Most Points Based System (PBS) visas lead to settlement in the UK however some visa types do not and you cannot use time spent in the UK on one or more of the below visa types towards your 5 years’ continuous residence required for ILR:
- Visitor visas
- Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)
- Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) (unless granted under the rules in place before 6 April 2010)
- Tier 4/Student
- Graduate visa
- Tier 5/Temporary Worker
If you have lived in the UK continuously for 10 years and this includes time spent on one of the above visa types, you may be eligible to apply to settle under the long residence route.
If you are unsure about whether your visa allows you to settle in the UK, please contact us.