What Is the Easiest Way to Get Residence in the UK?
Written by: Marcus M. Araz, MBA, PhD · Updated:
There is no single easy route that works for everyone; the easiest route is the one whose condition you already meet. If you have a job offer, Skilled Worker; if you have your own company, UK Expansion Worker; if you have a visible record in your field, Global Talent; if your spouse is a British citizen or settled, the family route. The question to ask is not “which one is easy” but “whose condition do I meet today”.
The routes and what is actually hard about them
| Route | The real difficulty | Easy for whom |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | Finding a job offer from a licensed employer | Someone who has a job offer, or who works in an occupation in demand in the UK |
| UK Expansion Worker | Having an active company abroad and obtaining a sponsor licence | A business owner who already has a company and wants to open an operation in the UK |
| Global Talent | Getting an endorsement from an approved body | Someone with a visible record in science, technology, the arts or academia |
| Innovator Founder | Getting an innovative and scalable business idea endorsed | An entrepreneur with the idea ready and with capital and a team |
| Family route | The income threshold and proving the relationship | Someone whose spouse is a British citizen or has settled status |
| Student and Graduate | The cost of study and finding work after graduation | Someone who already plans to study, or is studying, in the UK |
The conditions of the routes and the timetable to settlement UK residence permit page, and the work side on our work visa page.
So which is the fastest route?
Speed can mean two different things, and the answers differ. Getting the residence permit in your hand is fastest on the route whose condition you already meet: a Skilled Worker application if the job offer is ready, UK Expansion Worker if you have a company. On these routes the application time is measured in weeks. Reaching settlement is where the gap between the routes narrows, because on most routes the standard wait is 5 years. So you can speed the application up, but you cannot speed the settlement timetable up much.
There is one exception: UK Expansion Worker is a time limited route and does not lead to settlement on its own; at the next stage a move to Skilled Worker is discussed. So a route that starts fast is not necessarily ahead on the settlement timetable.
The most common mistake
The assumption we hear most is that the process can be shortened with enough money or by buying a home. There is no such route. The Tier 1 (Investor) visa that gave residence in return for investment closed on 17 February 2022, and housing was never counted as a qualifying investment anyway. For the detail see our does buying a home give residence page.
Frequently asked questions
Can residence be bought with money? Not in the UK. The route that gave residence in return for capital is closed. For someone who wants residence through property the nearest option is the Greek Golden Visa.
My English is weak, which route suits me better? Most routes require a certain level of English. On the family route and on some work routes the level works differently; this has to be assessed against your profile with a qualified adviser.
Is there an age limit? There is no general upper age limit. The student and Graduate routes naturally suit younger profiles.
Can I come on a tourist visa first and switch later? Switching from visitor status to work or residence status is as a general rule not possible; the application is expected to be made from outside the UK.
How do I decide which route suits me? Three things are looked at: a job offer, a company and a family tie. If you have one of the three, the route is largely settled.
An important notice
capital.works® is a property consultancy and does not provide immigration advice. Giving immigration advice and services in the United Kingdom is a regulated activity; only advisers authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) and solicitors registered with the SRA may provide it.
Vize, oturum veya vatandaşlık başvurunuz için sizi yetkili göçmenlik avukatımıza yönlendiririz; vize sürecini onun yürütmesi esastır. Biz de capital.works® olarak gayrimenkul ve mortgage tarafındaki planlamayı bu sürece uyumlu şekilde kurgularız. Bir danışmanın yetkili olup olmadığını şuradan doğrulayabilirsiniz: the official register on GOV.UK.
The next step
We clarify which route suits you with our authorised immigration lawyer; we then build the property and financing planning around that timetable. write to us.
The current amounts of the visa, health surcharge and settlement fees are on our How much are UK residence fees page.