FLR (FP) is the Home Office application to extend your permission to stay in the UK on the basis of your family life as a partner or parent, or your private life in the UK. It is made online from inside the UK, ideally before your current permission expires, and a successful application normally gives you a further 30 months.
Many FLR (FP) applicants are on the ten-year route to settlement: partners and parents who cannot meet every requirement of the five-year family route, such as the income threshold or the English language test, and people whose ties to the UK engage the private life rules. These applications are not decided on a checklist. The Home Office weighs the evidence of your relationship, your child’s position, the length and quality of your residence, or the obstacles you would face abroad.
Sterling Law’s immigration solicitors advise on the right basis for your application, prepare the evidence and legal representations, request fee waivers and challenge refusals on appeal. We act for partners, parents of British children, long-term residents and families whose children have grown up in the UK.
FLR (FP) at a glance
| Key fact | Position on 28 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Application | online, from inside the UK |
| Home Office fee | £1,407 per applicant, including each child, from 8 April 2026 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £2,587.50 per adult and £1,940 per child for 30 months |
| Processing time | about 12 months; there is no service standard |
| Faster decision | no 5-day priority service; super priority (£1,000) may be offered at a UKVCAS appointment to applicants who hold permission |
| Permission granted | 30 months; children and young adults on the private life route can choose 60 months |
| Route to settlement | 10 years on the ten-year partner and parent routes and for adults on the private life route; 5 years for parents who meet all the five-year requirements and for children and young adults on the private life route |
| Settlement | fee £3,226; English at level B1, rising to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027 |
| Proof of status | eVisa in your UKVI account |
Home Office fees usually change every April. We review this page after every change.
Who applies on form FLR (FP)?
Use form FLR (FP) if you are in the UK and want to stay on the basis of your family or private life. The main situations are:
| Your situation | Basis of the application | Usual route to settlement |
|---|---|---|
| You are the partner of a British or Irish citizen, a settled person, a refugee or certain other qualifying partners, but cannot meet all the requirements of the five-year partner route | family life as a partner, relying on the exceptions: insurmountable obstacles to family life outside the UK, or unjustifiably harsh consequences of refusal | 10 years |
| You are the parent of a child under 18 who is British, Irish or settled, or who has lived in the UK for at least seven years | family life as a parent | 5 years if you meet all the parent route requirements; otherwise 10 years |
| You are the child of a parent who has, or is applying for, permission on the family or private life route | dependent child | follows your parent’s route |
| You are under 18, have lived in the UK continuously for at least seven years, and it would not be reasonable to expect you to leave | private life | 5 years |
| You are aged 18 to 24, arrived in the UK before you turned 18, and have lived here continuously for at least half your life | private life | 5 years |
| You are 18 or over and would face very significant obstacles to integrating into the country you would have to go to | private life | 10 years |
| You have lived in the UK continuously for more than 20 years | private life | 10 years |
| You were born in the UK to a parent who has, or is applying for, permission on the private life route | private life | 7 years’ residence, where it is not reasonable to expect you to leave |
| You already hold permission on one of these routes and it is about to expire | the same basis as your current permission | continues your route |
Some situations need a different form. Partners who meet all the requirements of the five-year route use FLR (M). Other human rights claims and leave outside the rules on grounds other than family or private life use FLR (HRO). People extending discretionary leave granted after an asylum claim use FLR (DL). Our Further Leave to Remain guide sets out every form.
FLR (FP) requirements
Every applicant must meet the suitability requirements and the requirements of the basis they rely on. The main tests are summarised below; the full requirements are in Appendix FM and Appendix Private Life of the Immigration Rules.
Partners on the ten-year route
You and your partner must be in a genuine and subsisting relationship, and both be aged 18 or over. If you cannot meet the income or English language requirements of the five-year route, the application can still succeed where there are insurmountable obstacles to your family life continuing outside the UK. The Rules define these as very significant difficulties which you or your partner would face in continuing your family life together outside the UK, and which could not be overcome or would entail very serious hardship. Where that test is not met, the Home Office must still consider whether refusal would have unjustifiably harsh consequences for you, your partner or a child.
