Apply for ILR as a Victim of Domestic Violence - Domestic Violence Immigration Solicitors

: Written by: Arshad Mahmood; Last Updated: 05 June 2026

You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence if you are on a spouse/partner visa and your relationship with your UK spouse/partner has broken down irretrievably as a result of incidents of domestic violence and abuse. An application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence is made online using the application form SET (DV) in accordance with eligibility requirements as set out in Appendix Victims of Domestic Abuse of the Immigration Rules. The Appendix Victims of Domestic Abuse of the Immigration Rules allows settlement where a person has, or was last granted, permission as a partner on a specified route and the relationship has permanently broken down due to domestic abuse.

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An application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence can only be submitted to the Home Office UKVI through standard service, as the Home Office UKVI does not offer Priority or Super Priority Service to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence. You can ask the Home Office UKVI for a fee waiver for your Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application as a victim of domestic violence, if you cannot afford to pay the Home Office UKVI fee for the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application as a victim of domestic violence.

Page Contents
Free Immigration Advice
What is Domestic Abuse?
MVDAC Application
Apply for ILR Domestic Violence
What is ILR Domestic Violence?
Fee Waiver for ILR
How to Apply?
Requirements for ILR
Who Can Apply?
Evidence Required
Administrative Review of ILR Refusal
Naturalisation After ILR
How Our Solicitors Can Help
Why Choose Us?
Our Team of Immigration Solicitors
Book an Appointment
Our Fixed Fees
Get a Quote
Other Related Services
Divorce & Family Law Services
FAQs

Free Immigration Advice for ILR as a Victim of Domestic Violence

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide one-off 5-minute free immigration advice online regarding your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence. 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 Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence.

What Is Considered Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse is not limited to physical violence. It can include:

Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Psychological abuse
Sexual abuse
Financial abuse
Coercive or controlling behaviour
Threats, intimidation, and harassment
Honour-based abuse
Forced marriage
Dowry-related abuse
Transnational marriage abandonment

Many victims do not realise that controlling behaviour, isolation, intimidation, and financial control can amount to domestic abuse for immigration purposes.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines domestic abuse as any single incident or pattern of conduct where a person’s behaviour towards another aged 16 or over, with whom they are personally connected, is abusive. The Act expressly recognises that abuse may include, but is not limited to, psychological, emotional, physical, sexual, financial, threatening, controlling, and coercive behaviour. The Home Office guidance further confirms that no distinction should be made between psychological and physical abuse, and that either a single incident or a sustained pattern of behaviour may amount to domestic abuse.

Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC)

Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) is the updated and expanded version of the scheme formerly known as Destitute Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC). If you are experiencing domestic abuse and need immediate support, you may be eligible for the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC).

The concession can provide:

Temporary permission to remain in the UK;
Access to public funds;
Eligibility to claim certain benefits;
Time to prepare and submit your ILR application.

The concession is particularly important for victims who have left an abusive partner and require financial assistance and safe accommodation while preparing their settlement application.

You can apply for leave to remain for three months under the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) if you want to notify the Home Office UKVI that you require access to public funds (income-related benefits), to find safe accommodation and support yourself before you apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of Domestic Violence. This is on the basis that you have been a victim of domestic violence.

The Home Office UKVI will consider whether you should be granted limited leave to allow you access to public funds. You only need to complete the form for a victim of domestic violence concession leave if you need access to public funds before you submit your ILR application as a victim of domestic violence. The application for a victim of domestic violence concession leave is not an application for indefinite leave to remain based on domestic violence. If you are granted leave with access to public funds, this will be for a limited time of 3 months only. This is to enable you to apply for access to public funds, and it will replace your current period of leave to remain.

You should submit your application for indefinite leave to remain based on domestic violence within these 3 months. If you do not submit a further application within three months, any leave UKVI grants you as a result of the concession will come to an end. If you qualify under this concession and you are granted limited leave, this does not guarantee that your application for indefinite leave to remain will be successful.

Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a Victim of Domestic Violence

If you are in the UK on a spouse visa, civil partner visa, unmarried partner visa, or another eligible partner route and your relationship has permanently broken down due to domestic violence or domestic abuse, you may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) under the domestic violence provisions of the UK Immigration Rules.

At Premium Solicitors, our specialist immigration solicitors have extensive experience in assisting victims of domestic abuse to secure settlement in the UK through the ILR Domestic Violence Route. We provide confidential, compassionate, and expert legal representation to ensure that your application is prepared to the highest standard.

What Is ILR as a Victim of Domestic Violence?

The UK Immigration Rules recognise that victims of domestic abuse should not be forced to remain in an abusive relationship to protect their immigration status. If your relationship with your sponsoring partner has permanently broken down because of domestic abuse, you may be eligible to apply for settlement in the UK immediately without completing the normal qualifying period for ILR.

This route is governed by the Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (VDA) of the Immigration Rules. Since January 2024, the rules relating to victims of domestic abuse have been consolidated into a dedicated appendix.

Fee Waiver for ILR as a Victim Of Domestic Violence

You can apply for a fee waiver for your Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application as a victim of domestic violence. You do not have to pay the fee to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence if you can provide evidence that you:

do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
have a place to live, but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
have a very low income, and paying the fee would harm your child’s well-being
Evidence can include bank statements, a signed letter from your local authority, or a signed letter from an agency that’s been giving you support.

How to Apply for ILR as a Victim of Domestic Violence?

To apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence, you should take the following steps:

Complete the online SET (DV) application form on the UKVI website.
Submit the completed Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application online by paying the Home Office UKVI fees for the ILR application unless you have been granted a fee waiver for your Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application as a victim of domestic violence.
Book your biometrics appointments with the TSLContact by creating an account on the TSLContact web portal.
Upload all the supporting documents online before the biometrics enrolment appointment date.
Attend your biometrics enrolment appointment. You should take your BRP card, your passport, and your biometrics appointment letter with you to your biometrics appointment.
You should wait for a decision on your ILR application. Your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic abuse will be generally decided within 3 to 6 months from the biometrics enrolment date.

Requirements for ILR as a Victim of Domestic Violence

The requirements to be met for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK as a victim of domestic violence are set out in Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules. The Immigration Rules require that:

Applicant in the UK: The applicant must be in the UK.

Valid application: the applicant must have made a valid application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence.

Suitability requirement: The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules; and

Immigration status requirement: The applicant must have, or have last been granted, permission as one of the following:

a partner under Appendix FM (except for permission as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner) of a person who is a British citizen, settled in the UK or an EEA national in the UK with limited leave to enter or remain granted under paragraph EU3 of Appendix EU on the basis of meeting condition 1 in paragraph EU14 of Appendix EU; or
a spouse, civil partner or durable partner under Appendix EU with limited leave to enter or remain as a family member of a relevant EEA citizen (or of a qualifying British citizen), as a joining family member of a relevant sponsor or as a family member who has retained the right of residence, granted under paragraph EU3 or EU3A of that Appendix; or
a partner under Appendix FM, Part 11, or Appendix Family Reunion (Protection) of a person with permission as a refugee; or
a partner of a person present and settled in the UK under paragraph 285 or 295E of Part 8; or
a victim of domestic abuse under Appendix FM; or
a partner under Appendix Armed Forces or Part 7 (except for permission as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner), of any of the below:
- a person who is a British citizen; or
- a foreign and commonwealth citizen with at least 4 years’ reckonable service in HM Forces at the date of application under this paragraph or
- a member of HM Armed Forces who has applied for or been granted permission or settlement as a foreign and commonwealth citizen discharged from HM Armed Forces. Or
leave outside the rules granted under the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (formerly the destitution domestic violence concession (DDVC)), and before that were last granted permission under one of the categories defined in VDA 4.1(a) to (e).

Breakdown of relationship due to domestic violence: The relationship between the applicant and their partner must have broken down permanently as a result of domestic abuse.

