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Completing application form SET(DV)

This page contains general guidance on using application form SET(DV) to apply for permission to settle in the UK (also known as 'indefinite leave to remain') as a victim of domestic violence.

You should also read the detailed Guide SET(DV) before you complete the form. You will need to pay a fee when you make your application (unless you are exempt from paying the fee because you are destitute), and we will not refund your fee if we refuse your application or if you withdraw it.

You can download the form and guidance documents from the right side of this page.

Can I apply using this form?

To be able to apply for settlement as the husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried/same-sex partner of a permanent resident, you must normally have lived here legally for two years in this category and still be intending to live together in that relationship. The correct form to use is application form SET(M).

However, you may be able to apply for settlement using application form SET(DV) if:

  • you were given permission to come to the UK for up to 27 months or to extend your stay for two years as the husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner of a permanent resident ( even if that permission is no longer valid) ; and
  • you were still in that relationship at the time when you came to the UK or extended your stay as their husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner; and
  • you can produce evidence that the relationship has broken down permanently since then as a result of domestic violence.

You should make your application as soon as is practicably possible after your relationship has broken down as a result of domestic violence - you should not wait until the end of your current permission to remain. It is in your interests to apply as early as possible, so that we can deal with contemporary evidence.

You must be in the UK when you apply.

Can I include my dependants in my application?

You can use the same application form for a joint application by you and any children aged under 18, if they are applying as your dependants. Children over 18 must apply separately.

Making an application

You must provide evidence that you are a victim of domestic violence in Section 4 of the application form. You must answer the questions and provide relevant evidence, which must relate to violence committed against you by your partner and/or their family. Where available, evidence should come from the sources listed in Section 3 of the form, but you may also provide evidence from other sources. For more information about sources of evidence, see the Victims of domestic violence page.

Section 10 of the form lists the documents that you must send with your application. You should send the original documents, not copies. In exceptional circumstances, we may accept a photocopy that is certified as an accurate copy by the body or authority that issued the original, or by a notary, but you must include a letter explaining why you are providing a certified copy rather than the original document.

You will need to include a fee with your application, unless you are exempt from paying that fee because you are destitute. Part 4 of Guide SET(DV) describes the evidence you must provide to prove that you are destitute.

You must post your application to the address given on the form. For this type of application you cannot apply in person at one of our public enquiry offices.

We cannot tell in advance how long it will take to decide your application, so you should not make non-urgent travel plans until we have returned your passport to you. Our service standards for processing applications show how quickly we aim to make a decision.

You must complete the form in block capitals using a black pen. Please enter all dates as dd-mm-yyyy (for example, 29-04-2000).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is my immigration status while my application is being decided?

    If you make an application before your authorised stay ends, your existing immigration status will continue until your application is decided, even if the decision is not made until after the end of your permitted stay. If your existing visa or other permission to stay here allows you to work, you can continue to do so until your case is decided.

Application forms

Application for permanent residence in the United Kingdom as a victim of domestic violence

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Terms explained

  • Civil partnership

    A legal relationship that can be registered by two people of the same sex and that gives the couple legal recognition for their relationship. In a range of legal matters, civil partners are treated the same as opposite-sex partners who are married.

  • Dependant

    Someone who depends on you financially, such as a husband, wife, partner, or child.

  • Indefinite leave to remain

    Indefinite leave to remain (often known as ILR) is permission to stay permanently (settle) in the United Kingdom, free from immigration control.

  • Limited leave to remain

    Permission to stay in the United Kingdom temporarily, for the length of time stated on your visa.

  • Notary

    A notary is also known as a notary public. A notary is a public official who is legally authorised to witness the signing of documents and perform other formal duties.

All glossary terms

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