Effective April 5, 2018, Tier 1 migrants in the UK will no longer be eligible to apply for “Indefinite Leave to Remain” (ILR) to obtain permanent residence. The Tier 1, points-based system was originally aimed at bringing highly skilled workers to the UK to live and work without sponsorship. However, this category has been narrowed over time, prohibiting new applications in 2011, as well as requests for extensions in April 2015.
At this time, Tier 1 applicants who wish to remain in the UK for an extended period of time can apply for ILR before April 5, 2018, if they can demonstrate:
- Lawful presence in the UK for five continuous years, with no more than 180 days outside in the country;
- Successful passage of the “Life in the UK” test;
- Scoring a sufficient number of points in areas of age, English language proficiency, education, and earnings.