If you are an Australian citizen who is eligible for refugee status in the United Kingdom, you may need to apply for a visa. In some cases, however, you may not have immediate entry into the United Kingdom, as you work with a non-immigrant status. In most cases, however, an application will be approved if your expected destination country is a safe one. Your intended destination country must be one of the safe countries in the Europe, Asia, Africa or South America list published by the United Nations High Commission for International Relations. Australia is one of these countries. As an Australian citizen, you have the right to seek refugee status in the United Kingdom if you are a genuine resident of that country.
There are two types of refugee status available in the United Kingdom. refugee status in the United Kingdom (RSA) and indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom (ILR). Both types of status give people who have been persecuted for reasons of race, religion, sexual orientation, or membership of a particular social group access to permanent residency in the United Kingdom after a three-year application process. The duration of the application process varies by the country where you reside. You can apply for refugee status in the United Kingdom no matter where you are residing. However, if you are traveling from a European country to the United Kingdom, you may have to undergo an additional three-year application process as you may have to wait until the next year to apply for refugee status.
If you are eligible for refugee status in the United Kingdom, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom provided that you have been able to claim asylum while you were in the country. To make a successful claim for asylum, you must be able to demonstrate that you are at immediate risk of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, sexual orientation, or membership of a particular social group. Even if you can prove that you have a genuine fear of persecution based on your sexual orientation, race, or religion, or that you have been subjected to forced transfer or other severe human rights abuses, you cannot claim refuge if you cannot stay in the United Kingdom because you fear returning to your home country. For instance, if you are a rape victim in Africa, you cannot apply to have your rape case heard in the United Kingdom because you fear going back to Africa or being killed if you go back to the United Kingdom to claim protection.
As a result of a credible claim for refugee status, an applicant is granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom provided that they are not eligible to make a claim under the Human Rights Act or the UK Immigration laws. As a visitor or immigrant, you cannot be given refugee status unless you can show that you are in need of international protection. This means that you cannot be placed in an acute care hospital or an overcrowded situation in any of the British immigration centers. If you are coming to the United Kingdom to make a study or a legal travel program, you will not be allowed to stay unless you can provide evidence that you will be financially capable to return to the United Kingdom.
The first step to obtaining refugee status in the United Kingdom is to apply for leave to remain, which is either indefinite leave to remain or leave to enter the country. After you obtain refugee status, you will be able to apply for permission to reside. If you wish to claim asylum, you must apply to the Home Office first. You can also get help from an independent attorney who will guide you through the process. To get permanent resident status or leave to settle in the United Kingdom, you will have to apply for leave to remain or obtain other relevant leave to claim asylum.
There is no law that states one has to wait for years before becoming eligible to apply for either permanent residence or indefinite leave to stay. Therefore, those who have come to the United Kingdom as refugees and are in need of protection should seek out help as soon as possible. There is no law that says those who have received refugee status cannot later claim for either indefinite leave to remain or permanent resident status. However, it is advised not to wait until after obtaining permanent residency to begin making claims for refugee status. As long as you are in the United Kingdom, you can apply for immigration benefits.