Studying in the UK is a great opportunity for many students and getting a permanent residence after studying a degree in the UK is even more important.
The UK PR process is pretty straightforward. Students who have completed an undergraduate or masters degree and have also spent 5 full years living and working in the UK are eligible to apply for the permanent residence card.
The Permanent Residence in the UK allows foreign nationals the right to live and work anywhere in the UK legally for 10 continuous years.
In this post, we'll teach you how to apply for your pr in uk after study in the UK.
Table of Content
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What is PR in UK
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Benefits of a UK PR
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Eligibility Criteria for PR in UK
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Requirements for UK PR
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Cost of getting a UK PR after Study
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How to Get UK PR after Study
What is the Permanent Residence in the UK?
The PR in the UK is a document that permits immigrants to work and live in the UK indefinitely. Generally, to qualify for a UK PR, you must have lived/worked in the country on a qualifying visa for at least 5 years.
The UK graduate visa allows students to stay in the UK for at least two years after graduating from an accredited UK university. Students who wish to stay in the UK after the two year period will need to apply for a skilled worker visa.
The UK Skilled Worker Visa is one of the easiest routes to get a PR in the UK. The skilled worker allows immigrants to work in the UK legally.
After working for 5 years under the skilled worker visa, you can now apply for your permanent residence.
Benefits of the Permanent Residence in UK
Holding a permanent residence status in the UK after studying comes with a lot of benefits. Some of which includes;
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Eligibility for British Citizenship
Individuals with permanent residence can apply for British citizenship after one year of holding the status. To qualify, you must have been living in the UK for five consecutive years. If you're married and your spouse is British, it'll be for three years.
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Family can join you in the UK
As a PR holder, your immediate family will be permitted to join you.
Family members like spouses, children, parents and grandparents can move to the UK and stay in the PR holder's residency.
Your child can also be registered as a British citizen they meet the requirement.
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Availing Education
After holding the PR status, you will be eligible to study any Skills Funding Agency (SFA) courses of your choice.
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Access to Free Healthcare
Individuals with PR status are eligible for free healthcare provided by the NHS.
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Easy Entry into the UK
As a PR holder, you can enter and leave the UK as you like. You don't need to apply for a visa every time you're travelling.
However, you're not allowed to stay outside the UK for longer than 2 years. If your stay outside the UK exceeds two years, your PR status will be withdrawn and rendered void. You will need to apply for PR status to continue staying in the UK.
Eligibility Criteria for PR in UK
The UK PR Eligibility Criteria is dependent on the length of time an individual has lived, worked or stayed married(to a British national) in the UK.
Below, we're going to list the categories that are eligible to apply for the UK PR.
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You must have lived in the UK lawfully for at least 5 years
To be considered for a UK PR, you must prove to the UK VCAS that you have been living in the UK lawfully for the past 5 years.
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You're a family member of a UK citizen or UK PR holder
You are also eligible for a PR if you're a dependent of a UK PR holder of British Citizen.
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You have a Work Visa
If you have a valid work visa and have worked and lived in the UK for the past 5 years, you can apply for a UK Permanent Residence Status.
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Your Job must meet the UK Salary Requirement
You must be paid the minimum salary requirement for a skilled worker visa which is currently £38,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for the particular role you work for.
Requirements for UK PR
Here are the requirements for the UK Permanent Residence Application.
English Language Requirements
You may be required to take an English language proficiency test to apply for the UK PR. The recognized tests include IELTS, TOEFL, etc.
You can also prove it by presenting either an English qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level or a degree taught or researched in English.
Permanent Residence UK Proof of Funds
If you want to learn how to get pr after study in uk, you may be required to show that you have enough funds to become a permanent resident in the UK.
The home office will tell you how much you are required to present to prove your eligibility.
Life in the UK Test
You must take the life in the UK test to prove that you understand what living in the UK entails. Only people within the ages of 18 and 65 are required to take the test.
There are over 30 life in the UK test centres in the UK. All you need to do is book a centre closest to you today to take the test. The current price for the test is £50 and must be booked on the official government booking website.
If you pass the test during the PR stage, you will not need to rewrite your UK citizenship to learn how to get pr in london after study.
Documents Required for the UK PR
Here is a list of the documents required to submit if you want to learn how to get pr in england after study.
