What’s next after getting leave to remain?
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Page last updated: Sep 2025
On this page you will find information on what happens after you get leave to remain, what changes you need to prepare for and what you need to do.
Getting refugee status or humanitarian protection
Getting refugee status or humanitarian protection following a positive asylum decision is an important step in the process of settling in the UK.
When you get refugee status or humanitarian protection you gain new rights. You can:
- get homeless support from the local council
- get social security benefits
- work in most professions without immigration restrictions
- get funding to study at college and university as any other UK resident
Move-on period for new refugees
Now that you have permission to stay in the UK, you need to prepare for some important changes.
Within 14 days of getting your decision letter, the Home Office will send you details about your UKVI account and tell you how to access your eVisa (online record of your leave to remain). If you are receiving money and accommodation from the Home Office (as part of asylum support), you will also get an asylum support discontinuation letter telling you when your asylum support will stop. The short time you are given to get ready to leave asylum support is called the positive move-on period. Your asylum support discontinuation letter will have the date your support ends, this date is important as it is when your ASPEN payments will stop and you will need to leave your asylum accommodation.
From 1 September 2025, the Home Office has changed how long asylum support continues after a positive asylum decision. If you are a single adult, your support will stop 28 days after you get the asylum support discontinuation letter.
If you are pregnant, aged 65 or older, have a disability or are part of a family with children, your asylum support and accommodation will stop within 56 days from the date of your asylum decision letter.
Make sure to check the date your asylum support ends. You will find it on your asylum support discontinuation letter.
The Home Office may send the email about the UKVI account and eVisa to your solicitor instead of you. Make sure to keep in touch with your solicitor until you receive the eVisa information.
During this move-on period:
- apply for benefits as soon as possible, or secure employment as your Home Office financial support will end. Find out more about applying for benefits
- you will have to move out of your asylum support accommodation and get homeless support from the local council. The local council has a duty to accommodate you after you leave your asylum support accommodation. Find out more about your homeless rights
What you need to do
- Know your immigration status and what it means
- Check all important documents, for example your asylum decision letter
- Apply for all benefits you are entitled to
- Apply for a UK bank account if you don’t have one
- Apply for homeless support if you have nowhere to live
- Register with health services, for example General Practitioner (GP) and dentist
- Know your education and employment rights
These are big changes and you need to take quick steps to support you and your family with this transition.
- you can download the checklist for newly granted refugees to find what actions you can take and which documents will help you access rights and entitlements
- you can also access our full online guide for new refugees and choose a topic to find out more about each topic
! Important update on Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) cards and eVisas
All physical BRP cards expired on 31 December 2024 and have been replaced by eVisas. An eVisa is an online record of your leave to remain. You will need an UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to access your eVisa. Learn about eVisas: Online immigration status (eVisa) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Updating your BRP card to an eVisa doesn’t affect your leave to remain and doesn’t mean that your leave to remain expired on 31 December 2024. You will find your leave to remain expiry date on your asylum decision letter and also noted in your eVisa. If you need more information and advice about these changes please call our free helpline on 0808 1967 274 and we can explain next steps. Find out more about BRP card and eVisas on our online page: eVisa.
Need more help?
Call our free, confidential, helpline to speak to one of our experienced advisers (you can ask for an interpreter) or email refugeesupport@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk.
0808 196 7274
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