13. Terms used in immigration and nationality issues

Au pair
Young people who are citizens of European countries and who can come to the UK to live with an English-speaking family for up to two years.

Common travel area
The UK along with the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland. Each of these has its own immigration controls, but you can travel between them without restrictions.

Entry clearance
A sticker in your passport which shows the conditions under which you can enter the UK. The most common type of clearance is a visa.

Illegal entry
Anyone who enters the UK without permission when the law says they need it can be arrested and removed from the UK without the right to appeal before they go. The same applies to people who only get permission by lying or deceiving the authorities.

Indefinite leave to remain
When a person subject to control is allowed to settle permanently in the UK, and there is no longer any time limit on their ‘leave to remain’. This is also known as ‘permanent residence’.

Mandatory refusal
When your application to enter the UK can be turned down and you cannot appeal against the decision. See 'How can I appeal if my application is turned down?' .

Overstayer
A person who does not leave the UK after the time they have been allowed to stay has passed.

Permit-free
The types of work which do not need approval from Work Permits UK. They include foreign correspondents, sole representatives of overseas firms, domestic servants and religious ministers.

Right of abode
The legal right that British citizens and some other people have to enter and live in the UK without permission.

Schengen visa
A visa issued by one of several European Union countries which gives you the right to enter any of those countries. The UK is not part of this group of countries, so you cannot use a Schengen visa to enter the UK.

Sponsor
Someone living in the UK who is supporting an application from a person overseas who wants to come here.

Subject to control
Anyone who needs to have permission to come in to the UK or to stay here who can be ‘controlled’ (checked) under the immigration laws.

Switching
Changing your stay from one category of permission to another (for example, from visitor to student).

Temporary admission or temporary release
If you are waiting to find out if you will be allowed to stay in the UK, immigration officers may let you in to the UK for a short time while they look at your case. If they do this, they will hold on to your passport.

Visa
A coloured sticker placed in your passport. It will say how long you can stay in the UK, when your time must be used by and what conditions you must follow while you are here (for example, not being allowed to work).

Visa national
A citizen of one of the countries and territories listed in the immigration rules who must always apply for a visa before they travel to the UK (unless they already have another kind of permission). Most of the world's countries are included.