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Updated: 13 October 2026
Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is how you settle in the UK. In GOV.UK's words, it "gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you're eligible", and you can use it to apply for British citizenship (GOV.UK). The ILR requirements depend on your visa route, so this guide sets out the core requirements first and then the routes that lead to settlement. Eligibility depends on your individual circumstances, so treat this as general guidance, not advice on your case.
To get ILR you usually need to have spent the qualifying period on an eligible route (often 5 years), stayed within the absence limits for that route, met any English requirement, passed the Life in the UK Test and not fall for refusal under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules. The fee is £3,226 per person (GOV.UK fees table, 8 October 2026). Earned settlement is still a proposal, not law.
| Requirement | What it means | GOV.UK source |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying period | Time on an eligible route, usually 5 years; 10 years for long residence; can be 3 years for Global Talent or Innovator Founder | Settle in the UK |
| Continuous residence | Usually no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months, with exceptions; long residence has a transitional rule | Appendix Continuous Residence |
| English | Required on many routes; B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027, unless exempt | Prove your English for settling |
| Life in the UK Test | Usually needed if you are 18 to 64; costs £50 | Life in the UK Test |
| Suitability | Part Suitability: the consequence depends on the ground and the route | Immigration Rules |
| Fee | £3,226 per person | Fees, 8 October 2026 |
GOV.UK says that on a work visa you "must usually have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years. If you have a tier 1 visa, it can be 2 or 3 years. If you have an Innovator Founder or Global Talent visa, it can be 3 years" (GOV.UK). Long residence needs 10 continuous years of lawful residence (GOV.UK). On the Skilled Worker and family routes, the earliest you can apply is 28 days before you complete the qualifying period, and applying earlier may lead to refusal (GOV.UK).
Absence limits are set by route. For routes that use Appendix Continuous Residence, rule CR 3.1 says the applicant "must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period", with some exceptions (Appendix Continuous Residence). Absences for some reasons do not count, including travel disruption caused by a natural disaster, military conflict or pandemic, and compelling and compassionate circumstances such as a life-threatening illness or the death of a close family member (CR 3.4). Absences during permission granted under the rules before 11 January 2018 are counted in consecutive 12-month periods ending on the date of application (CR 3.2). Long residence has a transitional rule: you must not have spent more than 548 days in total outside the UK where that total was reached before 11 April 2024, or more than 184 days on a single absence that started before 11 April 2024 (CR 3.3). Partners and children also have some extra protections (CR 5.1 and CR 5.2). Check the rules for your own route before you count your days. Use the ILR calculator to add up whole days in any 12-month period.
Many routes ask you to prove English, usually with a qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2, or a degree taught or researched in English (GOV.UK). For applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the settlement routes specified in the Immigration Rules need English at B2 in speaking and listening, subject to exemptions, for example if you are 65 or over, under 18, or have a disability that prevents you meeting the requirement (HC 1691; Home Office, 5 March 2026). You can rely on English evidence from a previous successful application only if it was at the level required for your current application (Appendix English Language, EL 3.1). If you previously met B1, you may need to show B2 for a settlement application made on or after 26 March 2027. If you are a Health and Care Worker first granted under the Rules in force before 8 January 2026, keep the two stages separate. For an extension, B1 is still the minimum where your most recent permission was as a Skilled Worker granted at B1 (the Health and Care visa is part of the Skilled Worker route). For settlement, the level depends on your application date, not your visa: B1 before 26 March 2027 and B2 on or after that date, unless an exemption applies.
If you are 18 to 64 you will usually need to book and pass the Life in the UK Test. It costs £50 and must be booked at least 3 days in advance (GOV.UK).
Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules applies to ILR applications on most routes. Some grounds mean an application must be refused, others allow the Home Office to refuse, and the consequences depend on the ground and the route you apply under. Issues include criminal convictions, deception and breaches of immigration law. Our article on Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules explains the current rules.
The ILR fee is £3,226 for the main applicant and each dependant (Home Office fees, 8 October 2026, updated 10 September 2026).
| Route | Usual qualifying period | GOV.UK guide |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 | 5 years | ILR for Skilled Workers |
| Partner of a British citizen or settled person | 5-year route | ILR if you have family in the UK |
| Long residence | 10 years | Long residence |
| Global Talent, Innovator Founder | Can be 3 years | Settle in the UK |
| UK Ancestry, BN(O) | 5 years | Settle in the UK |
You must have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years, meet the salary requirements, and continue to be needed for your job, which your sponsor confirms in a document (GOV.UK).
If your partner is British or settled, you apply through the family settlement route. If you hold a family visa, the earliest you can apply is 28 days before you meet the time requirement (GOV.UK).
You may qualify after 10 continuous years in the UK legally. You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn (GOV.UK).
Both routes can lead to ILR after 3 years if you meet the route requirements (GOV.UK).
Some visas, such as visit visas, do not lead to ILR on their own. Whether time on another visa can count towards long residence depends on the long residence and continuous residence rules, so check before relying on it (Long residence).
Dependants' settlement is not always the same as the main applicant's. On the Skilled Worker route, for example, a partner must have spent a continuous period of 5 years in the UK with permission as the worker's partner, and the worker must be settling at the same time or already be settled (Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 39.1 and SW 42.1). Partners and children can be included on the same Skilled Worker ILR form if eligible (GOV.UK). Read more in our guide to applying for ILR as a dependant of a Skilled Worker.
The government consulted on an "earned settlement" model, including a standard 10-year qualifying period for most migrants. The consultation ran from 20 November 2025 to 12 February 2026, and GOV.UK says the Home Office is analysing feedback (GOV.UK). These are proposals, not law. For the latest position, see our update on ILR changes in 2026.
For many people ILR is the step before British citizenship. To find out when you can apply, see our guide to ILR to British citizenship.
Usually the qualifying period on an eligible route (often 5 years), staying within your route's absence limits, any English requirement, a Life in the UK Test pass and no grounds for refusal under Part Suitability. The fee is £3,226 per person.
It depends on your route, and long residence has a transitional rule for absences before 11 April 2024. Under Appendix Continuous Residence, you must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period, with some exceptions (GOV.UK).
Usually yes, if you are 18 to 64. It costs £50 (GOV.UK).
Short-term visas such as visit visas do not lead to ILR on their own. Check your route's GOV.UK guidance.
No. It is a proposal in the earned settlement consultation, and the current rules still apply. See our ILR changes 2026 update.
Worldwide Immigration's immigration advisers are regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), registration number F201900032. Check your ILR eligibility with our IAA-regulated advisers: call 020 3488 2308 or email info@worldwideimmigration.co.uk.