Completing application form SET(O)

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

You should also read the detailed Guide SET(O) before you complete 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.

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

Can I apply using this form?

The How to apply page explains who who can apply for settlement using application form SET(O), and the amount of time they must have spent living legally in the UK before they can apply. This is called the 'qualifying period'.

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 apply before your current permission to stay in the UK ends.

You must be in the UK when you apply.

When you apply, you will need to show that you have a good knowledge of language and life in the UK, unless you are:

  • under 18 years old; or
  • aged 65 and over; or
  • a bereaved partner;
  • a former member of HM Forces, or the husband or wife of a former member of HM Forces; or
  • a highly skilled migrant who applied to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme before 7 November 2006 and came to the UK on the basis of that application.

Can I include my dependants in my application?

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

However, if you are applying on the basis of long residence, you may not include any dependants in your application. 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, they may apply for temporary permission to stay in the UK using application form FLR(M) - if they do this, they can include any children under 18 as their dependants. For other options, see the detailed Guide SET(O).

Making an application

Section 9 of form SET(O) 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 can post your application to us, or apply in person at one of our public enquiry offices - this is a same-day service, available at a premium fee and by appointment only, and is only suitable for straightforward applications that will not require further enquiries. You cannot apply in person if you are currently in one of the following categories:

  • Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
  • Tier 1 (Investor)
  • businessperson
  • innovator
  • investor
  • self-employed lawyer

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).

More information

  • Application fees for settling in the UK using form SET(O)

    Fee if you are applying by post Fee if you are applying in person
    Main applicant £1051 £1426
    Partner or child aged under 18 (if they are applying at the same time as the main applicant) £788 for each family member included on the main applicant's application form £1163 for each family member included on the main applicant's application form
    Partner or child aged under 18 (if they are applying separately from,the main applicant)  £1051  £1426


  • How to pay your application fee if you are inside the UK

    If you are applying online, you must pay your fee online as part of your application.

    If you are applying by post or courier, you can choose how to pay your application fee:

    • By cheque in sterling on a UK bank account. The application form will tell you who to make the cheque payable to, you should write your full name and date of birth on the back, and attach the cheque to the front of the completed application form. 
    • With a UK postal order. You should write your full name and date of birth on the back, and attach the postal order to the front of the completed application form. 
    • With a credit or debit card - American Express, MasterCard, Visa (including Electron), Delta or Maestro (including Solo). For postal and courier payments, we accept only Maestro cards issued in the UK. You must include the card number, the amount paid, the payer's name as it appears on the card, the 'valid from' and expiry dates, the card verification value (CVV) code, the cardholder's signature and the date. The issue number is also needed for Maestro cards.

    If you are applying and paying in person at a public enquiry office, you can choose how to pay your application fee. For applications made in person at a public enquiry office, the total fee includes an additional fee of £375 for each person. This includes a £100 appointment fee, which may be retained should the applicant fail to attend their appointment without good reason.  Please check the relevant application form to find out if you can make an application in person.

    • With a UK postal order (except at our Glasgow and Cardiff offices). You should write your full name and date of birth on the back.
    • By banker's draft (except at our Glasgow and Cardiff offices). 
    • With a credit or debit card - American Express, MasterCard, Visa (including Electron), Delta or Maestro (including Solo). We can accept any Maestro card for payments at a public enquiry office. You must include the card number, the amount paid, the payer's name as it appears on the card, the 'valid from' and expiry dates, the card verification value (CVV) code, the cardholder's signature and the date. The issue number is also needed for Maestro cards. The cardholder must be present for the payment to be taken.

    Payment by any other method is not accepted.

    You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of your application. If you do not do this, your application will be invalid and will not be considered. We will return your application and part payment to you.

    We start considering the application when the payment has cleared. Payments are cleared:

    • after 5 working days for cheques
    • after 1 working day for credit or debit cards
    • immediately for postal orders

    Please note that, if you are making numerous payments using your credit card, the anti-fraud measures that banks operate sometimes stop payment being taken. This may be because you have exceeded the maximum limit on a single transaction or the number of transactions allowed in a given period of time. You must ensure that you contact your bank in advance, so that the bank will allow the full payment to be taken without any problems when you submit your applications.

    Payment information on the application form

    It is very important that you complete the payment section of the application form correctly. If this section contains errors, we will not be able to process your payment. This will mean that your application is invalid.

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. You can continue to work until your case is decided if the conditions of your existing leave allows you to do so.

Application forms

Application for permanent residence in the UK in an employment or other category listed on the form

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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' and 'settlement') is permission to remain in the UK without any time restrictions on the length of stay. It is not the same as naturalisation as a British citizen and may, in specific circumstances, be ceased or invalidated, for example, if a fraudulent application is uncovered, if the person resides outside of the UK for more than 2 years or as a result of a criminal conviction that results in a Deportation Order coming into force.

  • 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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