Frequently Asked Questions - 2026

The Minimum Income Requirement is £29,000 gross per year from April 2024. The previous threshold of £18,600 applies only to applicants with Transitional Protection - those who applied before 11 April 2024 and have maintained continuous leave since then.

Savings can also be used to meet the requirement via an £88,500 savings threshold, or a combination of income and savings.

Entry clearance (applying from abroad): Standard service - approximately 12 weeks. Priority service (where available) - approximately 5 working days.

In-country FLR(M) extension: Standard service - up to 8 months. Priority service - approximately 5 working days.

Section 3C leave protects your right to live and work in the UK while a valid in-time extension application is being processed.

Every application requires evidence across four areas:

1. Relationship: Marriage certificate, photographs together, correspondence, evidence of cohabitation, communication records.

2. Financial: Payslips, P60, employer letter, bank statements covering the required threshold. If using savings, bank statements showing the funds held for at least 6 months.

3. Accommodation: Evidence that adequate accommodation exists for both partners without recourse to public funds.

4. English Language: Approved test certificate (A2 level for entry clearance), exemption evidence, or degree taught in English.

A refusal letter will state the specific reasons for refusal. Most refused applications can be resubmitted - but the resubmission must directly address every point raised in the refusal.

In some cases there is a right of appeal, which must be lodged within 28 days of the refusal decision. Whether appeal or resubmission is the better route depends on the grounds of refusal and the evidence available.

Most applicants qualify after five years of continuous lawful residence on a qualifying route - such as a spouse visa, skilled worker visa, or family visa. The key requirements are:

- Continuous lawful residence throughout the qualifying period
- Absence compliance (generally no more than 180 days in any 12-month period)
- Life in the UK test pass
- English language requirement
- Good Character assessment

Under the Earned Settlement model introduced in 2024, compliance record and conduct throughout the qualifying period are assessed as part of the decision.

If you submitted your ILR application before your current leave expired, Section 3C leave applies - meaning your leave continues while the application is decided. You can travel, but there are risks.

If you leave the UK while an in-country application is pending, your Section 3C leave is automatically invalidated and your application may be treated as withdrawn. You should seek specific advice before travelling while an application is outstanding.

The main 10-year long residence route to ILR has been closed to new applicants under the 2024 immigration reforms. Those who were already on this route before the closure may be able to complete their qualifying period under transitional arrangements, but new applications on this basis are no longer accepted.

Private life and long residence claims under Article 8 ECHR may still be available in certain circumstances - these are assessed individually.

To naturalise as a British citizen you must meet all of the following:

- Residence: 5 years lawful residence (3 years if married to a British citizen)
- Absences: No more than 450 days total absence; no more than 90 days in the final year
- Status: ILR or Settled Status at the date of application
- Life in the UK test: Passed
- English language: B1 level or higher
- Good Character: Assessed under the February 2025 guidance, which includes expanded disclosure obligations

Yes. Children have several routes to British citizenship by registration under the British Nationality Act 1981, including:

- Children born in the UK to a parent who later becomes settled or British
- Children who have lived in the UK for the first 10 years of their life
- Children of British fathers where the parents were not married at birth
- Children who would have been British but for historical discrimination in the legislation

The HC 836 reforms of July 2025 also introduced a new direct ILR pathway for certain qualifying children born in or long-resident in the UK.

The Home Office target processing time for naturalisation applications is 6 months. In practice, straightforward applications are often decided within 3 to 4 months. Complex applications, or those where further information is requested, can take longer.

Following a positive decision, you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony - usually within 3 months of the decision.

Nationals of 85 countries - including all EU member states, the United States, Canada, and Australia - no longer require a standard visitor visa but must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before every trip to the UK.

The ETA costs £10 and is linked to your passport. It does not permit work or study. Applications are made online and are usually approved within minutes, though decisions can take longer.

If your nationality is not on the ETA list, you require a Standard Visitor Visa.

Visitor visa refusals do not carry a right of appeal in most cases. The options are:

1. Administrative Review: If the refusal was based on a caseworker error of law or fact.

2. Fresh application: A new application that directly addresses every ground of refusal and provides stronger evidence across the three pillars - intention to leave the UK, sufficient funds, and ties to the home country.

ClearVisa operates on a fixed-fee basis. All fees are confirmed in writing before any work begins. Current fees start from:

- Spouse or Partner Visa (Entry Clearance or FLR(M)) - from £1,500
- Indefinite Leave to Remain - from £1,500
- British Citizenship (Naturalisation) - from £800
- British Citizenship (Child Registration) - from £650
- Visit Visa - from £750

Home Office application fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge, and any disbursements are charged separately and in addition.

VAT is not currently applicable. You will never be charged for additional work without your prior written consent.

Yes. ClearVisa is regulated by the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) at Level 2 - Organisation No. F202536292. Lead consultant Sheon Jackson holds Law Society of England and Wales accreditation in Immigration and Asylum at Senior Caseworker level (SRA ID: 547451).

You can verify our IAA registration at any time at gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser.

Providing immigration advice without IAA registration or membership of an approved professional body is a criminal offence in the UK. Always verify your adviser before instructing.

An eVisa is a digital record of your UK immigration status held in a UKVI online account. Physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) have been abolished as of 2026.

All existing and new visa holders must:

1. Create a UKVI account at gov.uk/get-access-evisa
2. Link their existing leave to the account
3. Use a Share Code to prove status to employers, landlords, and border officers

If you have not yet activated your eVisa account, do so now. Employers and landlords are increasingly unable to accept BRPs as evidence of status.

Overstaying - remaining in the UK beyond your leave expiry date without a valid application pending - creates a permanent immigration record that must be disclosed on every future visa application.

Consequences can include:

- Refusal of future applications - overstaying is a significant negative factor in Good Character assessments
- Removal from the UK - overstayers can be detained and removed
- Re-entry ban - those removed may face a 1 to 10 year ban on returning

Yes. ClearVisa operates as a fully remote consultancy. All consultations are conducted by phone or video call. We work with clients across the UK - including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, and internationally.

There is no requirement to attend an office. Every stage of the process - from the initial assessment through to application submission - can be handled remotely.