Stage 3 of the partner route — permanent residence
Spouse Visa ILR and Settlement
This page is for a spouse or partner who may be ready to apply for indefinite leave to remain. It answers settlement questions only. If your current permission will expire before you qualify, use our separate FLR(M) extension page.
Can I settle now?
You may be eligible when your current permission is based on the same partner relationship and you have completed the qualifying period for the route shown in your Home Office grant. The common route is five continuous years as a partner, but legacy two-year and ten-year routes also exist. Do not assume the route from the visa label alone.
Not yet eligible for ILR? Go to UK spouse visa extension (FLR(M)).
Timing the ILR Application
On the five-year family-partner route, the earliest application date is normally 28 days before completing the required five years. Time spent on another visa or as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner does not count toward that five-year period. If your current permission expires before you become eligible, apply to extend instead.
Spouse Visa Settlement Requirements
Correct route and qualifying time
Check the most recent Home Office decision and the complete grant history. The five-year, two-year and ten-year partner routes have different settlement rules.
Relationship and cohabitation
Your current permission must be based on the partner relationship. You must normally have lived together since the last renewal and intend to continue the relationship after settlement.
Financial requirement
For the five-year route, the usual threshold is £29,000. Applicants whose first successful partner application was before 11 April 2024 normally remain under the £18,600 transitional threshold, with historic child additions capped at £29,000. Specified benefits can lead to an adequate-maintenance test instead.
Language and Life in the UK
Applicants aged 18 to 64 normally need the Life in the UK Test and English speaking and listening at B1 or above, unless an exemption applies.
Evidence We Check Before SET(M)
| Question | Evidence focus |
|---|---|
| Have you completed the right route? | Decision letters, eVisa history, entry date and every partner-route grant. |
| Is the relationship continuing? | Marriage or civil-partnership evidence where relevant and proof of living together since the last renewal. |
| Is the financial rule met? | The specified documents for employment, self-employment, savings or other permitted income, or adequate-maintenance evidence. |
| Are English and Life in the UK met? | Approved B1 evidence, qualifying degree or exemption, plus the Life in the UK pass. |
| Are there suitability or immigration-history issues? | Previous applications, refusals, overstaying, criminality, litigation and any facts requiring explanation. |
Absences on the Family Partner Route
The five-year Appendix FM partner route does not use a general rule that automatically refuses settlement after more than 180 days outside the UK in a 12-month period. Absences can still affect whether the applicant was living in the UK on the family visa, cohabiting with the partner and intending to continue the relationship. Travel history and periods living apart should therefore be reviewed rather than tested against a rule from another immigration route.
ILR Fee, Decision and Travel
From 8 April 2026, the standard ILR fee is £3,226 per applicant. GOV.UK says a decision is usually made within six months after biometrics. Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is pending because the application will be withdrawn.
Check the current GOV.UK partner-settlement guidance before applying.
After ILR: British Citizenship
ILR is permanent residence, not citizenship. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you may be able to apply for naturalisation as soon as ILR is granted, provided all citizenship requirements are met. Other applicants normally need to hold ILR for 12 months. Use our single British citizenship and naturalisation guide for that later stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SET(M) an extension application?
No. SET(M) is the settlement application used by eligible partners on the relevant family route. FLR(M) grants limited permission and is used when more time is needed before settlement.
Can I apply more than 28 days early?
Applying before the earliest qualifying date can lead to refusal. Calculate the route and qualifying dates from the full immigration history, not simply the expiry date.
Does ILR automatically make me British?
No. Naturalisation is a separate application with residence, absence, English, Life in the UK and good-character requirements.
Check Your Settlement Date Before Filing
We can audit the route, qualifying period, relationship, financial evidence and suitability position before the SET(M) application is submitted.
Last reviewed: August 2026. This page gives general information only and is not legal advice on your circumstances.