Do You Have Evidence of Your Indefinite Leave to Remain? If Not, You Need to Apply Now For No Time Limit Status by Making an NTL Application
If you are settled in the UK with Indefinite Leave to Remain you may think that all your immigration paperwork issues are sorted out. If you don’t have clear documentation to prove your Indefinite Leave to Remain status you may need to make a No Time Limit application.
In this blog, our Immigration Solicitors look at when you need to make a No Time Limit application and what it involves.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors
For immigration law advice call London-based OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi
Why you need No Time Limit status
If you have Indefinite Leave to Remain there is no time limit on the length of stay in the UK and no restrictions on your right to live, work or right to rent in the UK. However, even if you are settled in the UK, it can be hard to prove it at border control when re-entering the UK or when trying to pass a right-to-work or rent check with a prospective employer or landlord.
In addition to facilitating travel and enhancing your ability to prove your right to work, rent and access benefits, the other major benefit of successfully obtaining No Time Limit is that it provides secure evidence of your status in comparison to a vignette or sticker. That’s important when identity fraud is on the increase with all the long-term problems that can be created.
Our Indefinite Leave to Remain Solicitors say people don’t realise what a problem it is until it happens to them or a member of the family. That’s why our team of specialist Immigration Lawyers recommends that you give us a call on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online to discuss if you need to make a No Time Limit application.
Who should apply for No Time Limit status?
You should think about applying for No Time Limit status if you fall within any of these criteria:
- To upgrade your non-digital proof of Indefinite Leave to Remain to digital status. For example, if you have a vignette in your passport, you can use a Biometric Residence Permit as digital evidence of your Indefinite Leave to Remain status
- Your passport has expired or been lost or stolen and your passport contained your No Time Limit endorsement
- Your identity has changed since you were granted Indefinite Leave to Remain so you do not have evidence of your No Time Limit status in your new identity
- You have Indefinite Leave to Remain but have no evidence to prove it. For example, if you were classed as deemed settled in the UK on 1 January 1973
If you are not certain if you need to make a No Time Limit application it is best to call our immigration experts as you do not want to wait until your lack of evidence of your Indefinite Leave to Remain status becomes a problem. For example, when you are having issues proving your right to re-enter the UK when you are at passport control at Heathrow or Gatwick. Likewise, if you have landed your dream job you do not want your start date to be delayed as you cannot pass the right-to-work check that your employer must undertake before you commence employment.
What does making a No Time Limit application involve?
Applying for No Time Limit status involves an application to the Home Office to confirm your Indefinite Leave to Remain status by obtaining a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). As a first step in the application process, you may need a biometric appointment for photographs and fingerprints.
A BRP proves your Indefinite Leave to Remain status instead of having to rely on a wet-ink stamp in your passport or a vignette sticker. Once you have your BRP the next step is to secure an eVisa so you can electronically prove your status.
When a Home Office official checks your No Time Limit application, they will confirm that you have ILR as that is a prerequisite of a successful application. For example, checking if you renounced your ILR, have had your ILR revoked or lost your ILR status through a lengthy absence from the UK and not meeting the criteria for a Returning Resident Visa.
Applying for No Time Limit status for family
When you apply for No Time Limit status you can include dependants who already have ILR status on your application form. Dependants with ILR status can include spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners, same-sex partners and children who are under 18 years of age.
What is next after a successful No Time Limit status application?
Once you have got your No Time Limit status you can continue to enjoy your Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. There is no requirement to make any further immigration applications – unless you leave the UK for two years or more and need a Returning Resident Visa to be able to return to the UK. However, you may want to explore with our British Citizenship Solicitors whether you want to apply for British citizenship or dual nationality if your country of nationality allows you to retain your nationality of origin and acquire British citizenship.
Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors
For immigration law advice call London-based OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi
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