What types of application can you make?

This page describes the types of application that you can normally submit in person using the 'premium service' at our public enquiry offices in the UK. Some offices cannot handle all types of application.

Our public enquiry offices cannot consider your application if you are:

• a person who has been given discretionary leave to remain or humanitarian protection;
• a person with a poor immigration history;
• applying for permanent residence on the basis of 10 or 14 years' residence;
• applying for an extension of your visa on the highly skilled migrant programme;
• a business person, innovator, sole representative or investor;
• a seaman;
• a Gurkha; or
• an elderly dependant.

Also, they cannot consider your application if:

• your case is complex; or
• your case is not covered by the Immigration Rules; or
• your sponsor is a staff member of the Home Office or the UK Border Agency. To protect the confidentiality of your sponsor and to prevent any possibility of corrupt behaviour, these applications must be made by post. You should send your application to the address on the application form, with a note stating that the sponsor is a serving member of staff at the Home Office or the UK Border Agency.

Applications for settlement or extension of stay

Public enquiry offices accept applications for permission to extend your stay (known as 'limited leave to remain') or to settle permanently (known as 'indefinite leave to remain') in the UK, in the categories below.

General

• husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner - forms FLR(M), SET(M), FLR(O) and SET(O)
• children - forms FLR(O), SET(O) and SET(F) (only if the child entered the UK with the correct entry clearance)
• visitor - form FLR(O) (for medical visitors, academic visitors and parents accompanying children under 12 years of age who are receiving private education in the UK)
• (some offices only) transfer of conditions into a new passport forms NTL (for transferring indefinite leave to remain) and TOC (for transferring temporary permission to stay)

Points-based system

• Tier 1 (Post-study work)
• Tier 1 (General)
• Tier 2 (General)
• Tier 2 (Intra company transfer)
• Tier 2 (Minister of religion)
• Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
• Tier 4 (General)
• Tier 4 (Child)
• Tier 5 (Temporary worker - creative and sporting)
• Tier 5 (Temporary worker - charity worker)
• Tier 5 (Temporary worker - religious worker)
• Tier 5 (Temporary worker - government authorised exchange)
• Tier 5 (Temporary worker - international agreement)
• dependents of migrants under the points-based system - form PBS (Dependant)

Work outside the points-based system

• domestic worker in a private household - forms FLR(O) and SET(O)
• offshore worker - form FLR(O)
• work permit applications - form FLR(IED)
• UK ancestry - forms FLR(O) and SET(O)

Government and military

• (Croydon only) armed forces (no form needed)
• armed forces indefinite leave to remain following discharge - form SET(O)
• armed forces dependants - form FLR(O)
• civilian emloyee of armed forces (civilian component) - form FLR(O)
• forces recruitment - form FLR(O)

Medical studies

• postgraduate doctor or dentist - form FLR(O)
• Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test - form FLR(O)
• clinical attachment - form FLR(O)

Applications for travel documents

The offices do not accept applications for travel documents. These applications should be made by post. See Home Office travel documents for details.

Applications for registration certificates - European citizens (Croydon only)

If you are a citizen of a country in the European Economic Area, you can apply for registration certificates at Croydon public enquiry office. Only limited numbers of appointments are available for this, but you will not need to pay a fee.

Applications on behalf of other people

The public enquiry offices are for personal applicants. However, in exceptional circumstances you can submit an application on another person's behalf if you are their husband, wife, sister, brother, parent or legal guardian. You must carry a letter of authorisation signed by the applicant.

There is a bulk service for specific representative bodies such as student bodies, civilian components, embassies and companies. For more information, call the immigration enquiry bureau.

Legal representatives cannot use the public enquiry office service on behalf of clients, unless they are registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner and have sent us a written request. See Legal representatives' same-day service for more information.

Return of documents (Croydon only)

If your travel documents are currently with the UK Border Agency but you urgently require them for travel, Croydon public enquiry office offers a service that can return those documents to you.

We will need to find and retrieve the documents before you can collect them, so we can only offer this service if you contact us in advance. Please do not arrive at the public enquiry office without first phoning our immigration enquiry bureau.

When we tell you that your documents are ready for collection, you can collect them from the 'return of documents' desk at the public enquiry office between 09:00 and 12:00, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). If you arrive at the desk after 12:00, you will not be seen and will need to return on another day.

If you want us to return documents that have been sent to us with an application for British citizenship, you should contact the nationality office in Liverpool.

The European Economic Area (EEA) consists of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Although Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are not members of the European Union (EU), their citizens have the same rights as EU citizens to enter, live in and work in the UK.