Worked example
Returning Resident visa: a worked example from Punjab with real numbers
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
In practice
Example: Baldev returns to Southall after caring for his mother in Jalandhar
A file like the ones the desk prepares; the figures are from the datasets and dated.
The situation
Baldev, 58, from Jalandhar, held indefinite leave to remain from 2004 and worked for a logistics firm in Southall. He left in June 2023 to care for his mother after her stroke and stayed until her death in August 2026, an absence of 3 years and 2 months. His wife and son are British and live in the family home in Southall, which Baldev co-owns. He kept his UK bank account, paid council tax jointly and visited for 2 weeks in 2024. He applies from New Delhi in October 2026 with his mother's hospital records and his old passport carrying the ILR vignette.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Visa fee, Returning Resident | £726 (₹96,072) |
| Health surcharge | none, settlement is exempt |
| Length of absence | 3 years 2 months, against a 2-year limit |
| Years of settlement held before leaving | 19 years |
| UK ties | co-owned home, British wife and son, UK bank account, council tax record |
| Subject Access Request for his Home Office record | free, about 1 month |
| Priority settlement service, if offered | £500 (₹66,165) |
| Standard decision time from biometrics | 12 weeks |
Outcome
The visa was granted after 11 weeks as indefinite leave to enter. The file succeeded because the reason for the absence was documented, the absence was close to the limit rather than a decade, and the UK home and family showed he never gave up residence. His 2024 visit on his lapsed status was not held against him because he declared it. The residence clock for citizenship restarts from his return.
The Home Office charges behind the figures
Health surcharge
Not payable
Exempt route
Verified 8 October 2026
Exchange rate used
132.33 INR/GBP
The Home Office quarterly rate used when you pay in rupees on gov.uk
Verified 8 October 2026
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Returning Resident visa (indefinite leave to enter after lapse of ILR) application fee | £726 | ₹96,072 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST includedPaid to Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd. Home Office fees are paid by you on gov.uk. | ₹14,999 | |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £726 | ₹1,11,071 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Related questions
How much does the Returning Resident visa cost?ShowHide
£726 on gov.uk as of 8 October 2026. There is no health surcharge because the visa restores settlement. Priority settlement service, where offered, costs £500 extra.
I was away for 2 years and 3 months. Have I lost my ILR?ShowHide
Yes. Indefinite leave lapses after 2 continuous years outside the UK, even by a few months. You need a Returning Resident visa or a new visa on another route. A short absence over the limit with strong UK ties is the easiest case to win.
What counts as strong ties?ShowHide
Family who are British or settled, a home you own or rent, a UK job or business, a pension, bank accounts you kept open, children in UK schools, and regular visits during the absence. Officers look at the whole picture against the length of time away.
Tools
Fee calculator in rupees
Every Home Office fee and the health surcharge, totalled in rupees at a dated rate.
Document checklist generator
A checklist for your route and situation, sent on WhatsApp.
Processing times tracker
Standard, priority and super priority times for Indian applicants, updated monthly.
Refusal reason decoder
Paste the paragraph from your refusal letter and read what it means.
Related routes
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Applicants outside the UK only; applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.