What’s next after getting leave to remain?
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Page last updated: December 2024
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
Having new rights means you now need to prepare for several changes.
If you are receiving money and accommodation as part of asylum support from the Home Office, these will stop 56 days after you get an asylum decision letter confirming your permission to stay in the UK (leave to remain). Within 14 days of the decision letter, the Home Office will send you details of your UKVI account and tell you how to access your eVisa (online record of your leave to remain). Following this, you will get an asylum support discontinuation letter that will give you a date when your asylum support stops. This period of 56 days is called the positive move-on period.
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:
- you will stop getting weekly money on your ASPEN card and instead will apply for benefits or secure employment
- 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
These are big changes and you need to take quick steps to support you and your family with this transition.
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
! Important update on Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) cards and eVisas
All physical BRP cards will expire on 31 December 2024 and will be 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 expires on 31 December 2024. You will find your leave to remain expiry date on your asylum decision letter. 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
