Indefinite Leave to Remain Solicitors London
If you need expert legal advice on applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, our Solicitors, who have over 25 years of experience in settlement applications, can help.
Indefinite Leave to Remain removes all immigration restrictions on living and working in the UK. Once granted, it opens the route to British citizenship. It is one of the most significant milestones in a person’s immigration history, and an application that goes wrong can set that timeline back by years.
At Law Lane Solicitors, we advise clients on ILR applications from our offices in Stratford E15, Holborn WC1V, and Croydon CR0. The rules governing settlement are changing substantially. The Government’s earned settlement reforms, being implemented from April 2026, shift the framework towards a model that assesses income, integration, and language ability alongside length of residence. If you are approaching the qualifying period on any route, take advice now.
We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Our team handles ILR applications across a wide range of visa categories and advises clients with complex immigration histories. Several of our solicitors speak additional languages, including Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi.
Our ILR Legal Services
We advise on ILR applications across the following routes and circumstances:
- ILR as a spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner of a British citizen or settled person after five years
- ILR as a Skilled Worker or former Tier 2 (General) worker after five years
- ILR on long residence grounds after ten years of continuous lawful residence
- ILR for those on Global Talent, Innovator, UK Ancestry, and other qualifying routes
- Absence calculations: no more than 180 days outside the UK in any twelve-month period
- Life in the UK test: advice, preparation, and exemptions
- English language requirement at B1 level: the evidence needed and relevant exemptions
- Good character assessment: criminal convictions, civil penalties, immigration breaches, and non-disclosure
- Cases where continuous residence has been interrupted
- Advice on the earned settlement reforms and what they mean for your timeline
- ILR applications on behalf of children
Why Choose Law Lane Solicitors for ILR Applications?
An ILR application requires precise preparation. Absence records must be calculated accurately across the entire qualifying period. Anything in the applicant’s history that engages the good character requirement must be identified and declared correctly. Non-disclosure of something that should have been declared, even if considered minor, is treated seriously by the Home Office.
The rules are also changing. Under the earned settlement reforms being implemented from April 2026, the standard qualifying period is set to increase to ten years for most routes. Settlement will depend on income levels, English language standard, and compliance record, as well as time served. If you are approaching the five-year mark under current rules, take advice as a matter of urgency.
We review every ILR application in detail and give an honest assessment before submission. We also advise clients who have previously been refused ILR and need to understand what options remain.
Get in Touch
If you are ready to apply for ILR, or want to understand how the changing rules affect your timeline, call or email us today.
Phone: 020 7870 4870
Email: info@lawlanesolicitors.co.uk
Book a consultation with our immigration team and take the next step towards permanent settlement in the UK.

Law Lane Solicitors is proud to be accredited under The Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation.
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Frequently Asked Questions – Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
How long do I need to have lived in the UK?
The qualifying period depends on the visa category. Under current rules, most Skilled Worker holders and partner visa holders qualify after five years. Long residence ILR requires ten years of continuous lawful residence. The Government has announced that the standard qualifying period will increase to ten years under earned settlement, with transitional arrangements for those already within the qualifying period. We advise on what applies to your specific route.
What is the absence limit?
You must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling twelve-month period during the qualifying period. All international travel counts, including business trips. Calculating absences correctly is essential, and underestimating them is one of the most common causes of avoidable refusals. We calculate your absences before submission.
What is the Life in the UK test?
The Life in the UK test is a computer-based assessment covering British history, culture, laws, and values. Most ILR applicants must pass it at an approved test centre. Exemptions apply for those under eighteen and those aged sixty-five and over. We can confirm whether an exemption applies to you and advise on preparation.
What is the good character requirement?
The good character assessment covers criminal convictions in the UK and overseas, civil penalties, past overstaying, breaches of immigration conditions, and the accuracy of previous Home Office applications. Matters that might seem minor have been known to cause refusals. If anything in your history concerns you, take advice before you apply rather than after a refusal.
What is the English language requirement?
Most ILR applicants must demonstrate English at B1 level. This can be met by a B1 Secure English Language Test from an approved provider, a degree taught in English, or being a national of a majority English-speaking country. Age and medical exemptions also apply. The Government has proposed raising the standard to B2 under the earned settlement framework.
What is ‘earned settlement’?
Earned settlement is the Government’s reform of the ILR system, which is being implemented from April 2026. Settlement will require not just a period of lawful residence but a minimum income level, an English language standard, and a clean compliance record. The standard qualifying period is increasing from five years to ten years for most routes. If you are within reach of the five-year threshold under current rules, take advice promptly.
Can ILR be revoked?
ILR can be revoked where it was obtained by deception, following certain serious criminal convictions, or where the holder has been continuously absent from the UK for more than two years. If you have been outside the UK for a prolonged period and are concerned about your settled status, take advice before returning.
Can I apply for British citizenship after ILR?
Yes. After holding ILR for twelve months, you can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen, provided you meet the residency, absence, language, and good character requirements. Spouses and civil partners of British citizens may be able to apply without the twelve-month ILR wait. We advise on both the ILR and the citizenship route that follows.
What if I have a criminal conviction?
A criminal conviction does not automatically prevent an ILR application, but the Home Office considers the nature of the offence, the sentence, and how recently it occurred. Spent convictions under domestic rehabilitation rules may still be relevant for immigration purposes. We advise honestly on how any conviction in your history is likely to be assessed before you commit to applying.
How much does an initial consultation cost?
We offer a fixed-fee initial consultation for ILR applications. At that meeting we will review your immigration history, assess your position, and set out the cost of preparing and submitting the application. Please visit our pricing page or call us to arrange a meeting.
Get in Touch
Whether you are applying for the first time, extending your leave, or dealing with a problem mid-course, our immigration team is ready to help.
Phone: 020 7870 4870
Email: info@lawlanesolicitors.co.uk
Book a consultation with our immigration team and start your studies in the UK with your immigration status in order.
Immigration Team
Tahir Shahab Khan
Supervising Director, Solicitor AdvocateView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Salman Shah
Director, SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Sikandar Ali Jatoi
Director, Solicitor AdvocateView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Ghulam Mustafa
BarristerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Ahmed Syed
Registered Foreign LawyerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Muhammad Azeem
Registered Foreign LawyerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Nuresa Begum
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Oraz Shiriyev
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Sarah Akram
Supervising SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Kashif Haroon
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Khadija Faisal
Legal AssistantView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Suzana Husain
Trainee SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Christian O. Nwaorah
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Oriola Uka
Registered Foreign LawyerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Sandesh Kumar
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Michele Montjen
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Manpreet Kaur
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Vishva Shanmugam
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Hoor Aleen Badarneh
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Robert Thomson
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Kunal
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Artemisa Shquti
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Mathelide Othilie Christiansen
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Shehryar Ahmed
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Benedicte Mabika
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Osama Syam
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Akbar Mohammed Mir
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Noemaan Fahim
Immigration SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
