Apply for Further Leave to Remain Based on 10 Years Long Residence

: Written by: Arshad Mahmood; Last Updated: 02 March 2026

You can submit an FLR (LR) application online to apply for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of long residence, if you are not able to apply for ILR on the basis of 10 years of long residence. Normally, you need to apply for further leave to remain for 2 years if you are unable to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the basis of 10 years long residence due to your inability to pass the English Test and/or Life in the UK test. An application for further leave to remain based on 10 years of residence can only be submitted through standard service, as the UKVI does not offer Super Priority Service for FLR (LR) applications.

An application for leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years of continuous and lawful residence is submitted to the Home Office UKVI by meeting all the eligibility requirements as set out in Appendix Long Residence of the Immigration Rules.

Premium Solicitors, open 7 days a week and 365 days a year, are specialist UK immigration solicitors. The high quality of UK visa and immigration services provided by our best team of fully qualified and experienced SRA-regulated immigration solicitors is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.

Free Immigration Advice For Further Leave To Remain Based On 10 Years Long Residence

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide one-off 5-minute free immigration advice online in relation to your application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years of long residence. Ask a question online to our specialist team of immigration solicitors for free immigration advice online, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our immigration solicitors concerning your application for further leave to remain for 2 years based on 10 years long residence.

Specialist Long Residence Solicitors

Our expert team of long residence solicitors specialises in further leave to remain applications based on long residence. As long residence specialist lawyers, our solicitors have a wealth of knowledge and experience in successfully dealing with hundreds of applications for further leave to remain based on 10 years of long residence.

What are useful online sources of information and guidance for Special Guardianship Order?

Special Guardianship Guidance

Statutory guidance on the special guardianship services local authorities need to provide in accordance with the Children Act 1989.

Form C13A

Form C13A is used to provide a statement in support of your application for a special guardianship order. You can add a supporting statement to your application to become a child’s special guardian.

Form N142

Form N142 is used to apply for a Guardianship Order.

Special guardianship: guide for family court users (CB4)

This is guidance for anyone considering applying for a special guardianship order.

What is the purpose of a Special Guardianship Order?

A special guardianship order is intended for those children who cannot live with their birth parents and who would benefit from a legally secure placement as per a family court order. The Special Guardianship Order gives the special guardian parental responsibilities and leaves the guardian free to make decisions about how to bring up your child or children. The special guardianship order does not change the birth parents' legal relationship with the child, so they remain a member of the birth parents' family even though they are living with their special guardian.

Who can apply for a Special Guardianship Order?

Close relatives of a child can apply to be their Special Guardian – and this might involve grandparents, an uncle or aunt, or a godparent or a close family friend applying to the court for a Special Guardianship Order.

The following people may apply to be special guardians:

Any guardian of the child;
Any individual who has a child arrangements order or any person where a child arrangements order is in force and who has the consent of the person in whose favour the child arrangements order is made;
Anyone with whom the child has lived for at least three years out of the last five years;
Anyone with the consent of the local authority, if the child is in care;
A local authority foster parent with whom the child has lived for at least one year preceding the application;
Anyone who has the consent of those with parental responsibility;
Anyone who has the court's leave.

NOTE: You must be over 18 years of age, and you can apply on your own or jointly with another person.

Who cannot apply for a Special Guardianship Order?

A parent of a child may not be appointed as the child's special guardian.

What is a local authority report for a Special Guardianship Order?

Local authorities are required to produce a report to the court on all children, not just those who are looked after, when an application is made. On receipt of notice of an application, or upon the court's request, the local authority must investigate and prepare a report for the court on the suitability of the applicants to be special guardians.

The regulations say that the local authority report should include certain key information about the child, such as:

Whether the child has brothers and sisters, and details of both parents.
The relationship a child has with other family members, and the arrangements for the child to see or keep in touch with them.
Details of the child's relationship with his/her parents.
The parent/s' and the child's wishes and feelings.
The prospective Guardian's family composition and circumstances.
Parenting capacity.
Medical information on the child, prospective special guardian and the birth parent(s).
An assessment of how a Special Guardianship Order would meet a child's long-term interests as compared with other types of order.