You cannot apply on this route while you are in the UK as a visitor or with permission granted for six months or less. If you are an overstayer or on immigration bail, the ten-year route can still be open where the insurmountable obstacles exception applies; if you are on immigration bail, you must also have arrived in the UK more than six months before applying.
If you cannot yet meet the financial requirement or the English language requirement, the ten-year route keeps you in the UK lawfully while your circumstances change.
Parents
A parent can apply where their child is under 18, lives in the UK, and is British, Irish or settled, or has lived in the UK for at least seven years. The parent must have sole parental responsibility, or the child must normally live with them, or they must have direct access to the child in person; in every case they must be taking, and intend to continue taking, an active role in the child’s upbringing. You cannot use the parent route if you are eligible to apply as a partner.
The five-year parent route also requires adequate maintenance and accommodation and English at level A1, then A2 after 30 months. Where you cannot meet these, the application can still succeed on the ten-year route if the child is British or has lived in the UK for seven years and it would not be reasonable to expect the child to leave. Home Office guidance says the starting point is that such a child would not normally be expected to leave the UK.
The evidence decides most parent applications. The Home Office gives most weight to documents from official sources, such as the child’s school, a GP or other medical professional, the local authority or a court. Evidence should usually be less than four years old, and family court documents can only be used with the court’s permission. Cards, photographs and messages on their own are not considered strong evidence.
Private life
The private life rules apply if you:
- are under 18, have lived in the UK continuously for at least seven years, and it would not be reasonable to expect you to leave;
- are aged 18 to 24, arrived in the UK before you turned 18, and have lived here continuously for at least half your life;
- are 18 or over and would face very significant obstacles to integrating into the country where you would have to live;
- have lived in the UK continuously for more than 20 years;
- were born in the UK to a parent who has, or is applying for, permission on the private life route.
Time in the UK counts whether or not you had permission, but long absences, removal or deportation, and time in prison can break continuous residence. Home Office guidance describes very significant obstacles as a high threshold: something that would prevent or seriously inhibit you from integrating.
Children and young adults in the first two groups can choose 30 or 60 months of permission and can settle after five years. Other private life applicants are granted 30 months on the ten-year route. Our private life visa guide explains the tests and the evidence in more detail.
Suitability and immigration history
Since 11 November 2025, family and private life applications are assessed under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules, the same suitability rules that apply to other routes. A deportation or exclusion order, a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, or conduct that makes your presence not conducive to the public good leads to refusal under the Rules. Shorter sentences, false representations in earlier applications, breaches of immigration law, NHS debts and unpaid litigation costs owed to the Home Office can also lead to refusal. Take advice before you apply if any of these applies to you.
English language and income
If you rely on the ten-year exceptions, the English language and financial requirements do not have to be met at this stage, and there is no English requirement for permission on the private life route. English does apply to the five-year parent route and to settlement: level B1 for settlement applications made before 26 March 2027 and level B2 from that date, together with the Life in the UK test.
Fees and the cost of the route
The Home Office fee for FLR (FP) is £1,407 per applicant, including each child applying as a dependant, for applications made on or after 8 April 2026. Each applicant also pays the Immigration Health Surcharge for the whole period of permission: £1,035 a year for adults and £776 a year for children under 18.
| Cost at 2026 fees | Adult | Child under 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Home Office fee | £1,407 | £1,407 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge for 30 months | £2,587.50 | £1,940 |
| Total for one 30-month grant | £3,994.50 | £3,347 |
| Indefinite leave to remain at the end of the route | £3,226 | £3,226 |
| Ten-year route in total: four grants and settlement | £19,204 | £16,614 |
If a child or young adult on the private life route chooses 60 months, the surcharge is paid for 60 months. Fees usually rise every April, so the total for the whole route is an estimate at today’s rates. See the current figures on our UK visa fees page or on GOV.UK before you pay.
Fee waiver and the no recourse to public funds condition
If you cannot afford the fees, you can ask the Home Office to waive them before you submit FLR (FP). You do not have to be destitute: the test is whether you can afford the fee. GOV.UK gives these examples:
- you do not have a place to live and cannot afford one;
- you have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs such as food or heating;
- your income is very low and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing.
