Immigration Rules Appendix Statelessness
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-11)

This route is for a person in the UK who has no nationality and so is stateless, and is unable to become, or obtain a status leading to becoming, a permanent resident of another country.

A partner or dependent child of a Stateless person can apply to stay in the UK under Appendix Statelessness if they formed part of the family unit before the date a Stateless person was granted permission to stay. There is a separate route under Appendix FM: family members for a partner or dependent child who formed part of the family unit after the Stateless person was granted permission and is seeking to join a sponsor who has permission to stay as a Stateless person, is settled or a British Citizen in the UK on the basis of their family life.

A Stateless person or their partner or dependent child previously granted permission under Part 14: stateless persons applying on or after 11 November 2025 will be considered under this route.

The statelessness route is a route to settlement.

Validity requirements for a Stateless person

S 1.1. A person applying for permission to stay as a Stateless person must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Further Leave to Remain – Stateless person”.
- (a) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- (b) the applicant must have satisfactorily established their identity; and
- (c) the applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.
S 1.3. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a Stateless person may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a Stateless person

S 2.1. The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant should not be refused under Part Suitability.

Eligibility requirements for a Stateless person

S 3.1. The applicant must be a person who is not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law, as set out in Article 1(1) of the 1954 Statelessness Convention.
- (a) acquire, or re-acquire, nationality with the competent authorities of any relevant countries; and
- (b) establish a right to admission as a permanent resident, or a status leading to permanent residence, in any relevant countries.
S 3.3. If the applicant is a child born in the UK, their parent or legal guardian must have taken all reasonable steps to register the child’s birth with the competent authorities and have been unsuccessful.

S 3.4. The applicant must have obtained and submitted all reasonably available evidence to show they meet the requirements in S 3.1. and S 3.2 and, if the applicant is a child, S 3.3.

Decision on an application as a Stateless person

S 4.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and relevant eligibility requirements are met for a Stateless person the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.

S 4.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.

Period of grant for a Stateless person

S 5.1. The applicant will be granted permission to stay for 5 years.

Conditions of grant for a Stateless person
- (a) work (including self-employment and voluntary work) permitted; and
- (b) study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS; and
- (c) access to public funds.
Settlement as a Stateless person

Validity requirements for settlement as a Stateless person

S 6.1. A person applying for settlement as a Stateless person must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Further Leave to Remain - Stateless person”.
- (a) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- (b) the applicant must satisfactorily establish their identity; and
- (c) the applicant must be in the UK on the date of application.
S 6.3. The applicant must have, or have last been granted, permission as a Stateless person.

S 6.4. An application which does not meet the validity requirements for settlement as a Stateless person may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for settlement as a Stateless person

S 7.1. The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant should not be refused under Part Suitability.

Eligibility requirements for settlement as a Stateless person

Qualifying period requirement for settlement as a Stateless person

S 8.1. The applicant must have spent a continuous period of 5 years in the UK with permission as a Stateless person.

S 8.2. If the applicant has not spent a period of 5 years in the UK with permission as a Stateless person, the 5 year qualifying period can be met by also counting time on any other route that includes rules allowing a person to qualify for settlement, if the applicant has had permission as a Stateless person for at least one year immediately before the date of application.

Continuing status requirement for settlement as a Stateless person

S 9.1. The applicant must continue to meet the eligibility requirements for a permission to stay as a Stateless person at S 3.1. to S 3.4, including during the period when they have had permission to stay as a Stateless person.

Decision on an application for settlement as a Stateless person

S 10.1. If the decision maker is satisfied all the suitability and relevant eligibility requirements for settlement as a Stateless person are met, the applicant will be granted settlement.

S 10.2. If the decision maker is not satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement as a Stateless person are met, but is satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements for permission to stay as a Stateless person, the applicant will be granted a further period of permission to stay as a Stateless person for 5 years.

S 10.3. If the decision maker is not satisfied that the applicant meets all the suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement or permission to stay as a Stateless person, the application for settlement will be refused.

S 10.4. If the application for settlement is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.

Partner or child of a Stateless person

Validity requirements for a partner or child of a Stateless person

S 11.1. A person applying for entry clearance to join as a partner or child of a Stateless person in the UK must do so on the GOV.UK website on the specified form: “Child of a close relative with protection status in the UK or child or partner of a person who is officially stateless and in the UK with permission to stay”.