This report must include information about the child, the child’s wishes, the child’s birth family, contact arrangements, the prospective special guardian and recommendations about whether or not an order should be made (See the schedule to the relevant regulations for further details). The local authority is expected to start work on this report, or arrange for someone else to do it, as soon as possible after receiving the notice. The court cannot make an order without having received a report. Local authorities are expected to ensure that the social worker preparing the report is suitably qualified and experienced, but there are no restrictions on who can write the report, unlike in adoption.

What support services are provided by local authorities?

Each local authority must make arrangements for the provision of special guardianship support services, which may include:

Financial assistance (means-tested).
Assistance with the arrangements for contact between a child, his/her parents and any relatives that the local authority considers to be beneficial.
This assistance can include cash to cover travel and entertainment costs, and mediation to resolve difficulties with contact.
Respite care.
Counselling, advice, information and other support services.
Services to enable children, parents and special guardians to discuss matters, including setting up a support group.
Therapeutic services for the child.

What decisions Special Guardians cannot make on their own?

The special guardians cannot make the following decisions on their own:

Changing the child's surname;
Granting the child permission to marry;
Placing the child for adoption;
Consenting to the child being sterilised;
Granting parental responsibility to a father or step-parent.

What option is available to a party with parental responsibility who disagrees with an application for special guardianship order?

If a party with parental responsibility disagrees with an application for special guardianship, they can apply to the Court for a Specific Issue Order or a Prohibited Steps Order. Although it is recommended that any disagreements be resolved through mediation, the Court will always make its decision based on what it considers to be in the child's best interests, taking into account the report prepared by the Local Authority.

What factors the family court will consider to make a Special Guardianship Order?

When considering whether to make a Special Guardianship Order, the family court’s primary consideration is the best interests of the child concerned.

The family court will also have regard to:

the wishes and feelings of the child concerned (as far as they can be obtained and in light of the child’s age and level of understanding);
the child’s physical, emotional and educational needs;
the likely effect on the child of any change in his/her circumstances;
the child’s age, sex, background, and any other characteristic which the court considers relevant;
any harm which the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering;
how capable each of the child’s parents, and any other person in relation to whom the court considers the question to be relevant, is of meeting the child’s needs;
the range of powers available to the court under the Children Act in the proceedings in question.

Before making a special guardianship order, the court must also consider whether there are any existing orders, such as a child arrangements order and whether it is necessary to vary or discharge these, or make such an order in addition to a special guardianship order, such as a child arrangements order to set out the arrangements for the child to spend time with their parents.

Can I get a Special Guardianship Order for my child removed or varied?

Although a Special Guardianship Order is usually in place until a child is 18, if there has been a significant change in circumstances, the order can be changed in one of two ways:

The terms of the order can be altered.
The order can be removed completely, and the child returned to their parents

Anyone wishing to end a Special Guardianship Order must apply to the court, where the evidence will be examined to determine whether the change in circumstances is significant enough to vary the original order. The court will also take into consideration the likely impact of their decision on the child and how disruptive another change in living arrangements would be for them.

What are the alternatives to a Special Guardianship Order?

In the situation where a child is considered to be at risk of harm if they remain in the family home, there are a few alternatives to a Special Guardianship Order, which are as follows:

Foster Care

Unlike a Special Guardian, a foster carer does not have parental responsibility for a child and so is unable to make key decisions about the child’s care and upbringing. Even if the placement is long-term, foster care does not always afford the child the sense of security and belonging that can be gained through a Special Guardianship Order.

Child Arrangements Order

A Child Arrangements Order is a Court Order that sets out who is responsible for a child's care. This type of Court Order is usually used in cases where the parents cannot agree between themselves how to split the care of their child/children.

A ‘child arrangements order’ decides:

where your child lives;
when your child spends time with each parent;
when and what other types of contact occur (e.g., phone calls).

