Former students can count half their time studying in the UK towards the time requirement to be eligible for a long-term residence permit. Refugees, however, cannot count any of their time waiting for an asylum decision. As of 1 March 2007, migrants do not have to meet burdensome conditions such as an integration test, employment, or insurance requirements for a long-term residence permit. Long-term residents are slightly secure under the law. They are protected from expulsion on some grounds, though they can be expelled regardless of how long they have lived in the UK and whether or not they are minor. A long-term residence permit gives migrants the right to accept most jobs like EU nationals. They are also entitled to social security, social assistance, healthcare and housing support. The UK is one of only 6 MIPEX countries to explicitly allow migrants to have a long-term residence permit in another EU Member State.
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Required time of habitual residence for long-termresidence critically unfavourable
Depending on the immigration category that brought them to the UK, migrants must wait for different lengths of time to become eligible for indefinite leave to remain (the UK equivalent of long-term residence). A spouse need only wait two years, whilst the period is five years for migrant workers, refugees and EU nationals exercising their free movement rights. Students and any other legal resident must wait 10 years to be eligible. Irregular migrants who can prove habitual residence can apply after 14 years. For best practice, see country profile for Italy.
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