Immigration Rules Appendix Statelessness

This route is for a person in the UK who has no nationality and so is stateless, and is unable to become, or obtain a status leading to becoming, a permanent resident of another country.

A partner or child of a stateless person can apply to stay in the UK under Part 14: Stateless Person on or after the 31 January 2024 if they have or last had permission as a partner or child under Part 14: Stateless Person. A child born in the UK to a parent who has either permission to enter or stay as a stateless person or is the partner of a stateless person can also apply for permission to stay under Part 14. For those eligible to apply under Part 14 as a partner or child of a stateless person, the Part 14 rules in place on the 30 January 2024 will apply. In any other case, a partner or child of a stateless person (who is not themselves stateless and therefore applying in their own right) can apply to join or remain with a Stateless person in the UK under Appendix FM.

The Stateless route is a route to settlement.

Validity requirements for a Stateless person

S 1.1. A person applying for permission to stay as a Stateless person must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Further Leave to Remain – Stateless person”.

  1. S 1.2. An application for permission to stay as a Stateless person must meet all the following validity requirements:
    1. (a) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
    2. (b) the applicant must have satisfactorily established their identity;
    3. and
    4. (c) the applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.

S 1.3. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a Stateless person may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a Stateless person

S 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: Grounds for refusal.

  1. S 2.2. The applicant must not be excluded from protection under the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘1954 Statelessness Convention’) on the basis that they are:
    1. (a) at present receiving protection or assistance from organs or agencies of the United Nations, other than the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; or
    2. (b) recognised by the competent authorities of a country in which they have taken residence as having the rights and obligations which are attached to the possession of the nationality of that country.
  1. S 2.3. The applicant must not be excluded from protection under the 1954 Statelessness Convention on the basis that there are serious reasons for considering that they have:
    1. (a) committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity, as defined in the international instruments drawn up to make provisions in respect of such crimes; or
    2. (b) committed a serious non-political crime outside the UK prior to their arrival in the UK; or
    3. (c) been guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Eligibility requirements for a Stateless person

S 3.1. The applicant must be a person who is not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law, as set out in Article 1(1) of the 1954 Statelessness Convention.

  1. S 3.2. The applicant must have taken all reasonable steps, but nonetheless failed to:
    1. (a) acquire, or re-acquire, nationality with the competent authorities of any relevant countries; and
    2. (b) establish a right to admission as a permanent resident, or a status leading to permanent residence, in any relevant countries.

S 3.3. If the applicant is a child born in the UK, their parent or legal guardian must have taken all reasonable steps to register the child’s birth with the competent authorities and have been unsuccessful.

S 3.4. The applicant must have obtained and submitted all reasonably available evidence to show they meet the requirements in S 3.1. and S 3.2 and, if the applicant is a child, S 3.3.

Decision on an application as a Stateless person

S 4.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and relevant eligibility requirements are met for a Stateless person the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.

S 4.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.

Period of grant for a Stateless person

S 5.1. The applicant will be granted permission to stay for 5 years.

Conditions of grant for a Stateless person

  1. S 5.2. The grant will be subject to the following conditions:
    1. (a) work (including self-employment and voluntary work) permitted; and
    2. (b) study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS; and
    3. (c) access to public funds.

Settlement as a Stateless person

Validity requirements for settlement as a Stateless person

S 6.1. A person applying for settlement as a Stateless person must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Further Leave to Remain - Stateless”.

  1. S 6.2. An application for settlement must meet all the following validity requirements:
    1. (a) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
    2. (b) the applicant must satisfactorily establish their identity; and
    3. (c) the applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.

S 6.3. The applicant must have, or have last been granted, permission as a Stateless person.

S 6.4. An application which does not meet the validity requirements for settlement as a Stateless person may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for settlement as a Stateless person

S 7.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: general grounds for refusal.

  1. S 7.2. The applicant must not be excluded from protection under the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘1954 Statelessness Convention’) on the basis that they are:
    1. (a) at present receiving protection or assistance from organs or agencies of the United Nations, other than the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; or
    2. (b) recognised by the competent authorities of a country in which they have taken residence as having the rights and obligations which are attached to the possession of the nationality of that country.
  1. S 7.3. The applicant must not be excluded from protection under the 1954 Statelessness Convention on the basis that there are serious reasons for considering that they have:
    1. (a) committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity, as defined in the international instruments drawn up to make provisions in respect of such crimes; or
    2. (b) committed a serious non-political crime outside the UK prior to their arrival in the UK; or
    3. (c) been guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Eligibility requirements for settlement as a Stateless person

Qualifying period requirement for settlement as a Stateless person

S 8.1. The applicant must have spent a continuous period of 5 years in the UK with permission as a Stateless person.

S 8.2. If the applicant has not spent a period of 5 years in the UK with permission as a Stateless person, the 5 year qualifying period can be met by also counting time on any other route that includes rules allowing a person to qualify for settlement, if the applicant has had permission as a Stateless person for at least one year immediately before the date of application.

Continuing status requirement for settlement as a Stateless person

S 9.1. The applicant must continue to meet the eligibility requirements for a permission to stay as a Stateless person at S 3.1. to S 3.4, including during the period when they have had permission to stay as a Stateless person.

Decision on an application for settlement as a Stateless person

S 10.1. If the decision maker is satisfied all the suitability and relevant eligibility requirements for settlement as a Stateless person are met, the applicant will be granted settlement.

S 10.2. If the decision maker is not satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement as a Stateless person are met, but is satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements for permission to stay as a Stateless person, the applicant will be granted a further period of permission to stay as a Stateless person for 5 years.

S 10.3. If the decision maker is not satisfied that the applicant meets all the suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement or permission to stay as a Stateless person, the application for settlement will be refused.

S 10.4. If the application for settlement is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.