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Domestic workers in private households

Domestic worker preparing food

How can I settle in the UK as a domestic worker?

This section explains how you can apply to settle permanently in the UK if you are are currently in the UK as a domestic worker in a private household and applied on or before 5 April 2012 for your visa to come to the UK under that category.

You should read this section if you have been in the UK in this category for at least 5 years.

If you are currently outside the UK or are here in a different immigration category, you should read the Domestic workers in private households section. If you have been in the UK as a domestic worker for less than 5 years, you should read the Extending your stay page.

To qualify for settlement in the UK as a domestic worker, you must:

  • have been living here legally for the last 5 years;
  • currently have permission to stay here as a domestic worker;
  • have been in the UK as a full-time domestic worker continuously throughout the 5 years;
  • have maintained and accommodated yourself and any dependants without the use of public funds throughout the 5 years; and
  • have sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK.

During the continuous residence period, you cannot be outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12 consecutive months. Absence must be for a reason that relates to the reason for your stay in the UK, or for a serious or compelling reason such as serious illness. You must explain the reason for your absence if it was for a serious or compelling reason.

Time spent in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man may be included in the continuous period, as long as you were given permission to stay as an overseas domestic worker in a private household before 6 April 2012.

Your most recent permission to stay must have been given in the UK as an overseas domestic worker in a private household.

To apply for settlement, you must use application form SET(O).

For more information about completing application form SET(O) and the 'knowledge of language and life in the UK' requirement, see the Settlement section.

You can include your dependants (partner and children aged under 18) in your application, and you will pay a reduced application fee for each of them. If your partner has not demonstrated their knowledge of English and life in the UK, their application for settlement will be unsuccessful. They will then need to leave the UK or apply to extend their stay as your dependant using application form FLR(O).

If you have children aged 18 or over who are dependent on you, they will need to make their own applications for settlement. They should use application form SET(O) and will need to pay the full application fee. If they cannot demonstrate their knowledge of language and life in the UK, they will need to apply to extend their stay as your dependant using application FLR(O) - see the Extending your stay page.

If your application is successful, you will be able to remain in the UK permanently. You will not need to apply to extend your stay any more, and there will not be a time limit on your stay. You may want to consider applying for British citizenship.

Transferring your indefinite leave to remain to a new passport

If you have been issued with a new passport or travel document, you can apply for us to transfer your indefinite leave to remain stamp. You can travel with your new passport or travel document without having your leave transferred, providing that you carry your old passport or travel document with the stamp or the letter in which your leave was granted.

If you want to transfer your permission to your new passport or travel document, you should use application form NTL. For more information, read the Transferring your visa page.

More information

  • Application fees for settling in the UK using form SET(O)

    Fee if you are applying by post Fee if you are applying in person
    Main applicant £1051 £1426
    Partner or child aged under 18 (if they are applying at the same time as the main applicant) £788 for each family member included on the main applicant's application form £1163 for each family member included on the main applicant's application form
    Partner or child aged under 18 (if they are applying separately from,the main applicant)  £1051  £1426


  • How to pay your application fee if you are inside the UK

    If you are applying online, you must pay your fee online as part of your application.

    If you are applying by post or courier, you can choose how to pay your application fee:

    • By cheque in sterling on a UK bank account. The application form will tell you who to make the cheque payable to, you should write your full name and date of birth on the back, and attach the cheque to the front of the completed application form. 
    • With a UK postal order. You should write your full name and date of birth on the back, and attach the postal order to the front of the completed application form. 
    • With a credit or debit card - American Express, MasterCard, Visa (including Electron), Delta or Maestro (including Solo). For postal and courier payments, we accept only Maestro cards issued in the UK. You must include the card number, the amount paid, the payer's name as it appears on the card, the 'valid from' and expiry dates, the card verification value (CVV) code, the cardholder's signature and the date. The issue number is also needed for Maestro cards.

    If you are applying and paying in person at a public enquiry office, you can choose how to pay your application fee. For applications made in person at a public enquiry office, the total fee includes an additional fee of £375 for each person. This includes a £100 appointment fee, which may be retained should the applicant fail to attend their appointment without good reason.  Please check the relevant application form to find out if you can make an application in person.

    • With a UK postal order (except at our Glasgow and Cardiff offices). You should write your full name and date of birth on the back.
    • By banker's draft (except at our Glasgow and Cardiff offices). 
    • With a credit or debit card - American Express, MasterCard, Visa (including Electron), Delta or Maestro (including Solo). We can accept any Maestro card for payments at a public enquiry office. You must include the card number, the amount paid, the payer's name as it appears on the card, the 'valid from' and expiry dates, the card verification value (CVV) code, the cardholder's signature and the date. The issue number is also needed for Maestro cards. The cardholder must be present for the payment to be taken.

    Payment by any other method is not accepted.

    You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of your application. If you do not do this, your application will be invalid and will not be considered. We will return your application and part payment to you.

    We start considering the application when the payment has cleared. Payments are cleared:

    • after 5 working days for cheques
    • after 1 working day for credit or debit cards
    • immediately for postal orders

    Please note that, if you are making numerous payments using your credit card, the anti-fraud measures that banks operate sometimes stop payment being taken. This may be because you have exceeded the maximum limit on a single transaction or the number of transactions allowed in a given period of time. You must ensure that you contact your bank in advance, so that the bank will allow the full payment to be taken without any problems when you submit your applications.

    Payment information on the application form

    It is very important that you complete the payment section of the application form correctly. If this section contains errors, we will not be able to process your payment. This will mean that your application is invalid.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is my immigration status while my application is being decided? If you make an application before your authorised stay ends, your existing immigration status will continue until your application is decided, even if the decision is not made until after the end of your permitted stay. You can continue to work until your case is decided if the conditions of your existing leave allows you to do so.

Application forms

Application for permanent residence in the UK in an employment or other category listed on the form

Choose a different form

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