The Immigration Rules do not require the applicant to pass the Knowledge of Language and Life test when applying for ILR as a victim of domestic violence.

Who Can Apply for Domestic Violence ILR?

You may qualify for ILR as a victim of domestic violence if:

You were granted permission to stay in the UK as a partner.

The applicant must have, or have last been granted, permission as one of the following:

a partner under Appendix FM (except for permission as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner) of a person who is a British citizen, settled in the UK or an EEA national in the UK with limited leave to enter or remain granted under paragraph EU3 of Appendix EU on the basis of meeting condition 1 in paragraph EU14 of Appendix EU; or
a spouse, civil partner or durable partner under Appendix EU with limited leave to enter or remain as a family member of a relevant EEA citizen (or of a qualifying British citizen), as a joining family member of a relevant sponsor or as a family member who has retained the right of residence, granted under paragraph EU3 or EU3A of that Appendix; or
a partner under Appendix FM, Part 8, Part 11, or Appendix Family Reunion (Protection) of a person with permission as a refugee; or
a spouse, civil partner, unmarried or same sex partner under paragraph 282(a), 282(c), 285, 295B(a), 295B(c) or 295E of Part 8 of a person present and settled in the UK; or
a victim of domestic abuse under Appendix FM or Part 8; or
a partner under Appendix Armed Forces or Part 7 (except for permission as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner), of any of the below:
- a person who is a British citizen; or
- a foreign and commonwealth citizen with at least 4 years’ reckonable service in HM Forces at the date of application under this paragraph or;
- a member of HM Armed forces who has applied for or been granted permission or settlement as a foreign and commonwealth citizen discharged from HM Armed Forces; or
leave outside the rules granted under the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (formerly the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC)), and before that were last granted permission under one of the categories defined in VDA 4.1(a) to (e).

Evidence Required for a Domestic Violence ILR Application

There is no mandatory list of documents that must be provided. The Home Office considers all evidence available and assesses whether it is more likely than not that the relationship broke down because of domestic abuse.

The documentary evidence required for ILR as a victim of domestic violence may vary depending on the applicant's circumstances. Examples of evidence may include:

Police reports
Criminal convictions
Court orders
Non-Molestation Orders
Occupation Orders
Medical reports
GP letters
Hospital records
Social services reports
Refuge accommodation records
Letters from domestic abuse support organisations
Statements from witnesses
Photographs of injuries
Screenshots of abusive messages
Bank statements showing financial control

Even if you have limited evidence, you may still qualify. Our specialist solicitors can advise you on the most appropriate evidence to support your ILR application as a victim of domestic violence and abuse.

Why Choose Premium Solicitors?

Premium Solicitors are specialist UK immigration solicitors with extensive experience in domestic violence and settlement applications.

Administrative Review of ILR Refusal as a Victim Of Domestic Violence

You should file an Administrative Review within 14 days of the refusal decision if the Home Office UKVI has refused your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence, and you have been given the right to an Administrative Review against the refusal decision. The Administrative Review against the refusal decision can be successful based on the grounds that the decision maker has made a caseworker error in deciding your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence. Our specialist family visa solicitors can provide the legal services you need to represent you in your Administrative Review to challenge the refusal decision.

Naturalisation as a British Citizen After ILR as a Victim of Domestic Violence

You can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen 12 months after you have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if you have been lawfully resident in the UK for the last five years preceding the date of application. If you are married to a British Citizen, the residence requirement will be three years instead of 5 years, and there will be no requirement to wait for 12 months after the grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) when applying for naturalisation as a spouse of a British Citizen. Your absences from the UK during the last five years before the date of application for naturalisation should not exceed 450 days. If you are relying on three years of residence because you are married to a British Citizen, your absences during the last three years before the date of your naturalisation application should not exceed 270 days. Also, you must not have been absent from the UK for more than 90 days in the last 12 months before the date of your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen. Our specialist team of family visa solicitors can provide immigration advice and legal services for your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen after the grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence. Read More

How Can We Help?

