<P> Under the law as it existed between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006, a citizen of an EEA state or Switzerland could be granted permanent residence on application after four years' residence in the United Kingdom exercising Treaty rights (five years from 3 April 2006). Prior to 2 October 2000, citizens of EEA states were deemed to be permanent residents immediately upon taking up residence in the UK to exercise Treaty rights . </P> <P> The change in the law in 2000 was retroactive . Hence, for example, a French citizen who arrived to work in the UK on 1 July 1986 would have been treated as a permanent resident between that date and 1 October 2000 . From 2 October 2000, the status would revert to that of a temporary resident if an application for ILR was not made . On 30 April 2006, with five years' residence exercising Treaty rights accrued, that person regained permanent resident status . </P> <P> With effect from 3 April 2006, the period of time required to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain increases to five years . These changes were debated in House of Commons Standing Committee on 20 June 2006 . All Labour MPs voted for preserving the retroactive aspect of the changes, while all other MPs voted that the Government should bring in transitional arrangements to allow those already in the UK before the rule change to qualify under the previous four - year rule . These changes were protested in demonstrations and rallies in London on 16 June and 23 July 2006 . </P> <P> The changes were retroactive in the sense that people on a four - year visas must apply for a one - year extension before they can apply for ILR, but they did not affect people who had already been granted ILR after four years . </P>

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