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You may be able to settle permanently in the UK if you have a Scale-up Worker visa.

Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK. It鈥檚 also called 鈥榮ettlement鈥�. It gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you鈥檙e eligible. You can use it to apply for British citizenship.

Eligibility

You must:

• have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years - there are rules for what counts towards your time in the UK
• meet the financial聽 requirements

If you鈥檙e not eligible using your Scale-up Worker visa, there are other ways to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Knowledge of language and life in the UK

If you鈥檙e 18 to 64 you鈥檒l need to book and pass the Life in the UK Test.

You do not need to prove you meet the English language requirements when you apply to settle using your Scale-up Worker visa. This is because you did this when you applied for your visa.

When to apply

The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you鈥檝e been in the UK for 5 years on a qualifying visa. Check which visas count towards your time in the UK. Your application may be refused if you apply earlier.

Do not wait until your current visa expires. If your visa expires before you can apply for indefinite leave to remain, you鈥檒l need to renew it first.

Fees and how long it takes

It costs 拢3,029 for each person applying. You can include your partner and children on the same application form, if they鈥檙e eligible.

You鈥檒l each need to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken - there鈥檚 no fee for this.

You鈥檒l usually get a decision within 6 months if you apply using the standard service.

Get a faster decision on your application

You can pay an extra 拢500 to use the priority service to get a decision within 5 working days.

You can pay an extra 拢1,000 to use the super priority service to get a decision:

• by the end of the next working day after providing your fingerprints and photo (known as 鈥榖iometric information鈥�) if your appointment is on a weekday
• 2 working days after providing your biometric information if your appointment is at the weekend

Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays.

You must have lived in the UK for 5 years before you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

There are rules for what counts towards the 5 years if you have:

• spent time outside the UK
• been a partner or child (a 鈥榙ependant) on a visa
• had more than one visa

If you鈥檝e spent time outside the UK

You must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months.

If you think you鈥檙e affected by this rule, the Home Office has guidance about how to calculate your time in the UK (鈥榗ontinuous residence鈥�).

If you鈥檝e been a partner or child (a 鈥榙ependant鈥�) on a visa

In the 5 years you鈥檝e lived in the UK, you cannot include any time you鈥檝e spent in the UK as a partner or child (a 鈥榙ependant鈥�) on a visa.

If you鈥檝e had more than one visa

In the 5 years you鈥檝e lived in the UK, you can include time you鈥檝e had on any combination of the following visas:

• Scale-up Worker
• Skilled Worker or Tier 2 (General)
• any Tier 1 visa - except Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)
• T2 Minister of Religion
• International Sportsperson
• Innovator Founder
• Global Talent
• Representative of an Overseas Business

You must meet the requirements for both:

• your current salary
• your earnings over the past 3 years

Your current salary

You must be employed and earn a certain salary when you apply. How much you must earn depends on when you got your most recent certificate of sponsorship.聽

If you got your certificate of sponsorship on or after 4 April 2024

You must earn a salary of at least 拢36,300 per year.

If you got your last certificate of sponsorship on or after 12 April 2023 and before 4 April 2024

You must earn a salary of at least 拢34,600 per year.

If you got your last certificate of sponsorship on or before 11 April 2023聽聽

You must earn a salary of at least 拢33,000 per year.

Your earnings over the past 3 years

You must have been earning a certain amount for at least 2 of the 3 years immediately before the date you apply. The amount depends on when you got your most recent certificate of sponsorship.

You can include salaries from more than one job if you earned a monthly salary equivalent to at least the relevant salary in each job.聽

If you had more than one job at the same time, only include the highest earning salary.聽聽

You cannot count self-employed earnings towards the minimum earnings requirement. This is because your salary is not paid through PAYE (Pay as You Earn).

If you got your last certificate of sponsorship on or before 11 April 2023聽聽

You must have earned a monthly salary equivalent to at least 拢33,000 per year for at least 2 of the 3 years immediately before you apply.

