If it's been five years for you on a Tier 2/Health and Care visa, CONGRATS!! You're finally eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). This is a permanent residency status which means you will no longer have to apply for a visa when you change jobs, and you are just one year away from obtaining British citizenship.

Eligibility for ILR

Aside from having spent five years on your skilled worker visa, you will also require:

  • meet the salary requirement of £25,600 per year
  • show that you are still required for your job and will continue to meet the salary requirement after obtaining your ILR

First, let's talk about those five years. This does not mean that for five years you are not allowed to leave the UK! A common misconception, but you are allowed to visit home, go on vacations abroad, sick leave, take maternity/paternity leave, etc. What these five years mean are that in a year, you cannot be outside the UK for more than 180 days or six months. Additionally, any unpaid leave cannot be longer than four weeks.

Now onto the salary requirements. As a doctor in the NHS, there is no reason you would not make the minimum salary mentioned above. Aside from that, since doctors are listed on the shortage occupancy list, we are exempt from this requirement. For a detailed understanding about what your general take-home may look like, check our article on a doctor's pay in the UK.

Finally, how can you show you're still required? Just speak to your employer and depending on what your role is, HR can write a basic letter to the effect that you are in a role that requires your continuing on and that they can confirm you are needed. Here is an example you can show if they are unsure what to write:

What else do I require?

Besides meeting the eligibility criteria, you will also need to complete the 'Life in UK' test. I know what you're thinking. Not another test!

Don't worry. It's not a big deal, and if you put aside just a few hours of effort, you can easily pass. First, let's talk about booking the exam. We'll go in-depth about preparing here.

Follow this link to book your test. You should only book your test on the gov.uk website. The exam costs £50, and you need to book at least three days in advance. The exam itself is a 24 question multiple choice exam based on British life and history.

I've applied! Now what?

Once your application has been submitted, you'll need to book an appointment with UKVCAS to provide your biometrics. You'll also be asked to upload some documents in the UKVCAS portal.

You'll have the option to choose what type of service you want in terms of how long it will take for your application to be processed. Since you cannot leave the UK until a decision has been made, many IMGs opt for the priority (5 working days) or super priority (2 working days) services. Naturally, these come with a hefty price tag as compared to the non-priority path, which can take up to six months to hear back from.

Once your application has been approved, it's party time! You now are eligible for many things such as:

  • You can opt to work less than 80%
  • You can simply locum/be a bank doctor
  • You can take another job/work in a different field
  • You can start a business
  • You can apply for benefits
  • You can apply for British citizenship after a year of your ILR approval

And that's it! Enjoy your time on your ILR, but remember: if you stay outside the UK longer than two years, your ILR can lapse. Otherwise, your ILR does not expire.