ESOL

Living in the UK

What you need to know about living in the UK including your rights and responsibilities.

Immigration Advice

We have provided you with some information regarding immigration. It is a complex and sometimes confusing subject. If you are still unsure, you can visit RMC or CAB for extra assistance.

New arrivals – If you are not from the European Union or some Commonwealth countries, you will need to apply for a visa to live and work in the UK. More information: Apply UK visa

Asylum Seekers and Refugees - If you are not eligible for a visa, you may apply for asylum if you cannot return to your country. The application will take about 6 months and you should apply as soon as possible. You will receive a cash allowance of £36.95 per week and housing. You will be given ‘Leave to Remain’ for 5 years if successful. After this you can apply for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’. More information here:
claim asylum

No recourse to public funds – Most people given ‘Leave to Remain’ will have no recourse to public funds. This means that you won’t be able to receive some benefits. More information here.

If you are from a European Union country, you will have recourse to public funds, but there are still some eligibility criteria which mean you may not qualify for some benefits such as jobseekers allowance or housing benefit. Find out more.

Indefinite Leave to Remain - If you have been in the UK legally for a period of ten years, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. This means that you won’t have to renew your visa. More information here.

Currently, people from the European Union do not need to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, which means you can live and work in the UK. People from some Commonwealth countries also do not need to apply. Find more information here.

Appeal a Home Office decision – You are allowed to appeal a decision to reject your immigration appeal. More information here.

Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) - If you are not from the UK and have ‘Leave to Remain’ or ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ you can apply for a BRP to prove your right to live and work in the UK. You will need a BRP if you stay for longer than 6 months in the UK. More information here.

Citizenship – If you have been in the UK for at least 5 years and you have had Indefinite Leave to Remain for at least 12 months, you may apply to become a British Citizen. For this, you will need to apply to the Home Office, complete a Life in the UK Test, and prove your level of English. More information here.

Life in the UK Test - If you want to become a British Citizen, you need to pass the Life in the UK Test. The test will cost you £50 and there are test centres in Wolverhampton. More information here.

Prove your level of ESOL for Citizenship– To become a British Citizen, you must be at least Entry 3 Level ESOL. You will be asked to prove this, although there are some people who do not need to. More information here.

Register to vote

Voting in elections is a great way of being part of the community. Which elections you are allowed to vote in depends on your immigration and citizenship status. You must be registered and at least 18 years of age to vote.

General Elections – To vote in a general election, where we elect members of parliament to represent us, you must be a British Citizen or from certain Commonwealth countries.

Local Elections – To vote in local elections, where we choose local people to represent us in the City of Wolverhampton, you must be a British, European Union, or Commonwealth Citizen.

European Elections - To vote in European elections, where we choose local people to represent us in the European Parliament, you must be a British, European Union, or Commonwealth Citizen. If you are from another European Union country, you can choose to vote in that country.

Benefits Advice

Please see the section above about No Recourse to Public Funds for information about whether you qualify for benefits. If you have no recourse to public funds, you should not apply for benefits as this may affect your immigration status. You can check with Citizens Advice to see if you are allowed to apply.

Child Benefit - You may qualify for child benefit if you have children under 16 years of age (or under 20 if they are still in education). More information here.

In Work Benefits – For people on a low income, you may qualify for In Work Benefits. This includes support with housing costs, working tax credit and child tax credit. The government has recently changed the benefits system so that all these benefits are paid in one payment, called Universal Credit. More information on In Work Benefits.

Opening a bank account

Why you need one - If you want to work or receive benefits, you must have a bank account for payments to be made to you.

What you will need to open a bank account - To open a bank account, you will need to prove your identity and your address. More information here.

Right to Work

Finding a job is a great way to improve your life and to meet new people. Most people can work, including people with ‘Leave to Remain’ and ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ but those who have not had a decision about refugee status and are still asylum seekers cannot.

Documents to prove your right to work – You will need to prove your identity. This will be either a passport, British Birth Certificate or Biometric Residence Permit. You can prove your right to work to an employer here.

National Insurance Number – Everybody in the UK must also have a National Insurance Number to be able to work or claim benefits. This number should be printed on the back of your Biometric Residence Permit. If you are unsure if you have one, you can find more information here.

Rights at Work

Everybody is entitled to certain rights at work. Citizens Advice have more information here.

Minimum Wage – Everybody in the UK is entitled to receive the minimum wage which is different depending on your age. It is illegal for you to be paid less than this. More information here.

Problems at work – There are laws to protect you against any problems at work and organisations that can support you. Citizens Advice has information here.

Trade Unions – You are allowed to join a trade union when working in the UK. These organisations can support you if you have any problems at work. More information here.

Translating your qualifications

Your qualifications received in other countries can help you when applying for work.

If you want to know how your qualification compares to UK levels, search here.

For a small fee, NARIC will provide you with a certificate that translates your qualification from another country