Permanent Residence (PR) is confirming your rights to live in the UK as a settled person indefinitely, free from immigration restrictions. Since Brexit and now that the EU Settlement Scheme has come to an end, you must now find a route to PR through channels such as visas or citizenship. If you are looking to come to the UK, QC Immigration can assist with all types of visas, citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain. If you would like to discuss the best route for you to obtain the right to permanently reside in the UK, please get in touch.

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Residence Following the EU Settlement Scheme’s End

If you were unable to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme before the 30 June 2021 cut-off and do not have a family member that has successfully completed their application, you will no longer be eligible to obtain the pre-settled status or settled status through the scheme and will have to consider the other routes available that can grant you permanent residence.

If one family member has one of these statuses, you will still be able to apply through the scheme.

Other Routes To Permanent Residence

There are a number of options available should you decide to seek permanent residence in the UK following the end of the EU settlement scheme, two of the most popular of which are visas that allow for residency in the UK and an eventual path to citizenship which will ensure a permanent right of residing in the UK.

Visas

There are a number of visa options available for EU Nationals who are looking to work towards a permanent residence in the UK. They all feature different requirements and can be valid for different amounts of time.

We can help find the visa that is most likely to get you residency in the UK and put you on the path towards a permanent residence, some of our most popular options include:

Work Visas – If you are coming into the UK for work you must apply for the visa most applicable to your situation. There are different types of Work Visas depending on a number of factors including the nature of your work, the amount of time that you will be in the UK, and the reason tour work is based here among others.

Business Visas – For those who are coming to the UK but are not traditionally employed, individuals filling roles such as investors, innovators, or entrepreneurs can apply for a relevant visa that will grant them the right to work in the UK for a period of time.

Family Visas – If you are the legitimate spouse – or civil partner, fiancé, proposed civil partner or even unmarried partner – of a UK citizen or an individual with permanent UK residence, you may be able to apply for certain types of Family Visas.

There are also options available for both the parents and children of UK Permanent Residents should they meet the necessary requirements. These visas ensure that families can remain together in the UK should one member be a permanent resident.

Study Visas – Students from Europe can still come to the UK but must now apply for a Student Visa. Student Visas differ depending on the age of the student, as there are separate visas for children and adults, and the type of study that the student is carrying out as there are both long and short-term visa options.

There are of course other types of visas available and if none of these seems applicable to you please contact us so that we can help find a route that is right for you and offers the best chance for permanent residency.

Citizenship

If you have been living in the UK for the past 3 years we can help in ensuring that you are eligible and meet the requirements for British Citizenship. Whether you have been born in the UK, are married to a British citizen, or are looking towards naturalisation, you must be sure that you meet all of the requirements that are needed for British Citizenship.

That includes valid proof that you were in the UK for at least 3 years prior to your application as well as proof that you have passed the Life in the UK Test, good knowledge of the English language through an approved test, and a provably good character, meaning no criminal record and past respect of immigration laws.

There are also much more specific requirements on top of the general points covered above. For information, support, and the construction of a clear case that proves that you meet all requirements that you are eligible for, it would be best to consult and collaborate with a specialist law team such as QC Immigration with ample experience in these areas.

Can I get permanent residence in the UK if I am not an EU national?

If you are not an EU national, there are still many routes that could be applicable for you to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain. You may also be eligible for specific visas which would allow you to remain in the UK before moving on to an ILR application, depending on your chosen route.

How our team can help

Our team of expert lawyers can help you choose the right route and will support your case in order to successfully submit your application to the Home Office. We have years of experience in dealing with a variety of cases and have an in-depth knowledge of immigration law. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@qc-immigration.com or book a consultation.

Examples of our successful clients’ cases:

– Permanent Residence Card granted in 2 months: A Dutch client who has spent over 20 years in the UK working in multinational firms as a qualified Chartered Accountant and as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in various tech start-ups. We presented his historic 5 years’ continuous period including a combination of employment and self-employment.

– Permanent Residence Card granted in 3 months: An Italian client had accumulated nearly 10 years of UK residence, however, he had approximately 6 months’ gap in his latest year due to business travels in Spain. We managed to persuade the Home Office with strong legal arguments and court precedents.