‘Child arrangements orders’ replace ‘residence orders’ and ‘contact orders’. Parents with these orders do not need to re-apply.

Adoption

Adoption severs all connection between the child and their birth parents, placing them permanently with another family. Birth parents lose all parental responsibility once the court order has been issued, and links with the wider biological family are also lost in the majority of cases.

Does Special Guardianship Order give parental responsibility?

A Special Guardianship Order gives the special guardian legal parental responsibility for the child, which is expected to last until the child is 18. But, unlike Adoption Orders, these orders do not remove parental responsibility from the child’s birth parents, although their ability to exercise it is extremely limited.

In practice, this means that the child is no longer the responsibility of the local authority, and the special guardian will have clearer responsibility for all day-to-day decisions about caring for the child or young person, and for taking important decisions about their upbringing, for example, their education. And, importantly, although birth parents retain their legal parental responsibility, the special guardian only has to consult with them about these decisions in exceptional circumstances.

How long does the Special Guardian Order last?

A Special Guardianship Order usually lasts until your child is 18 years old. However, if circumstances change significantly, the Family Court can vary or even discharge the Order.

Requirements For Further Leave to Remain Based on 10 Years Long Residence

The requirements for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence are laid down in paragraph 276A1 of the Immigration Rules. The requirements for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence include the following:

Valid Application Requirements

A person applying for permission to stay on the Long Residence route must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Application to extend your stay in the UK on the basis of long residence”

An application for permission to stay on the Long Residence route must meet all the following requirements:

any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
the applicant must have provided a passport or other document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality.
The applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.

An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for permission to stay on the Long Residence route may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability Requirements

The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant should not be refused under Part 9: grounds for refusal.

The applicant must not be:

in breach of immigration laws, except that where Appendix Suitability requirement are met, that period of overstaying will be disregarded (although it will not count towards the qualifying period); or
on immigration bail.

Qualifying Period Requirement

The applicant must have spent a qualifying period of 10 years lawfully in the UK, for the entirety of which one or more of the following applied:

the applicant had permission, except permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student (English language) or Seasonal Worker (or under any of their predecessor routes); or
the applicant was exempt from immigration control; or
the applicant was in the UK as an EEA national, or the family member of an EEA national, exercising a right to reside under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 prior to 11pm on 31 December 2020 (and until 30 June 2021 or the final determination of an application under Appendix EU made by them by that date).

The following periods will not count towards the qualifying period for Long Residence:

time spent on immigration bail, temporary admission or temporary release; and
any period of overstaying between periods of permission before 24 November 2016, even if a further application was made within 28 days of the expiry of the previous permission; and
any period of overstaying between periods of permission on or after 24 November 2016, even if the requirements of Appendix Suitability are met, that period of overstaying; and
any current period of overstaying where paragraph 39E applies.

Disregarded periods of overstaying will not break continuous residence, but will not count towards the 10-year qualifying period. The applicant must have had permission on their current immigration route for at least 12 months on the date of application, or have been exempt from immigration control in the 12 months immediately before the date of application. This requirement does not apply to an application if the applicant’s current permission was granted before 11 April 2024.

Continuous Residence Requirement For Further Leave Based on 10 Years Long Residence

The continuous residence requirements (paragraph LR 12.1.) are set out in Appendix Continuous Residence to the Immigration Rules.

The following periods will break the continuous residence:

immigration bail, temporary admission, and temporary release
permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student (English language) or Seasonal Worker (or any of their predecessor routes)
overstaying, which is not disregarded

The following periods will not break continuous residence:

overstaying which is disregarded
Appendix Continuous Residence (at paragraph CR 2.2A) recognises that its provisions are different from the previous long residence rules at paragraph 276A and makes transitional arrangements specifically for long residence applicants. These transitional arrangements preserve the position that continuous residence will be broken if an applicant has been absent from the UK for more than 184 days at any one time or for more than a total of 548 days overall, where that absence started before 11 April 2024. This means that:
- any single absences started before 11 April 2024 must be no longer than 184 days
- a 10-year period completed before 11 April 2024 must not have total absences of more than 548 days - for 10-year periods which extend beyond 11 April 2024, there is no 548-day limit
- from 11 April 2024, the applicant must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period

Paragraph CR 4.1.(d)(iii) also preserves the position in the rules as of 10 April 2024 for applicants who had permission when they left the UK and returned to the UK with valid permission, provided they do not exceed the limit of permissible absences.