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representation on a fixed fee basis in relation to your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence. Our fixed fee for your application for ILR as a victim of domestic violence will cover all the work of our immigration solicitors on your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence until the Home Office UKVI decides on your application for ILR as a victim of domestic violence. The casework to be carried out by our immigration solicitors in relation to your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence will entail the following:

Advice on requirements: Our immigration solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you have to meet for your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence to succeed.

Advice on documents: Our immigration lawyers will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to be submitted in support of your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence.

Assessment of documents: Our immigration lawyers will assess your documents to make sure that all the documents you provide in support of your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence are in accordance with the requirements of the Immigration Rules.

Completing the application form: Our immigration lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence.

Booking an appointment with the application centre: After you submit your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence online, our immigration lawyers will book your appointment with the application centre so you can enrol your biometrics.

Preparing a detailed cover letter: Our specialist immigration solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence, explaining how all the legal requirements are met for the approval of your application for ILR as a victim of domestic violence.

Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrolment date, our immigration lawyers will upload online all the supporting documents to be considered in support of your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence.

Follow-up work: Our immigration lawyers will carry out all the follow-up work until a decision by the Home Office UKVI on your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence.

Why Choose Us for ILR as a Victim Of Domestic Violence?

There are several reasons why you can choose our family visa solicitors and lawyers in London to handle your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence from inside the UK. The main reasons include the following:

High-Quality Legal Services: Our team of the best family visa solicitors in London provides high-quality legal services for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence from inside the UK. The high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services offered 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 family visa solicitors and lawyers can provide you with expert immigration advice and legal representation, delivered remotely from our London offices. Using modern technology, our specialist family visa solicitors and lawyers can handle your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence 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 offer our legal services for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) applications remotely to save you 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 Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence.

All Work Carried Out By Qualified Specialist Immigration Solicitors: Our specialist team of fully qualified and experienced family visa solicitors, who have extensive experience dealing with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) applications, will carry out all the casework on your application for ILR as a victim of domestic violence.

Free Immigration Advice Online: Our specialist team of family visa solicitors and lawyers can provide one-off free immigration advice online for ILR through our website enquiry form.

Fixed Fees With Payment Plan: Our family visa solicitors and lawyers charge reasonable and affordable fixed fees for an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a victim of domestic violence with the option to pay our fixed fee in two instalments whereby you pay half of the agreed fixed fee when we start our work on your ILR application and the remaining half when we have fully prepared the ILR application and it is ready for submission to the Home Office UKVI.

When you instruct us, you will benefit from:

Specialist immigration solicitors
Confidential and sensitive advice
Fixed fee services available
Fast response times
Remote appointments via Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp, and telephone
Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Excellent client reviews
Representation throughout the UK and internationally

Our Team of Specialist Solicitors for ILR as a Victim of Domestic Violence

Our specialist team of family visa solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representation in relation to your application for ILR as a victim of domestic violence. Our immigration solicitors have extensive experience and specialist knowledge of dealing with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) applications as a victim of domestic violence - SET (DV) application. As one of the best family visa solicitors dealing with ILR applications based on domestic violence and abuse, our immigration lawyers can provide fast, friendly, and reliable fixed-fee legal services for your Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application.

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. Our London-based immigration solicitors are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, offering unwavering dedication and exceptional legal support for a wide range of UK visa and immigration cases. Our team of highly regarded immigration solicitors brings together more than 6 decades of collective, specialised expertise in successfully handling UK visa and immigration applications.

Meet Our Team of immigration solicitors in London

At Premium Solicitors, our strength lies in the expertise, dedication, and unwavering commitment of our immigration solicitors in London. We understand that immigration matters are life-changing events, and our team is here to guide you through every step of the ILR application process with professionalism and care.

Our team comprises a diverse group of immigration solicitors, each bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. We are united by a shared goal: to deliver the highest level of legal support and advocacy tailored to your immigration needs.