Jump to content

Completing application form SET(O)

This page gives general guidance on completing application form SET(O) to apply for permanent residence in the United Kingdom (we call this 'indefinite leave to remain'). You can download the form from the right side of this page.

For information on who should apply using application form SET(O), see Applying for settlement in the United Kingdom.

You should also read the detailed Guide SET(O), which you can download from the right side of this page, before completing the form. You will need to pay a fee when you make your application, and we will not refund your fee if we refuse your application or if you withdraw it.

To apply for permanent residence, you must first show that you have enough knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom.

You must have lived legally in the United Kingdom for a specified length of time before you qualify to apply for permanent residence. This length of time depends on the category you are in. There is no qualifying period for bereaved partners. The qualifying periods for other categories are:

  • four years - for former members of HM Forces;
  • five years - for highly skilled migrants, work permit holders and those in employment not requiring a work permit (although sole representatives of overseas firms must use application form SET(BUS));
  • five years - writers, composers and artists;
  • five years - United Kingdom ancestry; and
  • 10 years or 14 years - long residence (for details of the requirements you must meet to qualify in the long residence category, see Chapter 18 of the Immigration Directorate Instructions).

Please do not send us your application more than 28 days before the end of your qualifying period. If you do, we may refuse your application with no refund of the fee. However, you must make your application before your current permission to stay in the United Kingdom expires.

You must be in the United Kingdom to apply. For information on obtaining initial permission to come to the United Kingdom in this category, see Can I live in the United Kingdom? To extend your temporary permission to stay in this category, see Applying to extend your visa.

You can use one 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.

However, if you are applying because you meet the long-residence requirement, you may not include any dependants in your application. If you do, their applications will be refused. They may apply separately if they have completed the qualifying period of 10 or 14 years. If you have a partner who does not qualify, he/she may apply for temporary permission to stay (limited leave to remain) on application form FLR(M), in which case he/she can include any children under 18 as his/her dependants. For other options, see the detailed SET(O) guide.

Section 9 of the application form gives details of the documents you need to send to support your application. You should send the original documents, not a copy. 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. You must include a letter explaining the reasons for providing a certified copy rather than the original document.

You can post your application to us, or apply in person at one of our public enquiry offices. You need to make an appointment in advance to apply in person. It is a same-day service, available at a premium fee, and is only suitable for straightforward applications that will not require further enquiries.

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. However, our service standards for processing applications show how quickly we aim to make a decision.

You must fill in 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 in an employment or other category listed on the form

See also

News & updates

More news

News feeds

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