# Returning Resident visa: a worked example from Punjab with real numbers

One Returning Resident visa file from Punjab worked through line by line: the applicant, the figures in pounds and rupees, and what the officer decided.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/worked-example · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

## The file
Example: Baldev returns to Southall after caring for his mother in Jalandhar

**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
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Returning Resident visa (indefinite leave to enter after lapse of ILR) application fee | £726 | ₹96,072 |
| Priority service (optional) (optional) | £500 | ₹66,165 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST included |  | ₹14,999 |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £726 | ₹1,11,071 |

Fees effective 8 April 2026, verified 2026-10-08; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (2026-10-08). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk.

## FAQ
**How much does the Returning Resident visa cost?**
£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?**
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?**
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.

Full guide: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa.md

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UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.