Private Life Visa

What is a Private Life Visa?

A UK Private Life visa gives you the right to stay in the UK after establishing a private life in the UK following a long period of continuous residence.

What Are the Key Eligibility Requirements for a Private Life Visa?

In order to successfully apply for a Private Life visa, an applicant must meet one of the following key requirements:

• Must be under the age of 18 and has lived in the UK continuously for at least 7 years, and it would be unreasonable to expect the applicant to leave the UK;
• Must be between the age of 18 and 24 and has lived continuously in the UK for more than half their life;
• Must be 18 years of age or over and has spent less than 20 years in the UK but would have very significant problems living in the country the applicant would have to go to;
• Must have lived in the UK continuously for 20 years;
• Was born in the UK to a person who has permission to stay in the UK on the basis of their private life or is applying for it.

How Long is a Private Life Visa Valid For?

A Private Life visa is initially granted for 30 months (2 years and 6 months). An applicant can apply to stay for 5 years instead if the applicant is under the age of 18 and has lived in the UK continuously for at least 7 years or, is aged between 18 and 24 and has spent half their life in the UK.

Can a Private Life Visa be Extended?

Before the expiry of a Private Life visa, an applicant must apply to the Home Office to extend their stay in the UK. If the extension application is approved, then an applicant will be granted permission to stay in the UK for a further 30 months (2 years and 6 months).

Does a Private Life Visa Lead to Settlement?

An applicant may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. This gives settled status in the UK, also known as ‘settlement’. It gives the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as an applicant wishes and apply for benefits if eligible.

An applicant may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years if the applicant is either:

• under 18 and has lived in the UK continuously for at least 7 years;
• aged between 18 and 24 and has spent half their life in the UK.

An applicant may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 10 years if the applicant is either:

• 18 or over, has spent less than 20 years in the UK and would have very significant problems living in the country the applicant would have to go to;
• born in the UK to a person who has permission to stay in the UK on the basis of their private life or is applying for it.

How Long Does it Take For a Decision to be Made?

The Home Office do not currently have a standard processing time for applications submitted on the basis of private life. The average wait time for a decision is currently 8 months.

If eligible, applicants will be advised whether they can apply to get a decision faster. The Home Office charge additional fees for these priority services.

How Much Does it Cost?

The Home Office fee for a private life application is £1,048.

Applicants will also generally need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge which costs £634 per year or £470 per year for applicants under the age of 18 at the time of the application.

How We Can Help You

Our highly experienced team will provide expert advice and guidance to you throughout your immigration journey.

If you have any questions, please complete our online enquiry form or email us at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can call us on 01724 701111 and one of our experts will be happy to assist you.