Indefinite leave to remain or enter (domestic violence or abuse)
Eligibility
Whether you can get permission to settle in the UK permanently (indefinite leave to remain or enter) depends on:
- your current immigration status (the type of visa you have, for example)
- how your relationship broke down
Your immigration status
Your current immigration status usually must be based on your relationship with your partner. Your partner must be one of the following:
- a British citizen
- a person with permission to settle in the UK permanently (indefinite leave to remain or enter)
- a member of the UK armed forces who has served for at least 4 years
- a person with permission to stay in the UK as a refugee
- a person with settled status under the EU settlement scheme
- a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status under the EU Settlement scheme
If your partner has pre-settled status, they also need to have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020.
If you have pre-settled status
You can also apply if your relationship has broken down permanently because of domestic violence or abuse and you have pre-settled status either:
- as a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner
- based on a retained right of residence because you used to have a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020
How the relationship broke down
You must show your relationship broke down because of domestic violence or abuse from your partner or your partner’s family.
If you’re applying from outside the UK, you’ll need to show that you’ve been abandoned there.
You’ll be asked to give a statement about your circumstances when you apply.
You should also include supporting evidence if you have it, but you do not need it to apply.