For most people who come to the UK from overseas, the long-term goal is to build a permanent life here. Settlement and nationality application law governs how that happens: the rules that determine when you can apply to stay permanently, what you need to demonstrate, and how you eventually become a British citizen. The journey typically follows a clear progression, from a temporary visa to Indefinite Leave to Remain, and from ILR to naturalisation and a British passport, but each stage has its own legal requirements and its own risks if not handled carefully.
At Reeds Solicitors, our immigration team advises on every stage of that journey. We work with individuals, families, and those with more complex immigration histories to identify the right route, prepare thorough applications, and resolve problems when they arise. Whether you are approaching ILR for the first time, applying for British citizenship after years of lawful residence, or seeking to establish a claim to citizenship through descent or registration, we are here to help.
You can contact us through the Reeds Solicitors contact page on our website, by calling 0333 240 7373, or by emailing [email protected].
How Reeds Solicitors Can Help
Settlement and nationality applications sit at the most consequential end of immigration law. They represent the culmination of years of lawful residence and, for many clients, years of personal commitment to building a life in the UK. The applications need to be prepared with care, and the evidence needs to be thorough.
At Reeds Solicitors, we take a joined-up approach to settlement and nationality work. We advise clients from the point at which they are approaching ILR eligibility, through the naturalisation process and beyond. For clients with more complex circumstances, including those with gaps in their immigration history, issues in their personal background, or claims to citizenship through descent or registration, we work through the legal position carefully and prepare the strongest possible case.
Our clients can expect:
We advise on ILR across all visa routes, carrying out a full eligibility assessment before submission, reviewing the travel and residence history, and compiling a thorough evidence bundle. We also advise clients on the proposed Earned Settlement reforms and how the current and proposed rules apply to their specific circumstances.
We manage naturalisation applications from the initial eligibility check through to the citizenship ceremony. We advise on the residence, language, and good character requirements, help clients assess their absence record, and prepare the full application.
We assess claims to British citizenship by descent and advise on the range of registration routes available under the British Nationality Act 1981. We work through the relevant nationality law and parentage history, identify the correct route, and prepare the evidence bundle.
We advise on British passport applications following naturalisation or registration, including first-time applications, complex cases involving name changes or overseas applicants, and child passport applications where there are questions about parental consent.
- Refusals and reconsideration
If an ILR or naturalisation application has been refused, we review the decision and advise on the options available. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to challenge a refusal by way of appeal, administrative review, reconsideration, judicial review or a fresh application. We represent clients in immigration appeals and work to resolve refusals efficiently.
- Joined up advice across your settlement journey
For clients who are on a route to settlement and looking ahead to ILR and citizenship, we provide forward-looking advice on how to protect their position, manage absences, and prepare for each stage of the process before it arrives.
Getting Legal Help
Whether you are approaching ILR eligibility for the first time, applying for British citizenship after years of lawful residence, or dealing with a more complex nationality question, our immigration team at Reeds Solicitors can advise.
You can contact us through the Reeds Solicitors contact page on our website, by calling 0333 240 7373, or by emailing [email protected].
Contact:
[email protected]
Settlement and Nationality Application Solicitors
Settlement, formally known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), is the point at which a person can live in the UK permanently with no time limit attached to their stay. Once granted, ILR allows you to live, work, and study in the UK without restriction, to access public services you are entitled to, and to apply for British citizenship.
The qualifying period for ILR depends on the visa category you are on. Most people on family visas, including spouses and partners of British citizens, qualify after five continuous years. Most work visa holders also currently need five years, though some routes such as Innovator Founder and Global Talent visas allow settlement after three years. The long residence route, based on ten continuous years of lawful residence across any combination of visa categories, is also available.
All ILR applicants must demonstrate continuous lawful residence for the required period, not exceeding the permitted number of days outside the UK, passing the Life in the UK test, meeting an English language requirement (currently B1 level. The government has announced plans for this requirement to increase in the future, subject to implementation.” ), Applicants must also satisfy the relevant suitability and conduct requirements applicable to their immigration route.
Important note on proposed settlement reforms: The government has proposed significant changes to the settlement system as part of its Earned Settlement consultation, which closed in February 2026. As of June 2026, these changes have not been implemented and no Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules has been laid in Parliament to bring them into force. Until that happens, the current qualifying periods continue to apply. Government announcements have indicated that family routes are expected to remain outside the proposed reforms, although no legislative changes have yet been implemented
Naturalisation is the process by which a person who has settled in the UK applies to become a British citizen. It is the most common route to British citizenship for adults who were not born British and who do not have a British parent.
