Priority service for Indefinite Leave to Remain applications
It can be beyond frustrating waiting for the Home Office UK Visa and citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) to process your Indefinite Leave to Remain application. That is because most people worry about whether their ILR application will be granted even if they’ve had the best advice about the paperwork needed for their ILR application and assurances about the prospects of success by their leave to remain solicitors. If you are anxious about your Indefinite Leave to Remain application and don’t want a long wait for the decision then the UKVCAS priority service may be the best option for you.
Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors
If you need advice about an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain or if you’ve had an application for leave to remain refused and want expert advice about your ILR options after a refusal decision then call London based OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 and speak to one of our experienced Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors or complete our online enquiry form.
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How long does an ILR application take?
Whilst no Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitor can ever precisely say how long the Home Office will take to process an application for leave to remain they can say that the average processing time is about six months from date of submission of an ILR application.
For some leave to remain applicants the six months will fly by and not create any anxiety as whilst the ILR documents are being considered by the Home Office they can lawfully remain in the UK provided they had a valid visa at the time that their ILR application was submitted. For other ILR applicants the six months can seem like an eternity, during which time they feel as if they are in limbo.
The Indefinite Leave to Remain priority service
Using the UKVCAS priority service means the difference between waiting six months for a decision on your Indefinite Leave to Remain application and waiting about five days. That is a big time difference but it comes at a price as the UKVCAS charges a priority service fee in addition to the leave to remain application fee.
The Indefinite Leave to Remain super priority service
For some ILR applicants even using the priority service and waiting about five days for a UKVCAS decision on your Indefinite Leave to Remain application is too long a wait. If five days is too long for you to wait then you may be interested in the super priority service offered by UKVCAS.
If you use the super priority service then the UKVCAS should give you a decision on your ILR application by the end of the day after you submitted your application. However, if you submit the application on a Friday or at a Saturday appointment you will have to wait longer. That is because processing days for ILR applications do not include weekends or bank holidays.
The super priority service comes at a cost in terms of a priority fee but for some the benefits of a next day decision are well worth the cost.
UKVCAS Indefinite Leave to Remain application fees
The leave to remain fees can be broken down as follows:
The application |
The Home Office/ UKVCAS fee in November 2019 |
|
Application for Indefinite Leave to Remain |
£2,389 |
|
Biometric residence |
£56 |
|
Biometric enrolment |
£19.20 |
|
Life in the UK test |
£50 |
|
Priority service operated by UKVCAS |
£500 on top of standard £2,389 application fee |
|
Super priority service operated by UKVCAS |
£800 on top of standard £2,389 application fee |
|
VIP style service operated by UKVCAS |
Price dependant on service required |
Getting notification of your ILR decision
Whether you use the UKVCAS standard, priority or super priority service the successful outcome of your Indefinite Leave to Remain application should be received by email with a follow up letter to confirm.
Check your eligibility to apply for ILR
It may sound an obvious tip, but it is worth saying, that you should check or take specialist legal advice to make sure that you are eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. You should be eligible if:
-
You have been legally resident in the UK for the qualifying period for your ILR settlement route. There are complicated rules on what counts as continuous residence and excessive absences;
-
On the date of your ILR application you have Immigration status to be lawfully in the UK; through any form of visa or Immigration status;
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You have complied with any visa conditions whilst in the UK;
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You have passed the Life in the UK test and English language test. This only applies if you are between eighteen to sixty five years of age;
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You do not meet any of the General Grounds for Refusal of an application.
If you are in the UK on an Investor Visa, you are in business or working or if you are simply anxious about waiting for the results of an ILR application then the priority, super priority or additional services offered by UKCVAS may be the best option for you to secure your Indefinite Leave to Remain status quickly.
Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors
If you need help with an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain or have questions about your settlement options then call our specialist Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors in central London on 0203 959 9123 or complete our online enquiry form.
OTS Solicitors are experts in Immigration law and have substantial experience in applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain. London based OTS Solicitors are Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession recommended Immigration lawyers and have Law Society accredited solicitor status as trusted specialists in Immigration law.