– A Thai client who resided in the UK for 5 years under the EEA Residence Card, as the spouse of her French national husband. Her Sponsor (the French husband) worked as an employed and self-employed person throughout the 5 years’ continuous period, however, he had several months of inactivity as a jobseeker.  The Permanent Residence Card was granted due to comprehensive documentation showing that he never stopped exercising EU Treaty Rights despite the temporary gaps.

FAQs

  • I applied for the EU Settlement Scheme before the deadline, is there anything else that I need to do?

    No, if you have obtained a pre-settled status or settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme, you do not need to apply for a new residence card and can continue using your current card.

  • Do I need to renounce my nationality to apply for British Citizenship?

    You can possess dual nationality in the UK so if you decide to work towards British citizenship you will not be required to renounce your current nationality. This, however, also depends on whether your current country of residence allows you to have dual citizenship.

  • How do I apply for a UK visa?

    UK visa applications can vary depending on what kind of visa you need. Firstly you must be certain that you can tick off all the boxes in regard to eligibility, outwith that you must gather all possible evidence and documentation to support your application case to the Home Office.

  • Can I appeal a visa that has been refused?

    If your visa application has been refused you must act swiftly. The home office may reconsider but a strong case is essential in order to convince them to overturn their decision. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you work alongside a law team in order to ensure everything is done on time and your case is strong enough to potentially change the decision.

  • My British Citizenship application was refused. What can I do?

    If your application has been unsuccessful, you can ask the Home Office to reconsider their decision through a form NR, at an additional cost. Again in this instance, it is key to meet every deadline and submit a very strong case, you will strongly benefit from an experienced law team like QC Immigration for this.

All information correct at the time of writing.

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Testimonials

What do our users say

Thank you very much for your contribution and good job you have done for me and my family. Today, I feel that thanking you is not enough. You will remain in our hearts and we will always have this deepest and sincere regard for you, as you have always shown your kindness and your work have been appreciated by the whole family.

Long Residence Settlement (10 years) client – Mauritian

Qiyin is an extremely diligent and thorough immigration lawyer. She took the time to fully understand my case and application for the highly skilled migrant program. She was very careful to consider both the short and longer term issues related to my application and provided very balanced and frank advice. My highly skilled migrant visa was successfully renewed thanks to her advice and help. I highly recommend her.

Tier 1 (General) visa client – Singaporean

I would like to thank you for all the hard work you’ve done for us in the past few years! I am now finished with the whole process and had my UK Citizenship ceremony. We couldn’t have gotten this far without you!

Entry Clearance Settlement (Spouse) visa client – Canadian

Thank you for all your help. I got the visa this morning and look forward to going on holiday. See you again in 30 months for the next visa.

PEO same-day service (Spouse leave to remain) client – Thai

We are so glad that our friend recommended you to help with our ILR application and we have no doubt it may have been a different story if we were applying without your support! We appreciate your professional approach and knowledge on immigration matters and wish your business well in the future (we are sure you will be very successful). Have no doubt we will be using your services for our application for Citizenship.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (Spouse) client – Russian

The QC Immigration team has proved an absolute star on the immigration front and my son’s fiancée is now happily settled, thank you again.

Partner (Fiancée) Settlement Visa – Brazilian

Many thanks for all your work on our application, especially since I contacted you on short notice! I contacted you on Sept 22nd and we signed up with you on/around Sept 27th! So we pulled this all together a little over 3 weeks.

Premium Service (Fiancée) Partner visa client – American

You have exceeded our expectations by saving us so much time and money when organising this! Thank you for also co-operating with our investment manager and accountant to ensure everything ran smoothly.

Tier 1 Investor (Super Premium Service) client – Chinese

Naturalisation (British Citizenship) client - Dutch

EEA Permanent Residence client – Belgian

My family and I were very emotional receiving the good news today. Thank you for all your help and we will definitely recommend you to our European friends who are planning ahead after Brexit!

Naturalisation (British Citizenship) client – Dutch

My family and I were very emotional receiving the good news today. Thank you for all your help and we will definitely recommend you to our European friends who are planning ahead after Brexit!

Naturalisation (British Citizenship) client – Dutch