How to Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain as a Partner on a UK Family Visa

Who can apply for indefinite leave to remain as a partner?

This procedure is for a person who already has a UK family visa as a partner or spouse and is reaching the settlement stage of that route.

GOV.UK states that you may be able to apply if you have a family visa as a partner or spouse and your partner is settled in the UK, for example because they are a British citizen or have indefinite leave to remain.

Different settlement rules apply if you are a dependant on a partner's work visa, your partner has status under the EU Settlement Scheme, your partner has died, or your relationship has ended because of domestic abuse.

Which family-visa settlement route are you on?

Partner settlement rules differ depending on whether you are on the 5-year route, legacy 2-year route or 10-year route.

If you are unsure, check the Home Office letter or decision you received when your most recent permission to stay was granted. It should identify the basis on which you were given leave.

How does the 5-year partner route work?

On the standard 5-year route, you must normally have lived in the UK for at least 5 continuous years with qualifying family-visa permission as a partner.

You cannot count time spent:

• on another type of visa; or
• as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner.

The Immigration Rules require a qualifying applicant on this route to have valid permission as a partner and to satisfy the relevant partner requirements at settlement.

Who can still be on the 2-year route?

A legacy 2-year settlement route still applies to some people whose family-route history falls under the older Immigration Rules. GOV.UK says applicants on this route need at least 2 continuous years in the UK on the qualifying partner family visa.

If you believe this applies to you, rely on the route stated in your Home Office decision rather than assuming the modern 5-year rules apply.

How does the 10-year family route work?

On the 10-year route, you generally need 10 years of continuous qualifying residence. Current Immigration Rules can allow qualifying time on certain other routes leading to settlement to count, subject to the detailed rules.

For settlement as a partner under Appendix Settlement Family Life, you must have had permission based on your relationship with your current partner for at least one year.

Unlike the 5-year route, the 10-year family settlement route does not have a financial requirement.

What relationship conditions must you still meet?

Your current immigration permission must be based on your relationship with your partner.

Under the family-visa partner guidance, you must be either:

• a husband, wife or civil partner; or
• in a relationship equivalent to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years.

You must also have lived together since your last visa renewal and intend to continue the relationship after settlement is granted.

The Home Office can require evidence that the relationship is genuine and continuing.

What relationship evidence can you provide?

The exact documents requested depend on your circumstances, but official Home Office guidance lists stronger forms of relationship and cohabitation evidence such as:

• tenancy agreements;
• council tax bills;
• gas, electricity, water or other utility bills;
• joint bank statements;
• marriage or civil partnership certificates;
• insurance documents showing your address;
• HMRC or Department for Work and Pensions correspondence showing the family unit or address; and
• medical correspondence or GP registration evidence.

Documents showing the same address over time can help demonstrate that you have lived together since your previous family-visa decision.

What financial requirement applies on the 5-year route?

For the 5-year route, you and your partner normally need to prove that you meet the applicable financial requirement using evidence in the way required under the family-visa rules.

If you first applied as a partner on or after 11 April 2024

If your first successful family-visa application as a partner was on or after 11 April 2024, GOV.UK states that you and your partner normally need a combined annual income of at least £29,000.

If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024

If you first entered the partner route before 11 April 2024 and are continuing with the same partner, the normal combined minimum income is £18,600 a year.

Additional income can be required for dependent children who are not exempt from the calculation:

• £3,800 for the first qualifying child; and
• £2,400 for each additional qualifying child.

GOV.UK caps the resulting requirement at £29,000.

What if your partner receives disability or carer's benefits?

If your partner receives certain specified disability or carer's benefits, the usual minimum-income threshold does not apply. Instead, you must satisfy the adequate maintenance requirement.

This means demonstrating that you can adequately support and house yourselves and any dependants without relying on additional public funds. The Home Office considers income and housing costs.

Is there an income requirement on the 10-year route?

No. GOV.UK states that there is no financial requirement for settlement on the 10-year family route.

You must still satisfy the other applicable settlement requirements, including residence, relationship, suitability, English language and knowledge of life in the UK unless exempt.

What English level is required for settlement in 2026?

If you are aged 18 to 64 and no exemption applies, the current GOV.UK family settlement guidance requires a recognised English qualification at least equivalent to CEFR level B1 in speaking and listening, or another accepted way of meeting the English requirement such as an eligible degree taught or researched in English.

For the 10-year Settlement Family Life route, the Immigration Rules also specify B1 for applications made before 26 March 2027.

Do you need the Life in the UK Test?

If you are aged 18 to 64, you normally need to pass the Life in the UK Test before applying.

The official test costs £50. It must be booked online at least 3 days in advance. The test lasts 45 minutes and contains 24 questions.