Most applicants need to have lived lawfully in the UK for five years and to have held ILR or settled status for at least 12 months before applying. Spouses and civil partners of British citizens can apply after three years of lawful residence and do not need to wait 12 months after receiving ILR.
The requirements for naturalisation include the absence limits (no more than 450 days outside the UK over the five-year period, or 270 days over three years, and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months), the Life in the UK test, English language ability at B1 level, and the good character assessment. The application fee from 8th April 2026 is £1,709, with a citizenship ceremony fee of £130 on top.
Once naturalised, you receive a naturalisation certificate and are invited to attend a citizenship ceremony. You can then apply for a British passport.
Not all routes to British citizenship run through naturalisation. Some people are already British citizens without realising it, or have a right to be registered as British based on their parentage or the circumstances of their birth.
“In many cases, citizenship by descent is acquired automatically at birth where one parent was a British citizen otherwise than by descent and the relevant nationality law requirements are met.” . Registration is available for those who meet specific conditions under the British Nationality Act 1981 but who are not automatically British. This includes children born in the UK who are not automatically British, those born outside the UK to a British citizen by descent, and people who were affected by historical rules that have since been recognised as unfair.
The registration fee for adults from 8th April 2026 is £1,540. For children, the fee is £1,000.
A British passport is the most practical expression of British citizenship. It is the recognised proof of nationality for travel, employment, and a wide range of official purposes. Once you have British citizenship, whether through birth, descent, naturalisation, or registration, you are entitled to apply for a British passport.
Passport applications are handled by His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO), not the Home Office. Most applications are made online through gov.uk. First-time applications following naturalisation or registration require additional documents, including the naturalisation or registration certificate. The standard adult passport fee from 8 April 2026 is £102 for online applications.
The stages of the settlement and nationality journey are connected, and decisions made at one stage can affect options at the next. An incorrectly calculated qualifying period, an undisclosed conviction, or an absence that exceeds the permitted limit can cause problems that are difficult and costly to resolve once they have arisen. The Home Office fees at each stage are substantial and are not refunded if an application is refused.
Many applicants benefit from obtaining legal advice before submitting an application, particularly where eligibility, residence history or nationality status is unclear. The time and cost of getting professional advice at the outset is almost always less than the time and cost of dealing with a refusal or complication afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is settled status, which gives you the right to live, work, and study in the UK permanently with no time restriction. It is not the same as citizenship. British citizenship is the next step: it gives you the right to a British passport, the right to vote in all elections, and the right to enter and reside in the UK without being subject to immigration control. To naturalise as a British citizen, you generally need to hold ILR for 12 months first, or be married to a British citizen.
For most people on a work or family visa, the standard route involves five years of lawful residence to qualify for ILR, followed by 12 months of holding ILR before applying for naturalisation. This means the typical journey takes around six years from arriving in the UK on a qualifying visa. Spouses and civil partners of British citizens can naturalise after three years of lawful residence, as soon as they hold ILR.
From 8th April 2026, the ILR application fee is £3,226 per applicant. Each dependant applying at the same time pays the same fee.
From 8th April 2026, the naturalisation application fee is £1,709, with a citizenship ceremony fee of £130 on top, making a total of £1,839.
As of June 2026, the Earned Settlement proposals have not been implemented. The consultation closed in February 2026 and the government is reviewing responses before confirming what changes will be made and when. Until new rules are formally laid in Parliament, the current qualifying periods apply. The five-year family route is confirmed as exempt from the proposed reforms.
Possibly, depending on how your parent became British and whether you were born inside or outside the UK. If a parent was a British citizen other than by descent at the time of your birth, and you were born on or after 1 January 1983, you may be automatically a British citizen by descent. If your parent was also a British citizen by descent, automatic transmission stops at that generation and registration may be available instead. We assess each case individually.
Yes, in most cases. The Life in the UK test is required for both ILR and naturalisation. If you pass it for your ILR application, you do not need to take it again for naturalisation. Exemptions apply for applicants aged 65 or over and those with certain long-term physical or mental health conditions.
The options available depend on the reason for refusal. ILR refusals can sometimes be challenged through administrative review or, in certain cases, appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Naturalisation refusals can be challenged through administrative review or a fresh application. We review refusal decisions, advise on the prospects of challenge, and manage the process.
Important: Immigration Rules, Home Office fees, passport fees, eligibility requirements and processing times change regularly. Information on this page reflects the position at the date of publication and applicants should consult current GOV.UK guidance before making an application.
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