You can submit FLR (LR) application online to apply for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of long residence, if you are not able to apply for ILR on the basis of 10 years long residence. Normally, you need to apply for further leave to remain for 2 years if you are unable to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the basis of 10 years long residence due to your inability to pass the English Test and/or Life in the UK test. An application for further leave to remain based on 10 years of residence can only be submitted through standard service as the UKVI does not offer Super Priority Service for FLR (LR) applications.
An application for leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years of continuous and lawful residence is submitted to the Home Office UKVI by meeting all the eligibility requirements as set out in Appendix Long Residence of the Immigration Rules.
Free Immigration Advice For Further Leave To Remain Based On 10 Years Long Residence
Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide one-off free immigration advice online in relation to your application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years long residence. Ask a question online to our specialist team of immigration solicitors for free immigration advice online, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our immigration solicitors concerning your application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years long residence.
Specialist Long Residence Solicitors
Our expert team of long residence solicitors specialises in further leave to remain applications based on long residence. As long residence specialist lawyers, our solicitors have a wealth of knowledge and experience in successfully dealing with hundreds of applications for further leave to remain based on 10 years of long residence.
Premium Solicitors are specialist UK immigration solicitors and the high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of fully qualified and experienced immigration solicitors is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.
Requirements For Further Leave to Remain Based on 10 Years Long Residence
The requirements for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence are laid down in paragraph 276A1 of the Immigration Rules. The requirements for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence include the following:
Valid Application Requirements
A person applying for permission to stay on the Long Residence route must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Application to extend your stay in the UK on the basis of long residence”
An application for permission to stay on the Long Residence route must meet all the following requirements:
- any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
- the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- the applicant must have provided a passport or other document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality.
- The applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.
An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for permission to stay on the Long Residence route may be rejected as invalid and not considered.
Suitability Requirements
The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant should not be refused under Part 9: grounds for refusal.
The applicant must not be:
- in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded (although it will not count towards the qualifying period); or
- on immigration bail.
Qualifying Period Requirement
The applicant must have spent a qualifying period of 10 years lawfully in the UK, for the entirety of which one or more of the following applied:
- the applicant had permission, except permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student (English language) or Seasonal Worker (or under any of their predecessor routes); or
- the applicant was exempt from immigration control; or
- the applicant was in the UK as an EEA national, or the family member of an EEA national, exercising a right to reside under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 prior to 11pm on 31 December 2020 (and until 30 June 2021 or the final determination of an application under Appendix EU made by them by that date).
The following periods will not count towards the qualifying period for Long Residence:
- time spent on immigration bail, temporary admission or temporary release; and
- any period of overstaying between periods of permission before 24 November 2016, even if a further application was made within 28 days of the expiry of the previous permission; and
- any period of overstaying between periods of permission on or after 24 November 2016 even if paragraph 39E applies to that period of overstaying; and
- any current period of overstaying where paragraph 39E applies.
Disregarded periods of overstaying will not break continuous residence but will not count towards the 10-year qualifying period. The applicant must have had permission on their current immigration route for at least 12 months on the date of application, or have been exempt from immigration control in the 12 months immediately before the date of application. This requirement does not apply to an application if the applicant’s current permission was granted before 11 April 2024.
Continuous Residence Requirement For Further Leave Based on 10 Years Long Residence
The continuous residence requirements (paragraph LR 12.1.) are set out in Appendix Continuous Residence to the Immigration Rules.
