What do I do? Let me check my visa.
Most British visas fit into one of two categories: either the visa relies on your dependency or closeness with a British citizen, or the visa is granted based on your primary purpose for being in the UK.
I came to the UK to live with my family. However, because I was not a child relative under 18, an adult relative over 65, or a spouse of a British citizen, I could not get the most appropriate visa for my situation. Instead I have spent eight years on student and working visas. I had to be a student, and ONLY a student, for five years. After which time I had to work for the company who sponsored me, and ONLY work for the company who sponsored me. If I had not got along with my university courses, or had had to leave for other reasons, or been fired from my job, or merely decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to something else, I would have been living in the UK for reasons other than those expressly stated on my visa, which is grounds for deportation.
Citizen privilege (and indeed dependency/spousal visa privilege) is being able to change your life without being taken away from it.