A No Time Limit (NTL) application can turn old paper evidence of indefinite leave to remain or enter into an eVisa. It confirms settlement you already hold; it does not grant ILR for the first time or restore status lost through absence. The application is free and must be made from within the UK. Start by identifying your existing evidence, then check whether NTL is the correct route before gathering documents.
This guide is for people with legacy settlement documents or missing evidence of an old grant. ILR Calculator UK provides independent general information, not legal advice or an assessment of your individual status.
Check your evidence before choosing the application
An old passport with an ILR stamp is different from an expired biometric residence permit, even if both appear to show the same underlying permission. The official service for getting an eVisa with settlement makes that distinction explicit.
| What you have | The next check |
|---|---|
| An indefinite stamp or vignette in an old passport | NTL may provide digital confirmation if you still hold that settlement. |
| An expired BRP showing settlement | Follow the separate eVisa access instructions linked from the official service; do not apply for NTL simply because the card expired. |
| Settlement under the EU Settlement Scheme | Use your existing digital-status route, rather than NTL. |
| An eVisa that already exists but displays an error | Use the correction or account-support route appropriate to the problem. |
| No surviving document proving an old ILR grant | NTL may still be possible, but the Home Office must establish your identity and continuing status. |
For holders of qualifying physical evidence without an expiry date, GOV.UK currently says moving to an eVisa is a choice. Getting one does not change immigration status, and the physical document can still be used. Avoid advice that treats every old passport as an expired immigration permission or describes a new BRP as the end product of NTL.
Someone applying for settlement for the first time needs the application for their immigration route. The words “no time limit” describe confirmation of existing indefinite permission; they are not a shortcut around qualifying for it.
Separate a missing document from a missing entitlement
Before starting the form, put the original settlement grant and any later extended periods abroad on a short timeline. A lost passport is an evidence problem. A period abroad that caused settlement to lapse is a status problem, and replacing the evidence cannot repair it.
The Home Office NTL caseworker guidance requires the applicant to retain and remain entitled to indefinite leave. It excludes people who already have an eVisa, and explains that an NTL application from an existing eVisa holder will be voided.
Ordinary ILR can lapse after more than two consecutive years abroad, subject to applicable exceptions. If your history includes a long absence, use our guide to ILR lapsing abroad and Returning Resident applications to identify the relevant period and evidence questions. That page helps distinguish an old document that needs updating from settlement that may need a different legal route.
Do not resolve a doubtful history by guessing the answer to a declaration. Record the dates you know, label uncertain dates, and take the relevant grant and travel records to a regulated adviser where the distinction could change your application.
Build a focused evidence pack
The official NTL service asks for a phone number and email address you can use whenever you sign in, the passport or travel document used for your last entry to the UK, and your physical settlement evidence if you have it. The final application instructions tell you which supporting documents to provide.
As an organising method, separate your material into these groups:
| Group | What to put together | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Available current identity document and relevant earlier passport | Names, dates of birth and document details refer to the same person. |
| Existing settlement | Stamp, vignette, grant letter or other available record | The evidence shows indefinite permission, rather than a temporary visa. |
| Last arrival | The passport or travel document used for the most recent UK entry | It matches the entry history declared in the form. |
| Changes or gaps | Evidence of a legitimate name change, or an explanation of a missing document | A reviewer can connect the old record to your present identity. |
This is a filing structure, not a substitute for the personalised checklist. Keep originals and readable copies, and use filenames that identify the document rather than calling every upload “passport”. If an old endorsement is faint, check the scan at normal reading size before relying on it.
Do you need residence evidence for every year?
The current caseworker guidance says residence evidence is not requested upfront as a routine requirement. The initial evidence focuses on the document showing indefinite leave and the passport showing the last entry; a declaration about prolonged absence can normally be accepted.
Further enquiries remain possible where information suggests the declaration may be wrong or the status may have lapsed. In that situation, the guidance gives examples such as council tax correspondence, tenancy or mortgage records, employer letters, payslips, educational attendance records and dated medical appointments. It does not turn that list into a universal annual-document quota.
Prepare a clear explanation of the period actually in question. A folder containing many records from recent years may do little to explain an earlier gap. Answer the request you receive and show which document supports each relevant period.
What if the old passport was lost or stolen?
Missing original evidence does not automatically prevent confirmation. Caseworkers are directed to search available Home Office systems and files for the earlier grant. They must still be satisfied that you are the person granted indefinite leave and that it remains valid.
