The UK Private Life visa, which falls under the Immigration Rules - Appendix Private Life, allows you to stay in the UK on the basis of defined continuous residence in the UK and age criteria.

You may qualify for a Private Life visa if any of the following apply to you:

• You are under 18 years old, have lived continuously in the UK for at least 7 years, and it would be unreasonable to expect you to leave the UK.

• You are between 18 and 24 years old and have spent more than half of your life living continuously in the UK.

• You are aged 18 or above, have lived in the UK for less than 20 years continuously, and would face very serious difficulties integrating or living in the country you would be required to return to.

• You have completed 20 years of continuous residence in the UK.

• You were born in the UK to a parent who already has permission to stay in the UK on the basis of private life, or who is currently applying for permission under the private life route.

How long can you stay, and when can you settle in the UK under the Private Life visa route?

You can stay in the UK for 30 months (2 years and 6 months) on this visa.

You can apply to stay for 60 months (5 years) instead if:

• You are under 18 years old, have lived continuously in the UK for at least 7 years

• You are between 18 and 24 years old and have spent half of your life living continuously in the UK.

You can settle after 5 years or 10 years.

5-year settlement rule applies if:

• You are under 18 years old, have lived continuously in the UK for at least 7 years, or

• You are between 18 and 24 years old and have spent half of your life living continuously in the UK.

On the other hand, under the Private Life route, you can settle in the UK after 10 years if:

You are aged 18 or above, have lived in the UK for less than 20 years continuously, and would face very serious difficulties integrating or living in the country you would be required to return to; or

You were born in the UK to a parent who already has permission to stay in the UK on the basis of private life, or who is currently applying for permission under the private life route.

Who qualifies under the 10-Year route under the Private Life Visa UK?

There are 2 ways to qualify for settlement on the basis of the 10-year route as listed above.

Let us look at both situations in detail.

1. You are aged 18 or above, have lived in the UK for less than 20 years continuously, and would face very serious difficulties integrating or living in the country you would be required to return to

This means that you may be granted permission to stay in the UK under the Private Life route even if you have not lived in the UK for 20 years. However, you must show that returning to your home country/territory would create extremely serious difficulties for you.

“Very serious difficulties” normally mean you would struggle to rebuild your life there because of issues such as:

• Lack of family or social support 

• Language barriers 

• Cultural disconnection after spending many years in the UK 

• Medical or mental health conditions 

• Safety concerns or discrimination 

• Difficulty finding accommodation or employment 

• Long absence from their country of origin

If the Home Office approves your Private Life visa application, you will usually receive permission to stay in the UK initially for a limited period. You can extend your Private Life visa for 2 years and 6 months. 

After you have completed 10 years on this route, you may become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain(ILR), also known as settlement. 

The “10-year route” means having lived in the UK for 10 continuous years with a relevant visa and having previously been given a visa based on private life before becoming eligible for settlement.

2. You were born in the UK to a parent who already has permission to stay in the UK on the basis of private life, or who is currently applying for permission under the private life route

This means you were born in the UK and your parent (s): 

• already holds permission to stay in the UK under the Private Life route, or 

• is applying for permission under the Private Life route at the same time. 

In this situation, you can apply for permission to stay in the UK on the basis of your own private life in the UK.

If you are granted permission under this route, you normally receive temporary permission to stay in the UK. You must continue extending your permission when required. 

Indefinite Leave to Remain 

After completing 10 years of continuous lawful residence with a relevant visa and having previously been given a visa based on private life, the Private Life route, you may apply for ILR, which is permanent settlement in the UK. 

This is called the “10-year route to settlement” because settlement is not granted immediately. You normally need to complete 10 years in the UK before becoming eligible for ILR.

Continuous years in the UK

The continuous years you spend in the UK can include time spent on:

• a UK family or private life visa

• any other visa that leads to ILR. For example, a Family Visa or a Skilled Worker visa

When calculating 10 years' residence, if you are including time spent in the UK on a visa other than a UK family or private life visa, you must have had a private life visa for a minimum of one year on the day you apply.

KOLL (Knowledge of language and life) in the UK requirement

If you are aged 18 to 64, you will be required to book and pass the Life in the UK test (an official test required by the UK government for many people applying for ILR, and

British citizenship (naturalisation). 

You will also have to fulfil the English language requirement. This means you must have:

• a recognised English qualification with at least CEFR B1 level in 2 components (speaking and listening); or

• a degree that was taught/researched in English

How can Visa and Migration help?

We guide you step-by-step through the entire complex application process for the UK Private Life visa 10-year route. We also handle the paperwork and communication with the Home Office on your behalf.

For expert advice on Private Life visa under Appendix Private Life, including eligibility assessments, applications for extension, and settlement options in the UK, you can call us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 or write to us at info@visaandmigration.com