Extending your stay as a retired person of independent means

This page explains whether you can apply to extend your stay in the UK if you are already here as a retired person of independent means.

On 27 November 2008, the 'retired persons of independent means' immigration category was closed to new entrants. You cannot now apply to enter the UK in this category.

However, if you are already have permission to stay in the UK as a retired person of independent means, you can apply to extend your stay up to the maximum period of five years in this category, or apply to settle here.

To be able to extend your permission to stay, you must:

• currently have permission to stay as a retired person of independent means;
• have a minimum disposable income of £25,000 a year under your control in the UK (see below);
• be willing and able to maintain yourself and any dependants indefinitely in the UK entirely from your own resources and without working or any help from public funds;
• demonstrate a close connection with the UK (see below); and
• not have already spent five years in the UK in this category.

What is meant by income?

This must be actual income. It is not enough to show a capital sum of several hundred thousand pounds and say it will produce £25,000 a year in interest. You must:

• be able to bring into the UK not less than £25,000, net of any overseas tax;
• be able to use the money freely, with nobody else having a controlling interest in it; and
• be able to freely transfer all the income to the UK and convert it to sterling. If we have any doubt about your ability to transfer the money to the UK, we may ask for evidence of this (such as a letter from the bank or authorities concerned).

Income that belongs to your husband, wife or civil partner, or to both of you jointly, may be counted as under your own control, as long as both of you are applying at the same time.

What is a close connection with the UK?

The two usual connections are:

• close relatives (such as parents, children, brothers or sisters) already settled here; or
• long, relatively recent periods of previous residence here.

Extra factors that may be taken into account as part of a close connection (although they do not show a close connection on their own) are:

• longstanding ownership of substantial property in the UK;
• long periods of employment by the government of the UK or a British overseas territory;
• employment with a UK company involving frequent business trips to this country;
• past service to the UK resulting in the establishment of close contacts with this country; or
• letters of support from eminent British citizens.

British status that is not full British citizenship (such as British subject status, British overseas citizenship, British overseas territories citizenship, or British protected person status) is not considered a close connection with the UK.

Do my dependants have to be over 60 years of age as well?

They do not have to be over 60 years of age, but they must not work in the UK.

Can I work?

You must not be employed in any capacity or take an active interest in the running of any business in the UK or any other country. You can do a limited amount of voluntary charity work, if it is unpaid and part-time.

Can I retain my home abroad?

You can retain your home abroad, but your main home must be in the UK. You must not retain a home outside the UK as your main residence and spend only short periods of time in the UK. You should confirm your intention either orally or in writing. Further checks may be made if you spend significant periods of time abroad while you have permission to stay in the UK as a retired person of independent means.

How long will I be allowed to stay in the UK?

Permission to stay in the UK is normally granted for five years. After that time, you may be able to apply for permission to settle here permanently (known as 'indefinite leave to remain'). You will need to have met the requirements of this immigration category throughout the whole of the five years.

How do I apply?

You can find out more on the Applying to extend your stay page or the Settlement section.

You will be a British overseas territories citizen if you are connected with a British overseas territory because you or your parents were born, registered or naturalised in that British overseas territory. If you were born before 1 January 1983, you may gain the citizenship through your grandparents. (See British overseas territory.)Indefinite leave to remain (often known as 'ILR' and 'settlement') is permission to remain in the UK without any time restrictions on the length of stay. It is not the same as naturalisation as a British citizen and may, in specific circumstances, be ceased or invalidated, for example, if a fraudulent application is uncovered, if the person resides outside of the UK for more than 2 years or as a result of a criminal conviction that results in a Deportation Order coming into force.This is a form of British nationality held by a resident of a former British protectorate who did not take the citizenship of the country to which he/she belonged before it stopped being a protectorate. See the page Who is a British protected person? for more information.British overseas citizenship is a category of British citizenship that was gained by certain residents of Hong Kong on 30 June 1997, when sovereignty of Hong Kong returned to China.British citizenship is given to people who have a close connection with the United Kingdom, which includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. A close connection may be by birth, adoption, descent, marriage, registration or naturalisation.Until 1949, nearly everyone with a close connection to the United Kingdom was called a British subject. All citizens of Commonwealth countries were British subjects until January 1983. Since that date, very few categories of people have qualified as British subjects. It is a form of British nationality.