Time Spent in The UK On Exceptional Assurance

No periods of exceptional assurance between 1 September 2020 and 28 February 2023 are included in the calculation of the continuous residence for the qualifying period. However, any extensions of leave granted under the Coronavirus extension concession and the following grace period (covering 24 January to 31 August 2020) count toward the qualifying period requirement.

Time Spent in the Republic of Ireland and Crown Dependencies

Even though they form part of the common travel area, time with permission spent in the Republic of Ireland or the Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) does not count in the calculation of the qualifying period for the purposes of long residence.

Time spent in the UK with the right to reside under EEA regulations

EEA nationals and their recognised family members who were residents in the UK before Free Movement ended at 11 pm GMT on 31 December 2020 could still, under the Withdrawal Agreement, continue to exercise EEA residential rights in the UK until the end of the grace period, namely 30 June 2021. After that date, these individuals should apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to regularise their permission under the Immigration Rules Appendix EU and avoid being in the UK unlawfully. Sufficient evidence must be provided to demonstrate that the applicant has been exercising treaty rights throughout any period that they are seeking to rely on for the purposes of meeting the long residence rules. Whether a period of residence is counted, or not, for the purpose of long residence does not affect the rights of family members of EEA nationals to have previously acquired permanent residence in the UK, where they qualify for it after a period of 5 years residence under Regulation 15 of the EEA Regulations.

If an applicant was in the UK with a right to reside under EEA Regulations, continuous residence is not broken if they leave the UK and are then re-admitted under the EEA Regulations.

Time spent in the UK as a British citizen

Time spent in the UK as a British citizen must be counted in the qualifying period. Although some people may have spent time in the UK as British citizens and have since renounced their British citizenship, this time spent as a British citizen in the UK would still count in the qualifying period for 10-year-long residence applications.

Time spent in the UK whilst exempt from immigration control

Time spent in the UK, exempt from immigration control, must be counted in the qualifying period. People exempt from immigration control include diplomats and members of the armed forces.

Deemed leave for diplomats and 28 days leave outside the rules for former members of the armed forces

‘Deemed leave’ is a 90-day period of permission given to diplomats once their period of exemption from the immigration control period ends. Former members of the armed forces will normally be granted 28 days' leave outside the Immigration Rules when they cease to be exempt on discharge.

By the end of the 90 or 28 days, the person must either:

apply for permission
depart the UK

A person with deemed leave does not receive an endorsement in their passport. However, a former member of the armed forces will have an endorsement in their passport. If a person applies to extend their stay in the UK within 90 or 28 days (as appropriate) of their exemption ending and is granted a period of permission, their continuous residence is not broken. If a person remains in the UK and does not apply for further permission within the 90 or 28 days described above, their continuous residence is broken.

Documents For FLR (LR) Application

The supporting documents are key to succeeding in an application for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence. Supporting documents for an application for further leave to remain may vary from case to case depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant. Generally, the following documents may be required for an application for further leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence:

All passports covering the relevant 10 years qualifying period of long residence;
BRP card of the applicant;
Any evidence of private and family life established in the UK;
Any other evidence which may be relevant to address any particular issue in the long residence application, including, e.g. one of the previous passports is missing; the applicant exceeded the permitted number of days absent from the UK; previous gaps in between the periods of leave to remain applications, etc.
Any documents or information that are relevant to argue why the Home Office UKVI should exercise discretion to grant the application, where the reliance is being made on the discretion of the Home Office UKVI in approving the long residence application.