The following periods will break continuous residence:
- immigration bail, temporary admission, and temporary release
- permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student (English language) or Seasonal Worker (or any of their predecessor routes)
- overstaying which is not disregarded
The following periods will not break continuous residence:
- overstaying which is disregarded
- time spent in the common travel area Appendix Continuous Residence (at paragraph CR 2.2A) recognises that its provisions are different from the previous long residence rules at paragraph 276A and makes transitional arrangements specifically for long residence applicants. These transitional arrangements preserve the position that continuous residence will be broken if an applicant has been absent from the UK for more than 184 days at any one time or for more than a total of 548 days overall, where that absence started before 11 April 2024. This means that:
- any single absences started before 11 April 2024 must be no longer than 184 days
- a 10-year period completed before 11 April 2024 must not have total absences of more than 548 days - for 10-year periods which extend beyond 11 April 2024, there is no 548-day limit
- from 11 April 2024, the applicant must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period
Paragraph CR 4.1.(d)(iii) also preserves the position in the rules as of 10 April 2024 for applicants who had permission when they left the UK and returned to the UK with valid permission, provided they do not exceed the limit of permissible absences.
Time Spent in The UK On Exceptional Assurance
No periods of exceptional assurance between 1 September 2020 and 28 February 2023 are included in the calculation of the continuous residence for the qualifying period. However, any extensions of leave granted under the Coronavirus extension concession and the following grace period (covering 24 January to 31 August 2020) count toward the qualifying period requirement.
Time Spent in the Republic of Ireland and Crown Dependencies
Even though they form part of the common travel area, time with permission spent in the Republic of Ireland or the Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) does not count in the calculation of the qualifying period for the purposes of long residence.
Time spent in the UK with a right to reside under EEA regulations
EEA nationals and their recognised family members who were residents in the UK before Free Movement ended at 11 pm GMT on 31 December 2020 could still, under the Withdrawal Agreement, continue to exercise EEA residential rights in the UK until the end of the grace period, namely 30 June 2021. After that date, these individuals should make an application to the EU Settlement Scheme in order to regularise their permission under the Immigration Rules Appendix EU and avoid being in the UK unlawfully. Sufficient evidence must be provided to demonstrate that the applicant has been exercising treaty rights throughout any period that they are seeking to rely on for the purposes of meeting the long residence rules. Whether a period of residence is counted, or not, for the purpose of long residence does not affect the rights of family members of EEA nationals to have previously acquired permanent residence in the UK, where they qualify for it after a period of 5 years residence under Regulation 15 of the EEA Regulations.
If an applicant was in the UK with a right to reside under EEA Regulations, continuous residence is not broken if they leave the UK and are then re-admitted under the EEA Regulations.
Time spent in the UK as a British citizen
Time spent in the UK as a British citizen must be counted in the qualifying period. Although some people may have spent time in the UK as British citizens and have since renounced their British citizenship, this time spent as a British citizen in the UK would still count in the qualifying period for 10-year-long residence applications.
Time spent in the UK whilst exempt from immigration control
Time spent in the UK exempt from immigration control must be counted in the qualifying period. People exempt from immigration control include diplomats and members of the armed forces.
Deemed leave for diplomats and 28 days leave outside the rules for former members of armed forces
‘Deemed leave’ is a 90-day period of permission given to diplomats once their period of exemption from the immigration control period ends. Former members of the armed forces will normally be granted 28 days leave outside the Immigration Rules when they cease to be exempt on discharge.
By the end of the 90 or 28 days, the person must either:
- apply for permission
- depart the UK
A person with deemed leave does not receive an endorsement in their passport. However, a former member of the armed forces will have an endorsement in their passport. If a person applies to extend their stay in the UK within 90 or 28 days (as appropriate) of their exemption ending and is granted a period of permission, their continuous residence is not broken. If a person remains in the UK and does not apply for further permission within the 90 or 28 days described above, their continuous residence is broken.
Documents For FLR (LR) Application
The supporting documents are key to succeeding in an application for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence. Supporting documents for an application for further leave to remain may vary from case to case depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant. Generally, the following documents may be required for an application for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence:
- All passports covering the relevant 10 years qualifying period of long residence;
- BRP card of the applicant;
- Any evidence of private and family life established in the UK;
- Any other evidence which may be relevant to address any particular issue in the long residence application including e.g. one of the previous passports is missing; the applicant exceeded the permitted number of days absent from the UK; previous gaps in between the periods of leave to remain applications, etc;
- Any documents or information which is relevant to argue why the Home Office UKVI should exercise discretion to grant the application where the reliance is being made on the discretion of the Home Office UKVI in approving the long residence application.