If you got your last certificate of sponsorship after 11 April 2023 and before 4 April 2024

You must have earned a monthly salary equivalent to at least 拢34,600 per year for at least 2 of the 3 years immediately before you apply.

If you got your certificate of sponsorship on or after 4 April 2024

You must have earned a monthly salary equivalent to at least 拢36,300 per year for at least 2 of the 3 years immediately before you apply.

You can include your partner and children on your application if they鈥檙e eligible.

Eligibility for partners

Your partner may qualify if all the following apply:

• they have permission to be in the UK as your partner (as a 鈥榙ependant鈥� on your visa)
• they鈥檝e lived in the UK with you as your dependant for at least 5 continuous years
• your relationship is genuine
• you intend to keep living together
• you have enough income to support yourselves and your dependants
• you鈥檙e not using public funds

If your partner is 18 to 64, they must:

• book and pass the Life in the UK Test
• meet the English language requirements

Eligibility for children

You can include your child on your application if:

• they have permission to be in the UK as your child (as a 鈥榙ependant鈥� on your visa)
• they are not married or in a civil partnership
• they will live with you and be supported by you without using public funds
• you and your child鈥檚 other parent are both currently applying to settle, or are already settled

Your child can also apply to settle in one of the following situations:

• you鈥檙e the child鈥檚 sole surviving parent
• you have sole responsibility for the child鈥檚 upbringing
• there are serious or compelling family or other considerations, for example you (if you鈥檙e settled in the UK) or your child has a serious illness

Extra documents for children over 16

You鈥檒l need to prove:

• where they live - if they do not live with you, you鈥檒l need to explain why
• any rent or upkeep they pay you each month
• that you support them financially if they do not live with you

You鈥檒l need to provide documents such as the ones on this list, to prove where they live:

• bank statement
• credit card bill
• driving licence
• NHS registration document
• a letter from their current school, college or university, on headed paper and issued by an authorised official of that organisation

The documents you provide should not be more than a month old on the date you make your application.

If your child lives away from home, you鈥檒l need to provide evidence they are not living an independent live, for example:

• bank statements for you and your child covering the 3 months before the date you apply (to prove you鈥檝e supported them)
• confirmation from their university or college on headed paper and issued by an authorised official (if they鈥檙e studying)

Children 18 and over

You can only include older children in your application if they both:

• were under 18 when they first got permission to be in the UK as your dependant
• still do not live an independent life - for example, they have not got married or had children

They also need to:

• pass the Life in the UK Test
• meet the English language requirements

If your child is over 18 by the time you apply and does not meet these requirements, they must .

You must .

Once you鈥檝e started your application, you can save your form and complete it later.

You鈥檒l need to pay the fee as part of your application.聽

You may need to provide documents to prove, for example:

• that you鈥檝e passed the Life in the UK Test - if you needed to take this
• that you meet the financial requirements

To prove that you meet the financial requirements, you can provide documents such as:

• P45s, P60s or payslips
• a letter from your employer

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online form if you:

• do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
• do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you鈥檙e applying in the UK.

You鈥檒l be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo).

You鈥檒l also need to submit your supporting documents. You can:

• upload them into the online service
• have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment

Any children aged 6 or over must provide biometric information if you鈥檙e applying for them on your form.

Getting a decision

You鈥檒l usually get a decision within 6 months. If you paid to use the 鈥榮uper priority service鈥� you鈥檒l get a decision within 2 working days, or within 5 working days if you paid to use the 鈥榩riority service鈥�.

Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays.

You鈥檒l be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example:

• if your supporting documents need to be verified
• if you need to attend an interview
• because of your personal circumstances, for example if you have a criminal conviction

If your application is approved

You can do the following:

• work
• run a business
• study
• use public services, such as healthcare and schools
• apply for public funds (benefits) and pensions
• apply for British citizenship, usually after a minimum of 12 months

If you stay outside of the UK for more than 2 years

You can lose your indefinite leave to remain if you stay outside the UK for more than 2 years at a time.

You may need to apply before you can return to the UK.