The guidance expects a crime reference number or police report for a claimed lost or stolen document. If none is available, explain why: caseworkers must consider that explanation and whether they can still be satisfied about the loss. Do not invent a report or treat another person's experience as permission to omit the issue.
Follow the account and biometric instructions
If you have a valid passport, the official service says you create your UKVI account at the start of the NTL application. Without a valid passport, account creation happens when the application is approved. The absence of a valid passport therefore changes the process; it is not, by itself, a reason to assume the route is unavailable.
After applying, you need fingerprints and a photograph taken at a UKVCAS service point. Supporting documents can be uploaded through the UKVCAS online service, or you can pay for scanning at the appointment. Keep the submission confirmation, appointment details and any requests together so that you can distinguish an unfinished step from a wait for a decision.
GOV.UK says processing can take up to six months. The free application should not be confused with optional paid services such as scanning or privately purchased advice. Check what any charge actually covers before paying, and do not assume a first-time ILR priority-service offer applies to NTL.
Travel and check the resulting digital record carefully
The NTL guidance specifically permits applicants to leave the Common Travel Area while the application is being considered without that departure withdrawing the NTL application. That is a distinct rule for this confirmation process. It does not settle whether your documents will prove continuing status during the journey.
GOV.UK says you can continue using your physical immigration document while NTL is processed. If that document is missing, or your status history is disputed, obtain help with the actual return-document problem before committing to a trip. An application receipt alone should not be treated as a travel plan.
Once the eVisa is available, sign in and compare it with your grant and identity records. For journeys using it, the official eVisa travel guidance requires a valid passport or travel document added to your UKVI account, correct account and status details, and matching passenger information. If the carrier cannot check the eVisa, the guidance says to ask it to contact the UK Border Force carrier support hub.
Where the eVisa itself displays wrong details or cannot generate a share code, use the eVisa error-reporting service. That page also distinguishes an error report from updating changed personal details or recovering account access. Choose the route that matches what failed instead of starting another NTL application.
What may change the next step in your case?
The most useful question is whether anything remains uncertain about the original grant, the connection between identities, or a later absence. A straightforward conversion can become a status investigation when those records disagree. Conversely, a large archive may be unnecessary when the requested documents and the Home Office record already establish the position.
Keep a short note of the unresolved point and the evidence that would answer it. Revisit it when a new request arrives or travel plans change. Digital access is useful, but it should sit alongside retained grant records and a clear personal history, particularly when someone else is helping manage the account.
Frequently asked questions
Is NTL a new application for ILR?
No. NTL is an administrative process to confirm indefinite leave you already hold in digital form. It does not allow a person with temporary permission to qualify for settlement without meeting their route requirements. Before using it, identify the original indefinite grant and check that the status remains valid. A missing old passport and a lapse of settlement require different enquiries.
Is a No Time Limit application compulsory?
For people with qualifying physical settlement evidence without an expiry date, GOV.UK currently says getting an eVisa is a choice. The conversion does not change their immigration status, and they can still use the physical document. That statement should not be generalised to expired BRPs or EUSS records, which have different access arrangements. Start with the type of evidence you actually hold.
Can I apply if my passport containing ILR is lost?
Potentially, yes. The Home Office can check its systems and files for the earlier indefinite grant, but must establish identity and continuing entitlement. Explain what happened to the document and provide the available supporting information. The guidance expects a crime reference or police report; if there is none, explain why. Losing the evidence does not itself prove that the underlying permission has ended.
Must I provide bills for every year since ILR was granted?
There is no routine requirement in the current guidance to upload residence evidence for every year upfront. Further evidence may be requested where information raises doubts about prolonged absence or continuing status. Follow your application checklist and any later request. If a particular gap needs explaining, connect the available records to that gap instead of assuming a large collection of unrelated bills answers it.
Can I travel while my NTL application is pending?
The NTL caseworker guidance says leaving the Common Travel Area does not withdraw this application. You still need to consider the documents that will establish your identity and valid status when travelling back. Where an old document is lost or an absence history is uncertain, resolve that practical problem before relying on a pending application. The permission to travel without withdrawal is not a guarantee of boarding.
Should I submit NTL again if my eVisa looks wrong?
If an eVisa already exists, another NTL application is not the correction route. Identify whether the problem is an incorrect immigration record, changed personal details, or inability to access the account, then follow the relevant official service. Keep the decision evidence and a precise description of the mismatch available. After correction, check the record and the passport associated with the account before travelling.