People under 18 or aged 65 or over are exempt from the general knowledge-of-language-and-life requirement. An exemption can also apply where a qualifying physical or mental condition makes it unreasonable to expect the requirement to be met.

When can you apply for indefinite leave to remain?

The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you complete the required residence period.

For example, a person on the 5-year route should not submit the settlement application more than 28 days before completing the qualifying 5 years.

GOV.UK warns that an application made earlier may be refused.

Do not wait until your current visa has expired. If your existing permission expires before you become eligible for settlement, you need to extend your stay first.

How do you submit the ILR application?

You must apply online. The online form is different depending on whether you are applying on the 5-year or legacy 2-year route or on the 10-year route.

You must be in the UK when making a settlement application under the applicable partner rules.

Once you start the form, GOV.UK allows you to save it and complete it later.

What documents will the Home Office ask for?

The online application tells you which documents are required for your particular case. Material evidence can include:

• passport or other valid travel document establishing identity and nationality;
• proof of your family-visa immigration status;
• evidence of your genuine and continuing relationship;
• documents showing that you have lived together since your last visa grant;
• proof of income and accommodation where the financial requirement applies;
• English-language evidence; and
• evidence that you passed the Life in the UK Test.

If you use an eVisa to prove your current immigration status in another context, Helpydo explains how to get a share code to prove your UK immigration status.

How much does partner settlement cost?

As of 10 September 2026, the Home Office fee for indefinite leave to remain under this family settlement route is £3,226 for each person applying.

Each applicant also needs to provide biometric information, but GOV.UK states that there is no additional fee for fingerprints and a photograph.

If you need the Life in the UK Test, its separate official fee is £50.

What happens with fingerprints and your photo?

After applying, you will be instructed how to provide your biometric information. This normally consists of fingerprints and a photograph.

The application process will tell you whether you need to attend the relevant biometric service point or complete the identity process in another approved way.

How long does an ILR decision take?

GOV.UK states that you will usually receive a standard decision within 6 months of providing your fingerprints and photograph.

A case may take longer where additional information, checks or evidence are required.

Can you pay for a faster decision?

You may be offered a faster-decision service when applying. Current Home Office fees list:

• £500 for the priority service; and
• £1,000 for the super priority service.

Availability depends on the application route and the service offered when you apply. GOV.UK says priority usually aims for a decision within 5 working days for most eligible in-country visa and settlement applications, while super priority usually aims for a decision by the end of the next working day after the relevant appointment or identity step.

These are processing targets, not guarantees.

Can you travel abroad while waiting for an ILR decision?

Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while waiting for a decision.

GOV.UK states that your application will be withdrawn if you travel outside that area before a decision is made.

Can your children apply for settlement with you?

If you are on the 5-year or legacy 2-year partner route, eligible dependent children can be included in the application.

For a child under 18, GOV.UK requires conditions including that the child has permission as a dependant on your family visa, will continue to live with you and be supported without public funds, and is not married, in a civil partnership or living an independent life.

Children aged 18 or over normally must have received eligible dependant permission before turning 18, must not be living an independent life, and must satisfy additional English-language and Life in the UK requirements where applicable.

On the 10-year family route, children cannot be included in the same partner application, although they may be able to apply separately.

What does indefinite leave to remain give you?

Indefinite leave to remain is UK settlement. Once granted, it normally gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK without a time limit and to claim benefits if you otherwise qualify.

Settlement can also put you on a route towards British citizenship if you later meet the nationality requirements.

Do not confuse settlement with your first spouse or partner visa

This procedure applies at the end of a qualifying family-visa route. It is not the process for entering the UK as a spouse or partner for the first time.

Your settlement application is based on the immigration history, relationship and conditions built up during your existing family-visa route.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying more than 28 days too early before completing the qualifying residence period.
• Counting time spent on another visa towards the 5-year partner route.
• Counting time spent as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner.
• Using the wrong financial threshold because you have not checked when you first successfully entered the partner route.
• Assuming the £29,000 threshold applies to every applicant, including older-route or adequate-maintenance cases.
• Submitting weak evidence of cohabitation or failing to show that the relationship remains genuine and continuing.
• Forgetting to pass the Life in the UK Test before applying where it is required.
• Using English-language evidence that does not meet the settlement requirement.
• Allowing your current family visa to expire before you are eligible to submit the settlement application.
• Travelling outside the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man while the application is pending.

What should you check before pressing submit?

Before paying the settlement fee, confirm your route, qualifying residence date, relationship evidence, financial requirement, English evidence and Life in the UK result.

Check that your passport or travel document is available, the names and dates in your evidence are consistent, and your application is being made no more than 28 days before you become eligible.

If your current permission will expire before that point, extend your family visa rather than submitting an early settlement application.