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A current international passport that proves your identity
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Police clearance certificate
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Recent Passport photographs
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Birth or adoption certificates, if applicable
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Marriage certificate, if applicable
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Immigration history
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Life in the UK test result
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English language test result
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Bank statement
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Current payslip
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House rent or lease contract
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Tax letters
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Employment letters
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Registered business permit and address
Cost of getting a UK PR after Study
According to UK Visas and Immigration, the application for PR costs £2,885 for each applicant and takes about 6 months to process.
How to Get UK PR after Study
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Get Accepted into a UK University
To learn how to get pr in uk after student visa, you will need to get admission into an accredited UK university. The general requirements for applying to a university in the UK are;
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School mark sheets and certificates
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Academic transcripts
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Appropriate degree (as per the academic level)
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English proficiency test scores: IELTS/ TOEFL/ PTE Test/ OtherGMAT/ GRE
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Statement of Purpose
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Reference letters
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Copy of passport and other ID proofs
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CV (if applicable)
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Proof of funds
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Apply for your Student Visa
Formerly called the Tier 4 General student visa, the student visa is for students who are 16 or over and want to study on in a UK university.
To apply for the students visa, you'll need to pay the London student visa application fee, which amounts to £383 if you're applying from outside the UK, and £490 to extend or switch to a student visa from inside the UK.
Once you have submitted your application, you can track your visa application status online.
To track your application, use the Reference Number from the invoice/receipt provided by the Visa Application Centre and combine it with your last name.
Typically, a decision will be made within three (3) weeks of your appointment at the visa application centre. Here are the requirements for a student visa;
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A valid passport
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The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies(CAS)
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A valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) if required
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Criminal record certificate.
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Proof of sufficient funds to cover both your living expenses and course fees.
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Proof of English Language proficiency.
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Tuberculosis test results.
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Proof of parental consent or other legal guardian(if you're under 18)
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Proof of your relationship to your parent or legal guardian(if you're under 18).
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A copy of your birth certificate (or another government-issued document) that shows the names of your parents(if you're under 18)
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Any additional documents required during the application process, like a cover letter for student visa UK cost, etc.
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To complete your application, you must provide written consent from your financial sponsor if they have supported your course fees and living expenses in the past 12 months.
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Get Work Experience while Studying
International students under the student visa status are permitted to work for 20 hours during the school week and full time during school breaks and holidays.
The work experience you get while studying can help you build a strong CV that will help with your work visa application after graduation. Some of the available jobs for International Students include;
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Tutoring
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Research assistant
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Personal assistant
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Part time social media manager
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Blogger
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Software Developer
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Graphic Designer
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Photographer etc
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Get a Post Study Work Visa after Graduation
In the UK, you can extend your stay after graduation to find a job by going through the graduate route visa UK. A graduate visa uk permits you to remain in the UK for a minimum of 2 years after successfully completing a course in the country.
To avoid any issues, you should apply for your postgraduate study permit before your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa expires.
You can proceed with your application after your university or college notifies the Home Office of your successful course completion with your Student or Tier 4 (General) student visa. You do not need to wait until you've graduated or obtained a certificate.
To apply for your PR, You will need to be employed under the Tier 2 visa which allows you to stay in the UK to work. Once you have secured your Tier 2 visa, you can apply for your PR.
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Apply for Permanent Residence
To apply for your permanent residence, follow the steps below;
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Fill the application form with your correct details and submit online
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Pay the application fee
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Book an appointment and attend your interview at the UKVCAs office to provide the required biometric information
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Submit all the necessary documents requested by the home office.
The verification process usually takes about 6 months. So, expect a decision within six months of submitting your documents.
If you apply for the priority service to super priority service, you may be able to get your decision within 1-5 days for an added fee of £500 -£1000.
Once you apply for your PR, you may not leave the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get your decision. You must know how to get pr in uk after study 2024.
Permanent Residence for European Nationals
As a European National who wants to learn how to get uk pr after study, you need to apply for the settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. The EU Settlement Scheme was established when the UK left from the EU. It allows EU Nationals living in the UK before the end of 2020 the right to residence.
The pre settled status means that you have not been living in the UK for up to 5 years but are actively working towards your PR status.
Settled Status means that you have been living in the UK for up to 5 years and have already gained the PR status.
Conclusion
Living in the UK comes with a lot of advantages especially for International Students. The UK PR allows students stay in the UK and earn a decent living.
Therefore it is important that you follow the right steps when applying for you PR so you increase your chances of a positive decision on your PR application.
With the information provided in this article, applying for your PR will be as easy as ABC. Carefully read the article and do your own further research.
We wish you the best in your application!
