For many long-term visa holders, indefinite leave to remain is the point at which life in the UK becomes more secure. It removes the need for repeated visa extensions and normally allows a person to live, work and study in the country without a time limit. However, the government’s earned settlement proposals have created uncertainty about how long some applicants may need to wait.
As of August 2026, the earned settlement consultation has closed, but the proposed ten-year baseline has not replaced every existing settlement route. Applicants must still follow the rules that apply to their current immigration category and should plan using the law in force on the date of application.
What indefinite leave to remain means
Indefinite leave to remain, usually called ILR or settlement, gives a person permission to remain in the UK without an expiry date. It normally permits unrestricted employment and study.
ILR is not British citizenship. Many people can apply for naturalisation after holding ILR for 12 months, while a person married to a British citizen may not need to wait that additional year.
Who may qualify under the current rules
Your ILR qualifying period depends on your immigration route. Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker applicants generally qualify after five continuous years if they meet the salary, sponsorship and residence conditions. UK Ancestry visa holders also commonly qualify after five years. Some Global Talent and Innovator Founder applicants may qualify sooner, while long residence normally requires ten years of lawful continuous residence.
Family, private-life, protection and dependant routes have their own rules. Time spent under one category may not always count towards another route, although some combinations of work visas can be counted together. Confirm which grants of permission are eligible before calculating your settlement date.
Continuous residence and absences
Many settlement routes limit absences to no more than 180 days in any rolling 12-month period. Keep a travel record using passports, flight confirmations, employer letters and calendar entries rather than trying to reconstruct several years of travel shortly before applying.
Long-residence applications have additional rules about which categories count and how older absences are treated. Time as a visitor, on certain short-term routes or after permission expired may be excluded.
What earned settlement could change
The earned settlement consultation proposed moving most migrants from a standard five-year pathway to a ten-year baseline. Under the suggested model, the period could be reduced for positive economic or social contribution and increased where a person does not meet expected standards of conduct, contribution or integration.
The consultation closed on 12 February 2026. At the time of writing, the government has not published a complete final framework covering every route, transitional arrangement and possible reduction. A consultation or policy announcement is not automatically an operative immigration rule.
People already holding ILR are outside the reform of future settlement grants. The EU Settlement Scheme and Windrush Scheme were also stated to be outside the consultation. For other visa holders, transitional protection will be crucial because it will determine whether people already progressing along a five-year route keep that timeline.
The settlement English requirement
Most adult ILR applicants who must demonstrate English can currently do so through an approved qualification at B1 level in speaking and listening, a qualifying degree taught in English, or another accepted exemption. They usually must also pass the Life in the UK Test.
From 26 March 2027, the required level is scheduled to rise from B1 to B2 for several affected routes. It is intended to apply to people already on a settlement pathway, not only those receiving a new visa after that date.
Anyone likely to apply on or after 26 March 2027 should check whether their route is covered and whether an existing qualification will remain acceptable.
How to prepare a strong ILR application
Confirm your route and application date
Start with the official guidance for your current visa. Many routes allow an application up to 28 days before the qualifying period is completed, but applying too early can lead to refusal. Do not allow your current permission to lapse while waiting to become eligible.
Check every requirement
Residence alone is rarely enough. A Skilled Worker applicant may need to satisfy salary requirements and provide confirmation that the sponsoring employer still requires them. Other routes may require proof of relationship, earnings, maintenance or continuing eligibility.
Build an evidence file early
Typical evidence can include current and previous passports, immigration-status records, proof of the Life in the UK Test, English-language evidence and route-specific documents. Documents not in English or Welsh usually require a certified translation.
Review your immigration history
Overstaying, breaches of conditions, deception allegations, criminal convictions and unresolved tax discrepancies can affect an application. These issues should be addressed before submission.
A practical planning example
Consider a Skilled Worker who expects to complete five years in May 2027. The person may be approaching eligibility, but the B2 English change is scheduled to take effect in March 2027. The sensible plan is to confirm the exact qualifying date, prepare for B2 rather than B1, retain evidence of every absence and follow any transitional rules published before applying.
How to submit the application
ILR applications are normally made online from within the UK using the form for the relevant route. After paying the fee, the applicant will be told how to prove identity, provide biometric information and upload supporting evidence. Some applicants use the UK Immigration: ID Check app, while others attend a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services appointment.
The standard decision period is commonly up to six months, although faster services may be available for an additional fee. Applicants should not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while an in-country application is pending because travel can cause it to be treated as withdrawn.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ILR qualifying period now ten years for everyone?
No. A ten-year baseline formed part of the earned settlement proposals, but current route-specific rules continue to apply unless they are changed.
Will the B2 English rule affect existing visa holders?
For covered routes, it is scheduled to apply to settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, including applicants already on a pathway to settlement. Exemptions may still apply.
How much does an ILR application cost?
The Home Office sets the application fee and may change it. Check the current amount immediately before applying, particularly when family members are submitting separate applications.
Can ILR be lost?
It can normally lapse after more than two continuous years outside the UK, although different rules apply to settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Plan around confirmed rules, not headlines
Indefinite leave to remain UK eligibility is becoming more complex because existing routes, a future B2 English standard and unfinished earned settlement reforms overlap. Identify your exact route, calculate continuous residence carefully and prepare evidence well before the application window opens.
Government policy may change the timeline, but careful preparation remains valuable. A clear travel record, correct English evidence and a route-specific document file can prevent avoidable delays when your settlement date arrives.