Our expert team of immigration solicitors can provide the specific list of documents upon assessing all the relevant circumstances of the applicant and after identifying issues, if any, in the long residence application.

How Can We Help With Your FLR (LR) Application?

Our specialist team of long residence solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representation on a fixed fee basis in relation to your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence. Our fixed fee for your application for further leave to remain for 2 years, based on the 10-year-long residence, will cover all the work of our immigration solicitors on your long residence application. The casework to be carried out by our long residence solicitors in relation to your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence will entail the following:

Advice on requirements: Our long residence solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you have to meet for your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence to succeed.

Advice on documents: Our long residence lawyers will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to be submitted in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence.

Assessment of documents: Our long residence lawyers will assess your documents to make sure that all the documents you provide in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence are in accordance with the requirements of the Immigration Rules.

Completing the application form: Our long residence lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of long residence.

Submitting an application online: Our immigration lawyers will submit your online application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of long residence.

Booking an appointment with the application centre: After the online submission of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years' long residence, our long residence solicitors will book your appointment with the application centre for you to enrol your biometrics.

Preparing a detailed cover letter: Our specialist long residence solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence, explaining how all the legal requirements are met for the approval of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence.

Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrolment date, our long residence solicitors will upload online all the supporting documents to be considered in support of your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence.

Follow-up work: Our long residence solicitors will carry out all the follow-up work until a decision by the Home Office UKVI on your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence.

Why Choose Us For Your FLR (LR) Application?

There are a number of reasons why you can choose our immigration solicitors and lawyers in London to handle your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence from inside the UK. The main reasons include the following:

High-Quality Legal Services: Our team of the best immigration solicitors in London provides high-quality legal services for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of residence from inside the UK. The high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of immigration lawyers is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.

Remote Legal Services: Our specialist immigration solicitors and lawyers can provide you with expert immigration advice and legal representation remotely from our offices in London. Using modern technology, our specialist immigration solicitors and lawyers can handle your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence remotely without the need for you to visit our offices. Whilst we are more than happy to welcome clients into our offices, if this is their preference, we are proud to offer our legal services for your application remotely to save you time and travel costs.

Open 7 Days A Week: We are open seven days a week and pride ourselves on providing dedicated immigration advice and legal representation for your application for leave to remain on the basis of 10 years long residence.

All Work Carried Out By Qualified Specialist Immigration Solicitors: Our specialist team of fully qualified and experienced immigration solicitors, who have extensive experience dealing with long residence applications, will carry out all the casework on your application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years of long residence.

Free Immigration Advice Online: Our specialist team of immigration solicitors and lawyers can provide one-off free immigration advice online, via our website enquiry form, for further leave to remain for 2 years.

Fixed Fees With Payment Plan: Our immigration solicitors and lawyers charge reasonable and affordable fixed fees for an application for further leave to remain for 2 years on the basis of 10 years long residence with an option to pay our fixed fee in two instalments whereby you pay half of the agreed fix fee when we start our work on your application and the remaining half when we have fully prepared the application and it is ready for submission to the Home Office UKVI.

Specialist Immigration Solicitors for Long Residence Applications

Our immigration solicitors are specialists in long residence applications for an extension of stay based on 10 years long residence. As one of the best immigration solicitors, we have an excellent track record of helping clients successfully extend leave to remain based on 10 years long residence. Our highly experienced and fully qualified immigration solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable, and fixed-fee immigration advice and legal representation for your application for an extension of stay based on 10 yeasr long residence.

The high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of immigration lawyers is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients. Our London-based immigration solicitors are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, offering unwavering dedication and exceptional legal support for a wide range of UK visa and immigration cases. Our team of highly regarded immigration solicitors brings together more than 6 decades of collective, specialised expertise in successfully handling UK visa and immigration applications.

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Our team comprises a diverse group of immigration solicitors, each bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. We are united by a shared goal: to deliver the highest level of legal support and advocacy tailored to your immigration needs.