Apply for UK PR Visa from India

The United Kingdom has been home to people from across the globe - including Indians. In 2023, Indians comprised the largest group of immigrants to the UK, with a total of 250,000 Indians choosing to immigrate to UK from India.

Indian nationals who wish to extend their stay in the United Kingdom may be eligible to apply for UK PR Visa from India. Depending on which route you apply for, obtaining UK permanent residency status usually takes 3 to 5 years.

Apply for UK PR Visa from India

How to apply for UK PR Visa from India?

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as 'settlement,' allows you to settle in the UK permanently. With ILR, you have the right to live, work, and study in the UK indefinitely and apply for benefits if eligible. It also serves as a pathway to British citizenship.

The application process for UK PR Visa from India (or ILR) varies based on your individual circumstances.

If you work in the UK

You may be able to apply for UK PR Visa from India if you have a Work Visa. Generally, you must have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years. If you have a Tier 1 Work Visa, it can be 2-3 years. If you have a Global Talent Visa or Innovator Founder Visa - it can be 3 years.

You may also need to meet the salary and other financial requirements. The process and requirements also depend on whether you:

• Have a Tier 2, T2, International Sportsperson or Skilled Worker Visa.
• Have a Scale-up Worker Visa.
• Have a Global Talent, Tier 1 Entrepreneur or Investor Visa.
• Have an Innovator Founder Visa.
• Represent an overseas business.
• Have a Turkish Worker or Businessperson Visa.
• Are a private servant in a diplomatic household with an International Agreement Visa.
• Are a domestic worker.

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If you have a family in the UK

You may be able to apply for UK PR Visa from India if you have a family member settled in the UK - either as a British Citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain.

You can apply as:

• A partner - with your Family Visa.
• A partner - as a dependent on your partner’s Work Visa.
• A parent - with your Family Visa.
• A child - with your Family Visa.
• A child - as a dependent on your parent’s Work Visa.
• An adult-dependent relative on a Family Visa.
• A dependent on your parent or partner’s Innovator Founder Visa.

There are other ways to apply if:

• Your partner has died.
• Your relationship ended because of domestic violence.

You will need to apply the same way as your partner or parent who is settled in the UK - or is applying to settle indefinitely. How you apply depends on which visa you have and how your family member settled.

When to Apply?

You can apply as soon as you are eligible to apply for UK PR Visa from India.

If you’re applying as a parent or a partner with a Family Visa, the earliest you can apply is 28 days before you meet the requirements for the time spent in the UK. Your application may be refused/rejected if you apply before 28 days. Do not wait until your current visa expires. If your visa expires before you can apply for UK PR - you will need to renew it first.

Fees

The application fee is £2,885 (~ INR 3,09,880) per person. Each applicant must have their biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken, which is free of charge. You may be able to pay to get super-priority service.

Processing Time

A decision is typically made within 6 months when applying through the standard service. You must stay within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man while awaiting a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.

If you’ve lived in the UK for 10 years

You may be able to apply for UK PR Visa from India if you’ve legally been in the UK for 10 continuous years (known as ‘long residence’). This can include time on most UK Visa and Immigration categories.

Continuous Residence

Continuous residence is the time you’ve spent in the UK without gaps. You can leave and enter the UK during the continuous residence for up to 180 days in any 12 months. You cannot count time spent in the UK:

• On a Standard Visitor Visa.
• On a Short-term Study Visa.
• On a Seasonal Worker Visa.
• On immigration bail, temporary admission or temporary release.
• In prison, young offender institutions or secure hospitals.
• After your permission ran out (‘overstaying’).

You also cannot count time spent in Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

Knowledge of Language and Life

If you’re between 18 and 65 years of age, you must:

• Pass the Life in the UK test.
• Prove that you have sufficient English language skills.

If you do not fall under these two categories, you can apply to extend.

Fees

The fee depends on what you’re applying for.

• Indefinite leave to remain: £2,885 (~ INR 3,09,880)
• Extend your stay: £1,048 (~ INR 1,12,565)

Each applicant must have their biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken, which is free of charge. If you’re applying for UK PR Visa from India you can pay an extra £1,000 (~ INR 1,07,410) for the super-priority service.

Processing Time

A decision is typically made within 6 months when applying through the standard service. You must stay within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man while awaiting a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.

If you’re a Commonwealth Citizen

You may be able to apply for UK PR Visa from India if you have been living in the UK for 5 years on an Ancestry Visa. Commonwealth citizens with 'right of abode' in the UK can live or work without immigration restrictions. You might also qualify for citizenship, for example, through the Windrush scheme.

Check UK PR Eligibility!

Other ways to apply

You may be able to apply for UK Visa PR from India if you:

• Are a refugee or have humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave.
• Are returning to the UK having previously had UK PR.
• Served in the armed forces.

Why apply for UK PR Visa from India?

The population of the United Kingdom is very diverse. According to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, people born outside the UK made up an estimated 14.4% (or 9.5 million people) of the UK's population in 2021. 35% of which, live in London.

Having the highest numbers among total immigrants in the UK, Indians have been the biggest beneficiaries of the UK’s PR programs. Some of the many benefits of applying for UK PR Visa from India include:

• Apply for British Citizenship.
• Enter and leave the UK indefinitely.
• Access to high-paying job opportunities.
• Bring family members to the UK.
• Access to healthcare.
• Social security benefits.
• Housing benefits.
• Education and citizenship for children.

Start your process today!

Need help?

Connect with Nationwide Visas, one of the best UK Immigration Consultants in India. The team will evaluate your case, offering the best solutions to immigrate to UK from India. Whether you need help with your application, documentation, finding jobs, or else, we’ve got you covered!