Illegal vs legal immigration — what’s the difference

Описание: ✅ Legal Immigration

This is when someone enters and stays in the UK with permission from the government.

That usually means they have:

a valid visa (for work, study, visiting, family, etc.)

or settled status / indefinite leave to remain

or British/Irish citizenship

or refugee status / humanitarian protection

or pre-settled status (EU scheme)

✔️ Examples of legal immigration

A nurse from Nigeria gets a Skilled Worker Visa and moves to work in a hospital.

A student from India gets a Student Visa and studies at a UK university.

A spouse joins their partner using a Family Visa.

An asylum seeker who is granted refugee status.

They follow the rules, pay the required fees, and stay only as long as their visa allows (unless extended).

❌ Illegal Immigration

This is when someone is in the UK without legal permission — either by how they entered or how they stayed.

This can happen when:

They enter the country without permission
(for example, crossing a border secretly or using false documents)

They overstay a visa — they arrived legally but did not leave when the visa expired

They work without permission

They break visa rules that cause their visa to be cancelled

They use fake papers to apply or stay

So:

Being illegal isn’t only about sneaking in — overstaying a legal visa also becomes illegal.

🧾 Asylum seekers — special case

An asylum seeker is someone who asks for protection because it is unsafe to return home.

While their claim is being considered, they are not classed as illegal

If their claim is refused and they remain, then they may become illegal