Settlement on long residence
Ten years of lawful residence, across whatever mix of visas got you here, can lead to settlement in its own right. It is also the route where the Home Office goes through your history line by line. Every gap and every overstay is a question, so we answer them before they are asked.
Is this you?
People with a long, continuous period of lawful residence in the UK across different routes, such as student, work and family.
What we do for you
- A full history audit from your first entry
- Map every grant, every gap and every absence
- Identify gaps the rules disregard and the ones that need explaining
- Draft representations, including human rights arguments where they help
- Prepare, submit and handle requests
What we check before anything is submitted
- Every grant of leave and its dates
- Applications made in time or late
- Absences, individually and in total
- Any period without permission and why
- Suitability issues
The fee, the timescale and who does the work
£1,800 to £2,800 plus VAT.
Your exact fixed fee is confirmed on the free call and agreed in writing before any chargeable work starts. Home Office fees and the health surcharge are paid separately; see the Fees page for the full list.
Our fee covers taking your instructions, assessing eligibility, telling you what evidence is needed and reviewing it, preparing and drafting the application and any representations, submitting it, dealing with Home Office requests for information, and advising you on the decision.
Typical timescale. Usually up to 6 months.
Who handles it. A named, Law Society accredited caseworker runs your matter from the first call to the decision, supervised by a solicitor who signs off the application.
Questions we hear every week
I had a gap between visas; is that fatal?
Not always; some short gaps are disregarded. We check yours.
Does time as a student count?
Lawful time usually counts, whatever the visa.
What if I do not qualify yet?
We tell you when you will, and what to protect in the meantime.
Settlement ends the visa cycle for good. Citizenship ends the question.
Start with a free call.
Twenty minutes, booked online, nothing charged. The route, the cost and whether you meet the rules today.