Our expert team of immigration solicitors can provide the specific list of documents upon assessing all the relevant circumstances of the applicant and after identifying issues, if any, in the long residence application.
How Can We Help With Your FLR (LR) Application?
Our specialist team of long residence solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on a fixed fee basis in relation to your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence. Our fixed fee for your application for application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on the 10 years long residence will cover all the work of our immigration solicitors on your long residence application. The casework to be carried out by our long residence solicitors in relation to your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence will entail the following:
Advice on requirements: Our long residence solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you have to meet for your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence to succeed.
Advice on documents: Our long residence lawyers will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to be submitted in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence;
Assessment of documents: Our long residence lawyers will assess your documents to make sure that all the documents you provide in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence are in accordance with the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
Completing application form: Our long residence lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence.
Submitting application Online: Our immigration lawyers will submit your online application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence.
Booking an appointment with the application centre: After the online submission of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence, our long residence solicitors will book your appointment with the application centre for you to enrol your biometrics.
Preparing a detailed cover letter: Our specialist long residence solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence explaining how all the legal requirements are met for the approval of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence.
Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrolment date, our long residence solicitors will upload online all the supporting documents to be considered in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence.
Follow-up work: Our long residence solicitors will carry out all the follow-up work until a decision by the Home Office UKVI on your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence.
Why Choose Us For Your FLR (LR) Application?
There are a number of reasons why you can choose our immigration solicitors and lawyers in London to handle your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence from inside the UK. The main reasons include the following:
High-Quality Legal Services: Our team of the best immigration solicitors in London provides high-quality legal services for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence from inside the UK. The high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of immigration lawyers is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.
Remote Legal Services: Our specialist immigration solicitors and lawyers can provide you with expert immigration advice and legal representation remotely from our offices in London. Using modern technology, our specialist immigration solicitors and lawyers can handle your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence remotely without the need for you to visit our offices. Whilst we are more than happy to welcome clients into our offices, if this is their preference, we are proud to be able to offer our legal services for your application remotely to save your time and travel costs.
Open 7 Days A Week: We are open seven days a week and pride ourselves on providing dedicated immigration advice and legal representation for your application for leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence.
All Work Carried Out By Qualified Specialist Immigration Solicitors: Our specialist team of fully qualified and experienced immigration solicitors, who have extensive experience dealing with long residence applications, will carry out all the casework on your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of long residence.
Free Immigration Advice Online: Our specialist team of immigration solicitors and lawyers can provide one-off free immigration advice online for further leave to remain for 2 years through our website enquiry form.
Fixed Fees With Payment Plan: Our immigration solicitors and lawyers charge reasonable and affordable fixed fees for an application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence with an option to pay our fixed fee in two instalments whereby you pay half of the agreed fix fee when we start our work on your application and the remaining half when we have fully prepared the application and it is ready for submission to the Home Office UKVI.
Our Fixed Fees For FLR (LR) Application Based On Long Residence Application
Our immigration solicitors will charge a fixed fee ranging from £1,000 + VAT to £1,500 + VAT for your application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years long residence. The agreed fixed will depend on the complexity of the application and the volume of work involved in the application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years long residence.
Our fixed fee for your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence does not cover any disbursements, e.g., UKVI fees. The applicant has to pay the Home Office UKVI fees separately.
Other Related Services
- Long Residence Applications
- ILR - 10 Years Long Residence
- 20 Years Long Residence
- Dependants Switching Into Spouse Visa UK
- Family Visa UK
- Naturalisation As A British Citizen After ILR Grant
FAQs - Further Leave To Remain Based on 10 Years Long Residence
Following are the various frequently asked questions (FAQs) about an application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years long residence:
No, Priority or Super Priority Service is not available for FLR (LR) application, and the only option available is to apply for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years of long residence using standard service.
