Table of contents
About the Private Life Visa
Paragraph 276ADE(1) of the Immigration Rules takes into account the time you have spent in the UK and your connections here.
Example of our successful client:
The client initially entered the UK on a Visitor Visa and overstayed. In addition, he had used different identities in the UK which made proving his continuous residence rather difficult. Furthermore, he kept barely any documentation from his earlier years in the UK. He worked for cash in hand to support himself. We were very resourceful in assisting the client to gather a plethora of strong evidence and presented compelling legal arguments to support his application. The client received Leave to Remain promptly, without any further questions from the Home Office.
If you would like to discuss your case with our team please get in touch.
Evidence required for the 20 years long residence visa:
You:
√ Should provide evidence of your residence in the UK throughout these years
X Do not have to show that you have been previously living in the UK on a lawful basis (eg, if you had overstayed expired visa or entered the UK illegally)
X Do not have to fulfil English language requirements or income requirements
Unlawful stays in the UK under 20 years of residence
If you have had an unlawful stay in the UK but have not accumulated 20 years of residence here, you may still qualify for Leave to Remain based on your Private Life if you fulfil one of the following requirements:
- You are under 18 years old, and have lived continuously in the UK for at least 7 years, and it would not be reasonable to expect you to leave the UK; or
- You are aged between 18 to 25, and have spent at least half of your life living continuously in the UK; or
- You are aged 18 years old and above, have lived continuously in the UK for less than 20 years, but there would be very significant obstacles to your integration into the proposed country to which he would have to go if required to leave the UK.
FAQ
How do I meet the alternative ‘significant obstacles’ requirement?
What does living ‘continuously’ mean?
How do I show my UK ‘residence’ for the application?
What if I cannot afford the private life visa application fee?
Am I allowed to add my family members to the application?
What if the application is successful?
When can I extend the Private Life Visa?
What are the conditions of the Private Life Visa?
How do I apply for this Private Life visa?
Author
Qiyin Chuah
Founder & Principal
Qiyin is a globally-recognised immigration law expert:
- Hong Kong iMoney Magazine interview on Business Immigration from High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), 2016
- ITV News interview about the Tier 2 Work Visa quota and NHS staff shortages, 2018
- The LegalTech Book: The Legal Technology Handbook for Investors, Entrepreneurs and FinTech Visionaries on the subject of ‘Humanise with Lawtech Lawyering’ (publisher: Wiley, 2020)
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK National cohort alumni, 2021
Qiyin is an industry expert with more than 15 years of legal experience. She graduated from the University of Manchester with an LL.B (Hons) in Law and an LLM in International Business Law. Initially trained in Corporate Law, she was inspired to pursue Immigration Law following a personal Visa experience. In 2011, Qiyin founded QC Immigration from frustration of the quality of client service in the market, plus the desire to build a healthier company culture. As a highly-skilled migrant herself, Qiyin fully understands the complicated circumstances and high expectations of our clients. She has proven victories in defending our clients’ businesses, children’s best interests, women’s rights, LGBT rights and challenging Home Office refusals. Our returning clients typically stay with us for over 6 years from obtaining their very first visa until British citizenship. Qiyin regularly provides mentoring, training and supervision to other lawyers in their pursuit for similar successes.