Leave to remain with NRPF (change of conditions)

People who are granted leave to enter or remain in the UK for a limited period will usually be subject to a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) condition. This means they cannot claim most benefits or local authority housing assistance.

People on temporary routes, such as students or visitors, and those joining family members on settlement routes, will usually have an NRPF condition attached to their leave.

In some circumstances, the Home Office can either:

grant access to public funds as part of a leave to remain application, or
lift the NRPF condition following a change of conditions application

The Home Office guidance Permitting access to public funds sets out the circumstances in which access to public funds may be granted. This is sometimes referred to as the NRPF policy.

Leave to remain applications – obtaining access to public funds

Access to public funds can be granted in certain circumstances where a person applies for leave to remain on one of the following routes:

partner or parent under Appendix FM (5 year or 10 year settlement route)
appendix Private Life
appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) – further limited leave, where the person was previously granted access to public funds and continues to qualify
appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection)

Access to public funds will be granted where one or more of the following applies:

the applicant is destitute
the applicant is at risk of imminent destitution (unlikely to meet accommodation and living costs within the next three months)
there are reasons relating to the welfare of a relevant child which outweigh the considerations for imposing or maintaining the NRPF condition
the applicant is facing exceptional circumstances affecting their income or expenditure

A request for access to public funds must be made as part of the leave to remain application and must be supported by evidence.

If a person is applying for further leave on one of these routes and previously had access to public funds, they must demonstrate why they continue to require access when making their new application.

Change of conditions application

The change of conditions process allows a person who currently has leave to remain with an NRPF condition to apply for access to public funds because their circumstances have changed since their leave was granted.

For example, a person’s circumstances may change if they:

separate from a partner
lose employment or access to funds
become too unwell to work
take on caring responsibilities

A change of conditions application can be made by someone with any type of leave to remain subject to NRPF. However, the requirements and risks differ depending on the immigration route.

Partner or parent under Appendix FM, Appendix Private life, Appendix CRP, or Hong Kong BN(O) status holder or family member

Access to public funds will be granted when one of the following applies:

the applicant is destitute
the applicant is at risk of imminent destitution
there are reasons relating to the welfare of a relevant child which outweigh the justification for maintaining the condition
the applicant is facing exceptional circumstances affecting their income or expenditure

In Appendix CRP cases, access to public funds may also be granted where the close relative sponsor is destitute or at risk of imminent destitution

Other types of leave – discretionary applications

The Home Office may also consider a change of conditions application from someone with another type of leave, such as student or skilled worker leave.
However, Home Office guidance on applying to change your permission includes the following warning:

'If you have permission in another category, you can apply on discretionary grounds to change the conditions attached to your permission. If your application to change the conditions attached to your permission is refused, consideration may be given as to whether you continue to meet the requirements of the route for which your permission was granted and whether that permission should be cancelled. If your permission is cancelled, you may be required to leave the UK.'

The Permitting access to public funds guidance states that:

'For these cases discretion will only be used where there are particularly compelling circumstances which justify giving access to public funds and lifting the NRPF condition. Occasions when discretion is used are likely to be rare. In all cases, the onus is on the applicant to provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the decision maker that the NRPF condition should be lifted.'

It also states that:

'It will normally be appropriate for a person to leave the UK if they can no longer comply with the conditions of their permission or cannot financially support themselves and their family in the UK.'

For these discretionary cases, access to public funds will only be granted where particularly compelling circumstances are established and one of the following applies:

the applicant is destitute
the applicant is at risk of imminent destitution
there are reasons relating to the welfare of a relevant child
the applicant is facing exceptional circumstances affecting their income or expenditure

Examples of exceptional circumstances include:

disability or serious illness
domestic abuse
bereavement
natural disaster or other emergency

How to apply

A change of conditions application is free and must be made online.

For more information, see the Home Office guidance on applying for a change of conditions.

A change of conditions application is an application to vary a person’s leave and must therefore be completed by a regulated immigration adviser.

Anyone considering a change of conditions application should seek legal advice, particularly if they do not have leave under:

appendix FM
appendix Private Life
appendix CRP
appendix Hong Kong BN(O)

People with dependant visas who have separated from their partner should also seek advice, as they may need to submit a new leave to remain application or have other options.

How long before a decision is made?

Processing times for change of conditions applications vary. Home Office guidance sets out a case prioritisation system for processing change of conditions applications.

Applications should be prioritised based on the evidence provided:

Tier 1 – where the applicant is street homeless or has a serious vulnerability making the situation very urgent. Decisions should be made within 72 working hours (excluding public holidays).
Tier 2 – where the applicant or a dependant has serious vulnerabilities, but the case does not meet the Tier 1 threshold. Decisions should be made within 14 working days.
Tier 3 – all other applications. There is no set service standard, but cases should be considered as soon as possible.
These timeframes relate to consideration only. A decision may take longer if further evidence is requested.

Where to get help with an application

Help with a change of conditions application is available from the following sources:

an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) at Level 1 or above can advise on eligibility and help prepare an application. Find an immigration adviser.
the Unity Project has produced guidance for people who cannot find free legal advice and need to apply by themselves. In some cases, they may be able to offer advice or assistance with an application
Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders can get information about local immigration advisers through their regional Hong Kong Welcome Hub, hosted by Strategic Migration Partnerships

Page updated: 08 April 2026

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