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Work permits - Bulgarian and Romanian nationals only

How do I apply for further leave to remain if I am a work permit holder?

This page explains how you can apply for further leave to remain if you are a work permit holder.

You can apply for further leave to remain once your employer has been told that you have been granted approval for your immigration employment document (IED). This is your approval to work under the one of the following categories:

  • work permit arrangements (including sports and entertainments); or
  • Training and work experience scheme (TWES).

Your employer should inform you when this has been granted. If your existing leave is due to expire you should submit a leave to remain application before that date. If your IED application has not been decided prior to the submission of your leave to remain application you should be advised that if the IED application is unsuccessful the leave to remain application will fall for refusal and no refund will be possible.

Making an application

In order to make an application for further leave to remain in the United Kingdom you will need to use application form FLR(IED) for yourself and your dependants, if they are applying at the same time as you.

Dependant children aged 18 or over will need to make a separate application for further leave to remain and they will need to use application form FLR(O), and pay the appropriate fee.

If you are applying for an extension to an existing TWES or work permits IED, you should apply for further leave to remain using the FLR(IED) application form, no sooner than five weeks before your existing leave expires. Applications for leave to remain should be made prior to the expiry of your existing leave and within six months of you or your employer receiving confirmation of your approval for IED.

You can download application forms FLR(IED) and FLR(O) and the guidance notes from the right side of this page. You should note that a new version of the FLR(IED) application form has been specified for use from 27 November 2008. Any application submitted on the previous version 04/2008 will continue to be accepted for a period of 21 days after 27 November 2008. Any application not on version 11/2008 of the FLR(IED) form and posted on or after 19 December 2008 will be rejected and returned to the applicant. You must read the guidance notes before filling in the application forms.

Where to send your application form

For the address of where to send a postal application or details of where to make an application in person, see the page on where to send your completed applications.

Urgent decision required for further leave to remain

If you need to travel urgently and need your passport you can complete an urgent treatment form, which you can download from the right side of this page. You will then need to fax this form to 0114 207 2884, once you have received confirmation that your payment has been processed. The team dealing with your application for further leave to remain will aim to process your application before your date of travel, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to do so. If you only want your passport and not your decision for further leave to remain, please fax a letter to the relevant leave to remain team asking them to return your passport. This may delay your application.

You will not receive a refund of the application fee if you withdraw your application or if you travel outside the common travel area whilst your leave to remain is pending.

Supporting documents

There is a document checklist at the end of the application forms. All documents should be originals, however we will accept a certified photocopy for the purpose of validating the application, but we will need the original to grant your application.

If you are in the United Kingdom as a student you will need to provide your original certificate confirming you have a degree level qualification from a United Kingdom higher or further educational establishment.

If all the documents requested are not supplied or additional documents are required, we will contact you to tell you where to send these documents to.

You will need to provide two passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photographs for yourself and any dependants. For further information on this you should see the photograph guidance which you can download from the right side of this page.

Supporting documents for dependants

When you apply for dependants you will need to provide some supporting documents as evidence of your relationship. These are listed in the FLR(IED) guidance, which you can download from the right side of this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can the overseas national work while the application is being processed if they are already living in the United Kingdom?

    Normally if you have been issued with a new work permit you can not start working under the conditions of that permit until you have been granted further leave to remain (FLR) to do so using application form FLR(IED). However, you may work while the FLR(IED) form is being processed if you have valid leave to remain in an immigration category that allows you to do so.

    For example, if you are residing in the United Kingdom as a working holidaymaker or on a permit-free training visa, you can continue to work until a decision is made on your FLR as long as the work permit application and the associated application for FLR is received before the expiry date of your visa.

    An interim arrangement is currently in place whereby existing work permit holders can start a new job on the strength of the work permit permission letter, providing his/her existing leave to remain covers all or part of the period of the new employment. In these cases individuals will then have to submit a further leave to remain application before their existing leave expires, or within six months, whichever is the sooner. As the employer's work permit will have been approved, and the individual will still have to submit a further leave to remain application, this does not undermine immigration controls.

  • 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

Extension of stay in the United Kingdom (further leave to remain for work permit holders)

Extension of stay in the United Kingdom (other categories)

Urgent treatment request on an extension of stay application (further leave to remain for work permit holders)

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