The request is made online, with evidence of your income and outgoings, usually covering the last six months. A waiver can cover the application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge, or both. Once it is granted, you must submit the FLR (FP) application within 10 working days of the decision, and give your biometrics at the appointment you are offered.
If you had valid permission when you made the fee waiver request, and you then apply within those 10 working days for the route named in the request, your permission continues under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971, whether the waiver is granted or refused. From 8 October 2026 this protection applies only if the application is made on the same route as the waiver request. Our article on fee waivers and section 3C leave explains the timing risks.
Permission on these routes is usually granted with a condition of no recourse to public funds. The condition should not be imposed if you are destitute or at risk of imminent destitution, if there are reasons relating to your child’s welfare, or if there are exceptional circumstances affecting your income or outgoings; you can ask for this in the application itself. If your circumstances change later, you can apply online to change your permission to allow access to public funds.
How to apply for FLR (FP)
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Confirm the basis | partner, parent, private life or exceptional circumstances; the wrong basis can lead to refusal |
| 2. Prepare the evidence | the relationship, the child’s position, your residence or the obstacles abroad; official documents carry most weight |
| 3. Request a fee waiver, if needed | wait for the decision, then apply within 10 working days |
| 4. Complete the online application | the family and private life application on GOV.UK; pay the fee and the surcharge unless waived |
| 5. Prove your identity | usually at a UKVCAS appointment; some applicants, mainly holders of EU, EEA or Swiss biometric passports, can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app |
| 6. Upload your documents | through the online service after the identity check |
| 7. Decision | if the application is granted, your permission is recorded as an eVisa in your UKVI account |
Apply before your current permission expires. If you do, your existing permission continues on the same conditions while the application and any appeal are decided, under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971. Do not travel outside the Common Travel Area while the application is pending: leaving normally means the application is treated as withdrawn.
If your permission has already expired, an application may still be possible, but section 3C protection does not apply and the Home Office will look closely at your immigration history. Read our guide to unintended overstaying and take advice before you apply.
FLR (FP) processing time
The Home Office says it currently takes about 12 months to decide applications from partners who do not meet the income and English requirements, from parents and on the basis of private life, and that there is no service standard for them. The time runs from your UKVCAS appointment or your identity check in the app. You can stay in the UK until you receive a decision, as long as you applied before your permission expired.
There is no five-day priority service for these applications. The super priority service, which usually gives a decision by the end of the next working day, costs £1,000 per applicant. It may be offered at a UKVCAS appointment, numbers are limited, and you must hold permission to be in the UK to use it. See our guide to UK visa processing times for other routes.
FLR (FP), FLR (M) or FLR (HRO)?
| Form | Who it is for | Where it leads |
|---|---|---|
| FLR (FP) | partners on the ten-year route, parents, dependent children, private life applicants, and leave outside the rules on family or private life grounds | settlement usually after 10 years; after 5 years for parents who meet all the five-year requirements and for children and young adults on the private life route |
| FLR (M) | the partner or dependent child of someone who is settled here, or who is a refugee or has humanitarian protection, where all the five-year requirements are met | settlement after 5 years |
| FLR (HRO) | human rights claims other than family and private life, leave outside the rules on other grounds, and routes not covered by another form | depends on the permission granted |
From FLR (FP) to indefinite leave to remain
On the ten-year route you normally need four grants of 30 months, 120 months in total, before you can apply for indefinite leave to remain. Time on the partner, parent and private life routes can be combined, including leave outside the rules on family or private life grounds. Children and young adults on the private life route can settle after five years, and a child born in the UK can apply after seven years’ continuous residence where it would not be reasonable to expect them to leave. Settlement applications are usually decided within six months.
If your circumstances change and you meet all the requirements of the five-year partner or parent route, including the income and English language requirements, you can make a separate application on that route: partners use FLR (M), parents use FLR (FP). Time already spent on the ten-year route does not count towards the five years, so it pays to plan the move early.