No, you do not need to pass the English test or Life in the UK test to apply for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence.
You should submit an FLR (LR) application online to apply for further leave to remain for 2 years based on your 10 years of long residence.
You can apply for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence 28 days before completing 10 years long residence.
The requirements for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence are laid down in paragraph 276A1 of the Immigration Rules. The requirements for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence include the following:
Completion Of 10 Years of Lawful and Continuous Residence In The UK
For further leave to remain application based on 10 years long residence, the applicant must have completed 10 years of continuous and lawful residence in the UK. An application for further leave to remain on this basis can be made to the Home Office UKVI 28 days before the completion of 10 years long residence in the UK. Your 10-year qualifying period starts from either:
- when you arrived in the UK with a visa;
- when you were given permission to stay in the UK.
Also, for the purposes of 10 year long residence application, the 10 years period does not necessarily have to last 10 years, and it can be any continuous period of 10 years completed at any time in the past.
Not Falling For Refusal On Public Interest And Undesirability Grounds
Having regard to the public interest there should be no reasons why it would be undesirable for the applicant to be given indefinite leave to remain on the grounds of long residence, taking into account his:
- age; and
- strength of connections in the United Kingdom; and
- personal history, including character, conduct, associations and employment record; and
- domestic circumstances; and
- compassionate circumstances; and
- any representations received on the person’s behalf.
Not Falling For Refusal Under General Grounds For Refusal
General grounds for refusal are set in part 9 of the Immigration Rules. An applicant applying for further leave to remain under 10 years long residence should not fall for refusal on general grounds for refusal as given in part 9 of the Immigration Rules.
Not Currently Being In Breach Of Immigration Laws Except Where Paragraph 39E Applies
The applicant must not be currently in the UK in breach of immigration laws. However, an applicant who has not overstayed for more than 14 days can still apply for further leave to remain as an overstayer by paragraph 39E of the Immigration Rules.
Previous Periods Of Overstaying (Gap) Between Periods Of Leave
According to paragraph 276B(V), any previous period of overstaying (gap) between periods of leave will also be disregarded where –
- the previous application was made before 24 November 2016 and within 28 days of the expiry of leave; or
- the further application was made on or after 24 November 2016 and paragraph 39E of the Immigration Rules applied.
Continuous residence is not considered broken if the applicant:
- is absent from the UK for 6 months or less at any one time
- had existing leave to enter or remain when they left and when they returned – this can include leave gained at the port when returning to the UK as a non-visa national
- departed the UK before 24 November 2016, but after the expiry of their leave to remain, and applied for fresh entry clearance within 28 days of that previous leave expiring, and returned to the UK within 6 months
If the applicant had existing leave to enter or remain when they left and returned to the UK, the existing leave does not have to be in the same category on departure and return.
The supporting documents are key to succeeding in an application for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence. Supporting documents for further leave to remain application may vary from case to case depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant. Generally, the following documents may be required for an application for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence:
- All passports covering the relevant 10 years qualifying period of long residence;
- BRP card of the applicant;
- Any evidence of private and family life established in the UK;
- Any other evidence which may be relevant to address any particular issue in the long residence application including, e.g. one of the previous passports is missing, the applicant exceeded the permitted number of days absent from the UK; previous gaps in between the periods of leave to remain applications, etc.;
- Any relevant documents or information to argue why the Home Office UKVI should exercise discretion to grant the application where the reliance is being made on the discretion of the Home Office UKVI in approving the long residence application.
Our expert team of immigration solicitors can provide a specific list of documents upon assessing all the relevant circumstances of the applicant and after identifying issues, if any, in the long residence application.
According to the Home Office, UKVI website, it takes up to 8 weeks for the UKVI to decide on your application. However, in practice, it usually takes 3 to 6 months for the Home Office UKVI to decide on such applications.