UK Earned Settlement (2026): The 10-Year ILR Rule, Who Gets 3 or 5 Years, and Who Gets 20
On 2 November 2026 the Home Secretary stood up in the Commons and published "Earned settlement", the government's final design for indefinite leave to remain. The default wait doubles from five years to ten. High earners and public-service workers get there faster; people who break immigration rules, and refugees who did not come through a safe route, wait much longer. This guide takes the figures from the government's own response document and the 2 November statement, not from the press.
Quick answer
Under Earned Settlement the standard qualifying period for settlement becomes 10 years. It falls to 3 years for people earning at least £125,141 (in three of the four years before applying) and to 5 years for people earning at least £50,271 (in three of the five years before applying), and eligible doctors, nurses, teachers and other specified health and education public-sector workers also qualify after 5 years. Everyone must show a sustained minimum contribution of £12,571 a year, pass the Life in the UK test, meet the raised B2 English standard (in force for settlement applications from March 2027), and have had 5 continuous years without relying on public funds before applying. Adults who commit a specified immigration breach go onto a 20-year pathway. Refugees who did not arrive through a safe and legal route face 20 years, plus 10 more for illegal entry, minus 10 for working or studying. Hong Kong BN(O)s, members of the armed forces, people with a British connection and legacy routes such as Windrush keep today's timelines. Detailed guidance and an impact assessment are still to come before implementation.
What was announced on 2 November 2026
The policy follows the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the consultation "A Fairer Pathway to Settlement", which received 204,667 responses, 202,241 of them from individuals. The government's response document sets out the final framework in eight chapters: character, contribution, integration, residence, dependants, vulnerable groups, refugees, and transitional arrangements. The Home Secretary's statement was delivered on 2 November 2026; the document says further technical and operational guidance will be published before implementation, together with a full impact assessment.
The qualifying periods, side by side
| Who | Years to settlement | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Highest earners | 3 | Earnings of at least £125,141 in three of the four years before applying (the additional-rate income-tax line) |
| Higher earners | 5 | Earnings of at least £50,271 in three of the five years before applying (the higher-rate line) |
| Specified health and education public-sector roles (for instance doctors, nurses, teachers) | 5 | Must meet the other settlement requirements |
| Everyone else making a sustained contribution | 10 | Minimum £12,571 a year, aligned with the basic-rate threshold, for at least three years |
| Adults who commit a specified immigration breach | 20 | Regardless of earnings or other positives |
| Refugees not admitted through a safe and legal route | 20 | +10 years for illegal entry (for example by small boat); −10 years for those who work or study |
| Refugees on the new safe and legal routes, incl. the UK Resettlement Scheme | 5 | A2 English instead of B2; Life in the UK test deferred until an A2 version exists |
| Hong Kong BN(O), armed forces, British-connection and legacy routes (Windrush) | Unchanged | Path stays as today |
Sources: "A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: Government Response to the Consultation", chapters 2 and 7, and the Home Secretary's statement of 2 November 2026.
The four pillars
- Character. The system rewards people who play by the rules. Specified immigration breaches committed as an adult (aged 18 or over) place the applicant on the 20-year pathway, whatever their earnings.
- Contribution. A minimum economic contribution of £12,571 a year for at least three years, with exemptions for children, people aged 65 and over, and those who cannot meet it because of a physical or mental condition. Higher earnings shorten the path.
- Integration. Strong English and the Life in the UK test. From March 2027 most foreign nationals applying for settlement must meet the A-level-equivalent B2 standard, raised from the GCSE level; the Home Office estimates about 200 hours of learning between the two levels. The rule was laid on 5 March 2026 with a year's notice.
- Residence. Only time on routes that count towards settlement is counted; residence alone does not qualify anyone.
"Best years": how earnings are assessed
The response document uses a "best years" approach so that one bad year does not reset the clock. On the three-year pathway you must meet the £125,141 threshold in three of the four years immediately before applying, so one of those four years can be below it. On the five-year pathway you must meet £50,271 in three of the five years before applying, so two can be below. The earnings thresholds track the income-tax bands and will move with them.
Public funds
In the 2 November statement the Home Secretary said applicants must have had 5 continuous years without falling on the state before they make their application. The response document adds that anyone who has received public funds they were not entitled to must have repaid the amount owed or be complying with an agreed repayment plan.
Care workers
Existing care workers get a transitional arrangement rather than the general 10-year rule. The statement says those who need a new job in the care sector will be given a longer period to find one before their existing visa is curtailed, and that at the completion of a new 5-year visa these workers will be able to settle. Chapter 8 of the response covers the one-off transitional arrangements for public-service workers who were already in the UK before the White Paper but whose occupations do not qualify for the permanent five-year pathway.
Dependants and families
Chapter 5 of the response keeps families settling together: partners, parents and children of British citizens, and Commonwealth citizens on the UK Ancestry route with a UK-born grandparent, are covered by the protections for family routes. Children are not held to the earnings requirement, and the character requirement for immigration breaches applies only to adults.
What is not yet decided
- The start date. The response says further guidance comes "before implementation"; the Immigration Rules that put the periods into law had not been laid at the time of writing.
- The exact list of qualifying health and education occupations, which will follow national pay structures.
- The A2-level Life in the UK test for resettled refugees, which does not yet exist.
What to do now
- If you are close to five years on a current route, check whether you can apply under today's rules before the new Rules take effect; the response document promises transitional arrangements but the Rules will set the cut-off.
- Book a B2 English test early if your settlement date falls after March 2027: the Home Office says the move from GCSE to A-level standard takes roughly 200 hours of study.
- Keep payslips and tax records for every year: the thresholds are checked year by year, not on an average.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UK settlement period now 10 years?
Under the Earned Settlement policy published on 2 November 2026, the standard qualifying period becomes 10 years, with 3- and 5-year pathways for higher earners and specified public-service workers, and 20 years for people who committed immigration breaches as adults. The Immigration Rules implementing this were still to be laid.
Who can still settle after 5 years?
People earning at least £50,271 in three of the five years before applying, eligible doctors, nurses, teachers and other specified health and education public-sector workers, refugees admitted through the new safe and legal routes, and existing care workers on the transitional five-year visa.
What English level do I need to settle?
B2, the A-level-equivalent standard, for settlement applications from March 2027. Refugees on the UK Resettlement Scheme need A2.
Does Earned Settlement affect Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders?
No. The Home Secretary said BN(O)s, members of the armed forces, those with a British connection and legacy routes such as Windrush keep their current path to settlement.
I came by small boat and was granted refugee status. When can I settle?
The statement sets a 20-year standard period for refugees who did not come by a safe and legal route, adds 10 years for illegal entry, and takes 10 years off for those who work or study.