The ten-year route based on family and private life is different from the 10-year long residence route, which is based on ten years of continuous lawful residence.
If your FLR (FP) application is refused
Applications under Appendix FM and Appendix Private Life are human rights applications, so the starting point is a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). There are exceptions: the Home Office can certify a claim as clearly unfounded, and there is no right of appeal if you still hold other permission to stay when the decision is made, unless that permission continues only under section 3C. Administrative review is not available for these decisions.
From inside the UK you have 14 days from receiving the decision letter to appeal. The tribunal fee is £82 for a decision without a hearing and £144 with a hearing, and help with fees may be available. If you applied in time, your permission continues under section 3C while the appeal can be brought and while it is pending. A fresh application is sometimes an alternative, but it has its own fee and timing risks, so compare both options with a solicitor before the deadline passes. See how we won an appeal for a parent of a qualifying child.
What is changing
Updated 28 September 2026.
- Suitability. Since 11 November 2025, family and private life applications are assessed under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules;
- Fee waivers. From 8 October 2026, a fee waiver request keeps its date for the section 3C rules only if the application that follows is made on the same route;
- English for settlement. Settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need English at level B2 instead of B1. This applies to people already on the route;
- Earned settlement. The Home Office consulted on an “earned settlement” model between November 2025 and February 2026. The proposals include longer qualifying periods for people who have received public funds or have overstayed, and the government has said it intends to apply them to people who have not yet settled. No outcome has been published, no rules have been made, and the routes continue to operate as described on this page.
How Sterling Law can help
Our immigration solicitors handle FLR (FP) applications from the first assessment to settlement:
- choosing the right basis before anything is filed: partner, parent, private life or exceptional circumstances;
- an evidence plan: what proves the relationship, the child’s position or your residence, and what to leave out;
- written representations applying the Immigration Rules and Article 8 case law to your facts;
- fee waiver requests, including the evidence of income and outgoings the Home Office expects;
- requests to lift the no recourse to public funds condition when your circumstances change;
- refusals and appeals to the First-tier Tribunal;
- moving from the ten-year route to the five-year route, and settlement at the end of the route.
Recent results include leave to remain on the parental route, leave to remain for the partner of a parent of a British child and indefinite leave to remain on the private life route.
Speak to our immigration solicitors
Tell us about your family, your residence in the UK and your immigration history. We will confirm the right basis for your application, the evidence you need and the likely timeline before you apply.
FAQ about FLR (FP)
1. What does FLR (FP) mean?
FLR (FP) stands for further leave to remain on the basis of family and private life. It is the online application used inside the UK to extend or switch permission as a partner, parent or dependent child, or on private life grounds, including leave outside the rules on those grounds. It is an application route rather than a separate visa.
2. How much is the FLR (FP) fee?
The Home Office fee is £1,407 per applicant from 8 April 2026. You also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge: £2,587.50 per adult and £1,940 per child for a 30-month grant. If you cannot afford the fees, you can request a fee waiver before applying.
3. How long does it take to process FLR (FP)?
The Home Office says about 12 months, and there is no service standard. The time runs from your UKVCAS appointment or your identity check in the app.
4. What is the difference between FLR (HRO) and FLR (FP)?
FLR (FP) is for applications based on family or private life, including partners and parents who cannot meet the five-year requirements. FLR (HRO) is for other human rights claims, leave outside the rules on other grounds and routes not covered by another form.
5. Is there a priority service for FLR (FP)?
There is no five-day priority service for family and private life applications. Super priority, for £1,000 per applicant, may be offered at a UKVCAS appointment, but only to applicants who hold permission to be in the UK, and numbers are limited.
6. Can I work on FLR (FP) permission?
Yes. Permission on these routes allows you to work, including self-employment, and to study. It is usually granted with a no recourse to public funds condition, which can be lifted if your circumstances change.
7. Can I apply for FLR (FP) if my visa has already expired?
In some cases, yes. The ten-year partner and parent routes can be open to overstayers where the exceptions apply, and private life applications do not require current permission. Section 3C protection does not apply, and breaches of immigration law are considered under the suitability rules, so take advice before you apply.
