How to combine 🇬🇧 visas to make 5 years for Settlement

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It is well-known that it takes 5 years to qualify for settlement in the UK - in most cases. Such as 5 years as a Spouse/Partner or a Worker. But what about combining different visa categories? Worker+Spouse, Student+Worker? 

The answers are in the UK Immigration Rules. Some categories can be combined, some cannot be. You can mix most work visas but cannot combine work visas with family ones. 5 years as Tier 2 General + Skilled Worker will be OK, but Tier 2 + Spouse of UK citizen won't be. Tier 1 Entrepreneur can be combined with Tier 2 (now Skilled Worker) but not other way around. Also, a main visa is different from a dependent visa, such as Tier 2 General is different from Dependant, so cannot be combined either. 

If you are in the Spouse / Partner route, you cannot mix 5 and 10-year routes (unless it’s 10 years). Some categories are not counted at all, such as Student or Graduate, so Student + Spouse doesn’t work. The only exception is 10 years of legal residence where virtually all visas are acceptable.

For more details specific to your situation, please book an online or in-person consultation with a lawyer here.


1st 4Immigration is one of the most experienced UK immigration law companies, OISC - accredited at the highest Level 3. We have been in business for over 10 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in which 2008 stands for the year accreditation. Office: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HN. 

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