Benefits of Obtaining Permanent Residency

You don’t have to apply for permanent residency if you’ve been in the UK for 5 years or more, but it can be helpful for several reasons. Firstly, all other visas have an expiration date, so rather than applying for an extension on your work visa every 3 to 5 years and paying the application fees as well as the immigration health surcharge, you can make your life a lot easier by simply getting permanent residency in the UK.

Secondly, some visas restrict your travel outside of the UK to a certain number of days a year (usually 180 days, but sometimes even fewer), so by obtaining permanent residency, you’re free to go abroad on holidays, business trips or to see family for up to 2 years at a time.

Finally, although you still won’t have the same rights or passport as a British citizen, you can access governmental benefits if you’re eligible. Such benefits can include unemployment benefits or disability benefits, so you know you’ll be supported if anything were to happen to you while you’re in the UK.

Can You Have Your Permanent Residency Revoked?

Although permanent residency grants you permission to reside, work and study in the UK with no expiration date, if you no longer meet certain requirements of your application, you can have your ILR revoked.

Such instances include:

• If you live outside of the UK continuously for 2 years or more
• If you commit a serious crime (which can also lead to deportation)
• If you apply as a refugee and return to the country from which you fled
• If you do leave the UK for more than 2 years continuously but wish to return, you can apply for a Returning Resident visa, provided you can prove that you have strong ties to the UK such as property, a job or family. You do not need a Returning Resident visa if you work for the UK government or British Council as a British citizen, resident or partner or spouse of a British citizen or resident.