- Document from your employer showing that you’re still needed for your job
The earliest time you can apply is within 28 before being in the UK for 5 years. Don't wait until your current visa expires. If it expires, then you need to renew it.
Apply online and pay a £2,404 fee. A decision is made within 6 months.
Global Talent Visa
Global talent visas are for nonresidents looking to work in the UK who are or will be sponsored by an employer with exceptional talent in the fields of digital technology, academia or research, arts, and culture.
- Those who successfully have endorsements from the following:
- The Royal Society
- The Royal Academy of Engineering
- The British Academy
- UK Research and Innovation
- Tech Nation
- Arts Council England
- Winner of an eligible award
Eligibility for settlement:
- Lived in the UK for 2 to 5 years, spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.
- If endorsed by the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society or UK Research and Innovation, Arts Council England, or Tech Nation as a recognized leader, you can apply after 3 years.
- If endorsed by the Arts Council England or Tech Nation as an emerging leader, you can apply after 5 years
- If you are a winner of an eligible award, you can apply after 3 years.
- Book and pass the Life in the UK Test
Apply online and pay a £2,404 fee. A decision is made within 6 months.
Scale-up Worker Visa
This visa is for individuals who do an eligible job for a fast-growing UK business. The employer must meet specific eligibility criteria.
Qualifications:
- Confirmed job offer to work for an approved scale-up business for at least 6 months
- The role must be on the list of eligible occupations.
- Certificate of sponsorship
- Minimum salary wage of £34,600 per year or the going rate
- Sufficient knowledge of English
Required documents:
- Valid passport
- Proof of knowledge of English
- Job title and annual salary
- Job occupation code
- Employer name and sponsor license number
- Certificate of sponsorship reference number
- Other additional documents:
- Proof of financial capacity (unless the employer will support you)
- Have at least £1,270 (at least 28 days in your bank account) to show that you can financially support yourself
- Tuberculosis test if you're from any of these countries
- Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate
- Proof of relationship with partner and children, if they’re applying with you
- Proof of financial capacity (unless the employer will support you)
Apply online and pay the £715 application fee. You must also be prepared to pay a health surcharge of £624 per year.
A decision will be given within 3 weeks. You can expedite the process by availing of:
- Priority service (within 5 working days) - £573, if with the option to settle permanently in the UK; £250 if without
- Super priority service (end of next working day) - £956
Once approved, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and extend your visa by 3 years. After 5 years, you may be able to apply for an indefinite leave to remain in the UK (settlement).
Eligibility for settlement:
- Lived and worked in the UK for 5 years, spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.
- Meet financial requirements:
- Current salary must be at least £33,000 when you apply
- You must have been paid a monthly salary equivalent to at least £33,000 per year for at least 2 of the 3 years before you apply
- Book and pass the Life in the UK Test
The earliest time you can apply is 28 days before your 5th year of being in the UK. Don't wait until your current visa expires. If it expires, then you need to renew it.
Apply online and pay the £2,404 fee. A decision is made within 6 months, and you are not allowed to travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man during that time.
You can expedite the process by availing of:
- Priority Service (within 5 working days) - £500
- Super priority service (end of the next working day if the appointment is on a weekday, 2 working days if the weekend) - £800
Innovator Founder Visa
The innovator founder visa opened in April 2023 for non-UK residents to come to the UK to set up a business. It effectively replaces the Innovator route and Start-up visa and is now the primary visa category for foreign entrepreneurs looking to set up a business in the UK.
Qualifications:
- At least 18 years old
- You plan to set up and run an innovative business
- The business is new, innovative, viable, and scalable
- The business or business idea endorsed by an approved/endorsing body.
- You must be able to prove to the endorsing body that you have enough investment funds
- English B2 level Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale
- Financial capacity to support yourself in the UK
- Have at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days
Required documents:
- Valid passport
- Endorsement letter
- Bank statements to show financial capacity
- Proof of English language requirement
- Tuberculosis test if you're from any of these countries
Apply online and pay the £1,036 fee if you’re applying outside the UK. A decision will be made within 3 weeks.
Eligibility for settlement:
- Lived in the UK for 3 years using an Innovator visa, spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.
- New endorsement letter that shows you've met the requirements for growing your business
- Demonstrate to the approved body that you've grown your business
- You must apply for indefinite leave to remain within 3 months of receiving the letter
- Book and pass the Life in the UK Test
New endorsement requirements:
- You have an active key role in the day-to-day management and development of the business.
- Your business must be registered with the Companies House.
- Your business must be currently operational and able to continue for at least the next 12 months.
- Your business must have done two of the following:
- Received £50,000 of investment
- Doubled the number of customers in the last 3 years
- Applied for intellectual property protection in the UK
- £1 million revenue in the last full year covered by accounts
- £500,000 revenue in the last full year covered by accounts, with £100,000 from exporting overseas
- Created an equivalent of 10 full-time jobs for 12 months
- Created 5 full-time jobs for 12 months, with average salary of £25,000 per year
- Jobs must be for a settled worker:
- British citizen, EEA citizen living in the UK and working for you by December 31, 2020, a Commonwealth citizen with a UK ancestry visa, or someone with indefinite leave-to-remain status
The earliest time you can apply is 28 days before your 5th year of being in the UK. Don't wait until your current visa expires. If it expires, then you need to renew it.
Apply online and pay the £2,404 fee. A decision is made within 6 months, and you are not allowed to travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man during that time.
You can expedite the process by availing of:
- Priority Service (within 5 working days) - £500
- Super priority service (end of the next working day if the appointment is on a weekday, 2 working days if the weekend) - £800