If you have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK but your evidence of that status takes the form of an old stamp or vignette sticker in a passport, you may not have a digital record of your status in the Home Office’s system. In the UK’s new digital immigration environment, that matters. Without a digital record of your status, you may encounter difficulties when proving your right to work, satisfying right-to-rent checks, or demonstrating your immigration status to organisations that need to verify it. An NTL application may be what you need to fix this.
An NTL Application, or No Time Limit application, is the route through which people in this position convert their historic paper evidence into a digital eVisa. It does not change your immigration status, which you already have. It simply creates a modern digital record of the status you hold, so that you can prove it quickly and simply whenever you need to.
You can see our other immigration status and documents services here. Alternatively, 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
An NTL application may appear straightforward, but difficulties can arise where the original evidence of ILR is incomplete, where there have been extended absences from the UK, or where personal details need to be updated at the same time. A poorly evidenced application can lead to unnecessary delays or queries from the Home Office.
At Reeds Solicitors, we assess the position carefully before anything is submitted. We confirm that your ILR is valid and has not lapsed, identify exactly what evidence is needed, and compile a complete application that clearly establishes your status.
Our clients can expect:
- Eligibility and status verification
Before preparing an NTL application, we assess whether your ILR appears to remain valid and whether any issues need to be addressed before an application is submitted. This step is important because where ILR has lapsed, an NTL application is unlikely to be appropriate and a different immigration route may be required.
- Evidence compilation
We advise on exactly what evidence is needed to establish your ILR and your identity, help you locate and obtain relevant documents, and review everything before the application is submitted. Where original documents have been lost or are unavailable, we advise on how to evidence the position using alternative records.
- Application preparation and submission
We complete and review the online application form, advise on the biometric enrolment appointment, and manage communications with the Home Office throughout the process.
- Personal details updates
If you need to update personal details at the same time as making your NTL application, such as a name change following marriage or divorce, we advise on the additional evidence required and make sure the application covers all necessary changes.
- Advice on lapsed ILR and Returning Resident visas
If your ILR may have lapsed because of extended absence from the UK, we advise on whether this is the case and what your options are. This may include applying for a Returning Resident visa before you can make an NTL application.
Get Help with Your NTL Application
If you hold Indefinite Leave to Remain but are not sure whether your status is correctly reflected in the Home Office’s digital system, 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].
More Information
You should consider making an NTL application if any of the following apply to you. You have Indefinite Leave to Remain, evidenced by a stamp or vignette in a passport rather than a digital record. Your passport containing your ILR endorsement has expired, been lost, or been stolen, and you no longer have documentary evidence of your status. You were considered settled in the UK on 1st January 1973 under section 1(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 and have no formal documentation of that. Your personal details, such as your name, have changed since your ILR was granted, and you need your status record updated. (sometimes referred to as acquiring settled status automatically under the transitional provisions that took effect when the Immigration Act 1971 came into force)
You cannot make an NTL application if you only hold limited leave to remain. If your visa is temporary rather than indefinite, you need a Transfer of Conditions (TOC) application instead. You also cannot apply if you are a British citizen, have right of abode in the UK, or if your ILR has lapsed, for example, because you were absent from the UK for a continuous period of more than two years. If ILR has lapsed, you may need to apply for a Returning Resident visa.
NTL applications are currently made from within the UK using the designated Home Office process NTL application form on gov.uk.
Successful NTL applicants no longer receive a Biometric Residence Permit. Since October 2024, the Home Office has issued eVisas instead. Once your NTL application is approved, you will be invited to create a UKVI account if you do not already have one. Your indefinite status will then be held digitally as an eVisa, accessible through the View and Prove service at gov.uk. You can generate a share code through your UKVI account to prove your status to employers, landlords, banks, and anyone else who needs to check it.
Your immigration status itself is not affected by this process. The NTL application simply gives you a digital record that reflects the status you already have.
The NTL application is made online through gov.uk. As part of the process, you need to upload supporting documents. These typically include proof of your identity (such as your current passport or travel document) and evidence of your Indefinite Leave to Remain (such as a passport containing the ILR endorsement, a stamp, or a letter from the Home Office confirming the grant).
Once your online application is submitted, you will need to attend an appointment at a visa application centre to enrol your biometric information (fingerprints and a photograph). Processing times vary and applicants should check current Home Office guidance for the latest service standards. A priority service may be available for an additional Home Office fee, subject to availability at the time of application. There is no Home Office fee for an NTL application. The application is free of charge.
Important: Home Office fees, processing times, eVisa procedures and documentary requirements may change. Applicants should refer to the latest GOV.UK guidance before submitting an application.
Frequently Asked Questions
A No Time Limit (NTL) application is the process by which a person who already holds Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, but whose evidence of that status is on an old-style paper document, applies to have their status confirmed as a digital eVisa. It does not grant a new status; it creates a digital record of the status you already have.
Yes. The NTL application carries no Home Office fee. It has been free since April 2022. A super priority service is available for £800 if you need an urgent decision by the end of the next working day.
Successful NTL applicants are now issued with an eVisa rather than a Biometric Residence Permit. You will be invited to create a UKVI account, through which you can access your digital immigration status and generate share codes to prove it.
If your original ILR evidence has been lost or is unavailable, you should still apply. The Home Office can check its own records as part of the NTL process. You will need to provide what evidence you have, including your current passport and any other identity documents. We advise on how to build the strongest possible application where original documents are missing.
No. The NTL application must be made from within the UK. If you are outside the UK and still hold valid ILR, you may be able to return to the UK and make an NTL application after your return. The position should be checked carefully if there have been lengthy absences from the UK. If your ILR has lapsed because of extended absence, you may need to apply for a Returning Resident visa first.
Standard processing takes up to six months. If you need a faster decision, a super priority service is available at most visa application centres for £800, which aims to process the application by the end of the next working day.
If you already have an active UKVI account showing your eVisa with your ILR status correctly recorded, you do not need to make an NTL application. NTL is for people who do not yet have their status in the digital system.
Each person who holds Indefinite Leave to Remain and requires confirmation of that status should make their own NTL application. We can advise families making multiple related applications.
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