It would help if you had a residence permit to stay in the UK for more than six months. A residence permit is a form of immigration paperwork that permits foreign nationals to legally remain in, work in, use public services, and eventually permanently down in a particular country.

An EEA biometric residence card (BRC), commonly known as a UK residence card, is no longer issued. To remain in the UK as a European Union (EU) citizen, you will need to obtain additional authorisation to do so, such as settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

EU Compensation Scheme

To accommodate EU residents who choose to relocate to the UK after Brexit, the EU Settlement Scheme was established. On June 30, 2021, the deadline for most people to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme passed. Even if you are not a UK resident right now, it is possible to use it even if you are from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and you or a family member were residing in the UK as of December 31, 2020. You also need to either:

• Meet one of the requirements for applying with a later deadline.
• Justifiable grounds for not applying before the June 30, 2021, deadline.
• Those who apply for the EU settlement scheme but cannot prove that they have continuously resided in the UK for five years are granted pre-settled status.

To be eligible to apply, you must have moved to the UK by December 31, 2020. You can stay in the UK for five years if granted pre-settled status.

You can spend up to two years abroad of the UK without jeopardising your pre-settled status. However, you will not qualify for settled status and cannot apply for it. Pre-settled status requires proof of the following items:

If you are an EEA citizen, a family member of an EEA citizen, a family that gained the right of residence through a relationship with an EEA citizen, a person with a derivative right to reside, a person with a Zambrano right to reside, or if you began to live in the UK on December 31, 2020, but have not yet completed the qualifying five-year period of residence, you will not be eligible for settled status until you have done so.

Pre-settled status applications are free of charge. A standard application processing time is five business days.

Individuals who have resided in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man for five years before applying for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are granted settled status. 

Indefinite leave to remain is another name for settled status.

The Permanent Residency Visa:

The UK permanent residence permit is another name for the indefinite leave to remain. You may be eligible to apply for indefinite permission to remain in the UK if you stay for a qualifying period. Once you've obtained your ILR, there are no more limits on how long you can live, work, or study in the UK.

Methods of Acquiring Permanent Residency

The following visas qualify as a pathway to ILR:

• Permanent residency is based on employment authorisation.
• Professional Worker Visa.
• Employment visa expansion.
• The Global Talent Visa.
• A visa for investors.
• Innovative visa.
• A spokesman for a company based in another country.
• An employee of a diplomatic home who holds either a domestic or International Agreement visa and works as a private servant.
• Family-based immigration (ILR).
• Visa for a spouse or companion.
• Visa for parents.
• Visas for dependent children.
• Visas for adult relatives with dependents.
• The way of personal existence.
• When one of you has passed away.
• If domestic abuse was a factor in the breakdown of your relationship.
• Nationality-based ILR.
• Immigration based on family history.
• Some alternate ways are:
• Personal time off.
• Protection under international law as a refugee.
• Those who have been granted ILR in the past and are now returning to the country based on refugee status, humanitarian protection, or discretionary leave
• Military personnel.

How Do You Qualify for Permanent Residency?

You must have lived in the UK for a particular amount of time, which varies depending on your immigration category, to be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain. If you have settled or pre-settled status,

• You may keep using your residence card till its expiration date has passed. It allows you to: re-enter the country after an international trip.
• Assist you in proving that you qualify for specific services and benefits.
• You can also use the online service if you need to check your status or prove it to someone else.

Get an EU Settlement Scheme BRC before leaving the UK if you are not a citizen of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and your residence card has expired, been lost, or been stolen.

If you need to replace your card but are currently outside of the UK, you must apply for a travel permit through the EU Settlement Scheme to enter the country.

You cannot use your UK residence card to enter the UK if you do not have settled or pre-settled status and have not applied to the EU Settlement Scheme by June 30, 2021.

You may still be able to apply even if you have yet to use the EU Settlement Scheme. If your application is approved, you will be granted either pre-settled or settled status, allowing you to stay in the UK for five years or indefinitely, respectively.

When applying for the EU Settlement Scheme, you can use your valid UK residence card as proof of identity if it does not expire.

Join the EU Settlement Scheme 

For most persons, if you or a member of your immediate family were a UK resident as of December 31, 2020, you can still apply if one of the following is true:

• You have reasonable grounds for being unable to apply before June 30 2021 - for example, you had an illness or were the victim of domestic abuse - and you have a later deadline (for example, you're joining a family member in the UK)
• A family permit under the EU Settlement Scheme will allow you to enter the UK to join a family member, and then you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme after you've arrived.
• You have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. However, you were wondering how long you could stay.
• While indefinite leave to remain itself has no expiration date, it could be revoked if the holder stays absent from the UK for more than two years without renewing their status.

Visa to Live in the UK for Commonwealth Nationals

A UK residence visa is available to citizens of the Commonwealth through:

• UK Immigration Based on Ancestry.
• Windrush Scheme residence certificates and suitable to reside documentation.

UK Visa for Ancestry

If one of your grandparents was born in the United Kingdom and you want to work there, you can apply for a UK ancestry visa as a citizen of the Commonwealth. UK ancestry visas are suitable for five years. You must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a visa to the UK:

• It would be best if you were at least 17 to enter.
• Be able to sustain yourself and any dependents you may have without resorting to public assistance.
• Show that you're capable of and interested in working in the UK.
• You must prove that your grandmother was born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.
• In what is now Ireland, before March 31, 1922?
• Anywhere involving a vessel or aircraft bearing a UK flag or owned by the British government.
• Proof of Residence Authorization Certificate

A vignette in your passport or other travel documents attesting to your right of abode in the UK might be considered a certificate of eligibility for the right of residence. Anyone whose parents or spouse are citizens of the Commonwealth automatically gain that status for themselves.

Permits to Live in the UK through the Windrush Programme

The Windrush Scheme allows Commonwealth residents and their children living in the UK to apply for and receive free official documents attesting to their status as British citizens. Within and outside of the UK, you can apply for the Windrush scheme. If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible to apply to prove your right to reside and work in the UK:

• You arrived in the UK from a Commonwealth country before 1973.
• You were born in the UK to parents who emigrated from a Commonwealth country before 1973.
• You're eligible for citizenship if you're a UK resident and arrived before December 31, 1988.

Why Us? 

The immigration lawyers at "TMC Solicitors" are among the best in the UK. Our legal staff will offer prompt, courteous service to ensure your application is processed smoothly and by applicable laws and regulations. Please get in touch with us if you need assistance with your family permit application.