SET(O) and SET(M) Forms: Which ILR Form Do You Need?

The ILR application process uses several different forms — and filing the wrong one doesn't just delay your application. It can result in the whole thing being treated as invalid, with no refund of the £3,226 fee.

The Home Office won't switch your form or process it under the correct one. An invalid application means starting again.

The ILR Form Categories

There are four main settlement forms, each covering specific routes:

SET(O) — "Other" or Work-Based Routes

SET(O) is the form for applicants whose settlement route relates to work or other non-family categories. This includes:

• Skilled Worker visa holders
• Global Talent visa holders
• UK Ancestry visa holders (Commonwealth citizens)
• Innovator Founder visa holders
• Scale-up Worker visa holders
• Representative of an Overseas Business
• Some other legacy work categories

If you're applying for ILR on the basis of your employment in the UK, SET(O) is almost certainly your form.

SET(M) — Partner and Parent Routes

SET(M) is used when your settlement is based on your relationship with a British citizen or person with settled status in the UK. This covers:

• Spouse visa holders completing the 5-year partner route
• Civil partners
• Unmarried partners (having held the partner visa for 5 years)
• Parents of a British or settled child (in limited circumstances)

The "M" stands for "M" for marriage/partner — it's the form for family settlement.

SET(LR) — Long Residence

SET(LR) is exclusively for the 10-year Long Residence route. If you're applying for ILR based solely on having 10 continuous years of lawful residence — regardless of which visa categories you held during that time — this is your form.

SET(DV) — Domestic Violence/Abuse

SET(DV) is for victims of domestic abuse or violence who are in the UK on a spouse or partner visa. This is a specific protection route and allows immediate settlement outside the standard 5-year timeline.

How to Identify Which Form Applies to You

The deciding factor is your basis for applying, not which visa you currently hold. Most people's basis aligns with their current visa route, but there are edge cases:

• A Skilled Worker visa holder who has completed 10 years of total lawful residence could potentially use either SET(O) or SET(LR). In practice, SET(O) is used if you're applying on the basis of your Skilled Worker employment; SET(LR) if you're relying on the full 10-year residence (which may include pre-Skilled Worker leave).

• A person on a Spouse visa who has also accumulated 10 years of total lawful residence could use either SET(M) or SET(LR). The right choice depends on which route is stronger given your specific situation.

When in doubt, the route you choose affects which supporting documents you need to provide, which eligibility criteria apply, and which caseworker guidance is used. Getting professional advice at this decision point is reasonable.

What SET(O) Requires

The SET(O) application covers the eligibility requirements for your specific work route. For Skilled Worker applicants:

• Current valid leave under the Skilled Worker category
• Five years of qualifying residence (or the applicable period under earned settlement rules)
• Meeting the salary threshold for your cohort
• Continuous residence (180-day rolling rule)
• Life in the UK test pass
• English language requirement (B1 or B2 level)
• Good character

The form is submitted online via the UKVI system. You attach your supporting documents digitally and book a biometrics appointment at UKVCAS.

What SET(M) Requires

For SET(M) partner applications, the core requirements are:

• Completing the 5-year partner route with the same partner throughout
• Meeting the financial requirement (£29,000 minimum income, or £18,600 under transitional protection for those who were already on the route before April 11, 2024)
• Demonstrating the relationship remains genuine and subsisting
• Continuous cohabitation evidence across the qualifying period
• Life in the UK test pass (if you're aged 18–65)
• English language requirement

If you're approaching your 5-year anniversary on the partner route, check whether your income threshold is the transitional £18,600 or the current £29,000. The date you first entered the UK on a spouse or partner visa determines which applies to you.

The Invalid Application Risk

The most common form errors:

• Using SET(O) for a partner route application (should be SET(M))
• Using SET(M) for an Ancestry visa application (should be SET(O))
• Using SET(O) when the correct route is SET(LR) because the applicant is relying on accumulated long residence, not their current visa route

The Home Office will reject the application as invalid without processing it. You receive a letter informing you of the invalidity, but the fee is not refunded. You then must reapply with the correct form and pay again.

How to Submit the Forms in 2026

Both SET(O) and SET(M) are submitted online through the UKVI application portal. Paper submission is no longer available for these routes.

The process:

1. Create a UKVI online account (or sign in to an existing one)
2. Complete the online application form, selecting your route at the start — this determines which questions appear
3. Upload supporting documents digitally through the portal
4. Pay the application fee (£3,226 per person)
5. Book and attend a biometrics appointment at UKVCAS to enrol fingerprints and provide a facial photograph
6. Await the decision — delivered via email, with your eVisa activated digitally upon approval

The supporting documents for SET(O) and SET(M) differ substantially. The form itself will prompt you for the correct documents based on your route selection, but reviewing a complete checklist before submission helps ensure nothing is missed at the upload stage.

What the Forms Don't Tell You

The UKVI online form is structured around "mandatory" fields, but it doesn't tell you what standard of evidence will satisfy a caseworker — only that a document is required. For example, it will ask you to upload an employer letter but won't tell you that the letter must contain the phrase "required for the foreseeable future." The form accepts any uploaded document regardless of quality.

This gap between the form's requirements and the actual caseworker standard is where most preparation mistakes happen. Meeting the form's mandatory fields is necessary but not sufficient for approval.

The UK ILR Settlement Guide includes a form-selection decision tree and covers the full requirements for both SET(O) and SET(M) applications, with route-specific document checklists so you know exactly what to submit on each form — and what standard each document needs to meet.

See more United Kingdom guides →