S 11.2. A person applying in the UK for permission to stay as a partner or child of a Stateless person in the UK must do so on the GOV.UK website on the specified form: “Further Leave to Remain – Stateless person”.
- (a) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- (i) has made a valid application for permission to stay in the UK on the Appendix Statelessness route that has not been decided; or
- (ii) has permission to stay in the UK on the statelessness route; and
- (iii) is settled or has become a British Citizen, providing P had permission to stay on the statelessness route when they settled and the applicant either had permission as their partner or child at that time, or the applicant is applying as a child of P and the applicant was born in the UK before P settled.
S 11.4. An application which does not meet the validity requirements for a partner or child of a Stateless person may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for a partner or child of a Stateless person

S 12.1. The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant should not be refused under Part Suitability.

Eligibility requirements for a partner or child of a Stateless person

S 13.1. A person seeking to come to the UK as a partner or child of a Stateless person must apply for and obtain entry clearance as a partner or child of a Stateless person before they arrive in the UK

S 13.2. A person applying for entry clearance as a partner or child of a Stateless person must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

S 13.3. The applicant must have satisfactorily established their identity and nationality.

Relationship requirement for a partner of a Stateless person

S 14.1. The applicant must have formed part of the family unit before the Stateless person was granted permission as a Stateless person.
- (a) P has permission to stay as a Stateless person; or
- (b) P is, at the same time, applying for (and is granted) permission to stay as a Stateless person.
S 14.3. The applicant must meet the requirements of Appendix Relationship with Partner of these Rules.

Relationship requirement for a child of a Stateless person
- (a) age requirement;
- (b) independent life requirement;
- (c) care requirement; and
- (d) relationship requirement: Entry Clearance and Permission to Stay.
- (a) before the Stateless person was granted permission to stay as a Stateless person; or
- (b) after the Stateless person was granted permission to stay, if the applicant is the child of that person and their other parent is applying for permission, or has permission on, the statelessness route.
Decision on an application as a partner or child of a Stateless person

S 16.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the suitability and eligibility requirements for a partner or child of a Stateless person are met, the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.

S 16.2. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.

Period and conditions of grant for a partner or child of a Stateless person

S 17.1. A partner or child will be granted permission for a period which expires at the same time as the permission granted to the Stateless person.
- (a) access to public funds; and
- (b) work permitted (including self-employment and voluntary work); and
- (c) study permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.
Settlement as a partner or child of a Stateless person

Validity requirements for settlement as a partner or child a Stateless person

S 18.1. A person applying for settlement as a partner or child of a Stateless person in the UK must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “Further Leave to Remain – Stateless Person”.
- (a) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- (b) the applicant must satisfactorily establish their identity and nationality; and
- (c) the applicant must be in the UK on the date of application;
- (i) has made a valid application for settlement in the UK under Appendix Statelessness and that application has not been decided; or
- (ii) is settled or has become a British citizen, providing that P had permission on the statelessness route when they settled and the applicant either had permission as their partner or child at that time, or the applicant is applying as a child of P and the applicant was born in the UK before P settled.
S 18.3. An application which does not meet the validity requirements as a partner or child of a Stateless person may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability requirements for settlement as a partner or child of a Stateless person

S 19.1. The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant should not be refused under Part Suitability.

Eligibility requirements for settlement as a partner of a Stateless person
- (a) P has permission to stay as a Stateless person and is, at the same time as the applicant, being granted settlement; or
- (b) P is settled in the UK or has become a British citizen, providing P had permission to stay as a Stateless person when they settled and the applicant had permission as P’s partner at that time.
Relationship requirements for settlement as the partner of a Stateless person

S 21.1. The applicant must meet the requirements of Appendix Relationship with Partner of these Rules.

Eligibility requirements for settlement as a child of a Stateless person
- (a) age requirement;
- (b) independent life requirement;
- (c) care requirement; and
- (d) relationship requirement: settlement.
Decision on an application for settlement as a partner or child of a Stateless person

S 23.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that the applicant meets all the suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement as a partner or child of a Stateless person, the applicant will be granted settlement.

S 23.2. If the decision maker is not satisfied that the applicant meets all the suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement as a partner or child of a Stateless person, but is satisfied that the applicant continues to qualify as a partner or child of a Stateless person, the applicant will be granted permission to stay for at least 30 months.

S 23.3. If the decision maker is not satisfied that the applicant meets all the suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement as a partner or child of a Stateless person, or for permission to stay as a partner or child of a Stateless person, the application for settlement will be refused.

S 23.4. If the application is refused, the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.