UK indefinite leave to remain: fees and processing times

The cost of indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK is £3,226 for each person applying, unless you have protection status or section 67 leave, in which case there is no fee. The standard service usually returns a decision within 6 months, and a super priority service is available for an extra £1,000 in some cases. You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while your application is being decided, or it will be withdrawn.

What the £3,226 fee covers

The £3,226 fee applies to each person included in an ILR application. This means if you apply with a partner or child, you pay that amount for each of them. There is no separate charge for providing biometric information (fingerprints and a photo), which you will need to do at a UKVCAS service point or through the UK Immigration ID Check app, depending on your route.

The fee is the same for applications made on the UK Ancestry route and for those made with discretionary leave. If you have protection status (permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection) or section 67 leave, the fee is waived entirely, and this also applies to any partner or child included in your application.

Route	Fee per person	Standard decision time	Super priority available
UK Ancestry visa holder	£3,226	Usually within 6 months	Yes, extra £1,000
Discretionary leave	£3,226	Usually within 6 months	Yes, extra £1,000
Protection status (refugee or humanitarian protection)	No fee	Within 6 months	No
Section 67 leave	No fee	Within 6 months	No

How long a decision takes

For most ILR applications, you will usually get a decision within 6 months of submitting your application or providing your biometric information. The clock starts from whichever of those events applies to your route: if you are told to use the UK Immigration ID Check app, the 6 months runs from when you submit the application; if you are told to attend a UKVCAS appointment, it runs from when your fingerprints and photo are taken.

If your application is complex, it can take longer. The Home Office will contact you if, for example, your supporting documents need to be verified, you need to attend an interview, or your personal circumstances (such as a criminal conviction) mean extra checks are needed.

A faster decision is possible on some routes. The super priority service costs an extra £1,000 and gives a decision by the end of the next working day after you provide your biometric information, if your appointment is on a weekday. If your appointment is at the weekend, the decision comes 2 working days after you provide your biometric information. Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays. The super priority service is not available if you have protection status or section 67 leave.

When you can apply

The earliest you can apply depends on your route. If you hold a UK Ancestry visa, you can apply 28 days before you have been in the UK for 5 continuous years on that visa. Applying earlier risks refusal. You should also not wait until your current visa expires: if it expires before you can apply for ILR, you will need to renew it first.

For those with protection status, discretionary leave or section 67 leave, the eligibility criteria differ, and you should check the specific guidance for your route before applying.

The travel restriction during your application

A critical rule applies to every ILR application: you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. If you do, your application will be withdrawn. This applies regardless of which route you are applying under.

This restriction is separate from the continuous residence rules that govern your eligibility. For a UK Ancestry visa holder, for example, you must normally have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during your 5 qualifying years. The travel ban during the application process is an additional constraint on top of that.

What ILR gives you and how long it lasts

Indefinite leave to remain is settlement. It gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like, and to apply for benefits if you are eligible. You can use it to apply for British citizenship, usually after a minimum of 12 months.

ILR does not last forever if you leave the UK. You lose it if you are outside the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for more than 2 continuous years. There are exceptions for members of the British armed forces posted overseas, their partners, and certain UK government and British Council employees. If you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, the limit is 5 continuous years, or 4 years if you are a Swiss citizen or their family member.

If you have been away for less than 2 years, you still have your ILR and can re-enter the UK by showing proof of your immigration status, such as your eVisa, or the stamp, vignette or biometric residence permit that originally gave you permission to settle. If you have been away longer, you may be able to apply for a Returning Resident visa, which costs £726.

What to check before you apply

Before submitting an ILR application, verify the current fee and processing times on the GOV.UK page for your specific route, as these can change. Confirm your eligibility for the route you are applying under, including the continuous residence requirements and any English language or Life in the UK Test obligations. Check whether any family members you want to include meet the dependant criteria, and note that they cannot be included if they are in the UK on certain other visas, such as a visitor visa or a Short-term study visa.

If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements, the GOV.UK guidance for your route is the authoritative source. The Home Office does not provide immigration advice through the online application service, so if you need advice you should seek it from a regulated immigration adviser.