UK Permanent Residence (ILR) 2026: Rules, Fee, Changes
Permanent residence in the UK has its own name: indefinite leave to remain, or ILR. GOV.UK also calls it settlement. On 13 October 2026 the rules in force still set 5 years as the usual period for work visa holders. A reform called earned settlement, which would make 10 years the baseline for many migrants, has been consulted on but not yet turned into immigration rules. This guide sets out what the law requires today and what is known about the changes, from GOV.UK and the House of Commons Library.
Quick answer
With a work visa you must usually have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years, spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months, pass the Life in the UK Test and, on the Skilled Worker route, be paid at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for your job. The fee is £3,226 per person, and a decision usually comes within 6 months. A higher English standard for settlement applies on various routes from 26 March 2027. The proposed 10-year baseline has no start date yet.
What ILR gives you
Indefinite leave to remain gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like, and to apply for benefits if you are eligible. You can use it to apply for British citizenship.
The routes today
| Your situation | Time in the UK |
|---|---|
| Work visa, such as Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker | Usually 5 years of living and working in the UK |
| Innovator Founder or Global Talent visa | Can be 3 years |
| Tier 1 visa | Can be 2 or 3 years |
| Partner, parent or child of someone settled in the UK | Depends on the visa and the route you are on: a 5 year, 2 year or 10 year route for partners |
| UK Ancestry visa, for Commonwealth citizens | 5 years |
| Long residence | 10 continuous years in the UK legally |
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members may be able to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme instead.
Settling from a Skilled Worker visa
Eligibility
- You have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years.
- You meet the salary requirements.
- You continue to be needed for your job, confirmed by a document from your employer, the sponsor.
- If you are 18 to 64, you have passed the Life in the UK Test.
You do not need to prove your English again when you settle from a Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 visa, because you did so when you applied for the visa.
Salary
| Case | You must be paid the higher of |
|---|---|
| Usual rule | £41,700 per year, or the standard going rate for your type of work |
| Some healthcare or education jobs on national pay scales | £25,000 per year, or the going rate based on national pay scales |
| Health and Care Worker visa in an occupation code with different salary requirements | £31,300 per year, or £25,000 if the job is on the Immigration Salary List, or the going rate |
Different rules also apply if your first certificate of sponsorship was issued before 4 April 2024 and you have held Skilled Worker visas since.
What counts towards the 5 years
- You must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months.
- Time spent in the UK as a partner or child, a dependant, on a visa does not count.
- You can combine time on several work visas, including Skilled Worker, Scale-up Worker, Innovator Founder, Global Talent and any Tier 1 visa except Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur).
When to apply
The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach 5 years on a qualifying visa. An earlier application may be refused. Do not wait until your visa expires, because you would have to renew it first.
Long residence: the 10-year route
- You must have been in the UK legally for 10 years without gaps, and usually have held your current permission for one year.
- You can leave the UK for up to 180 days in any 12 month period.
- If you are aged 18 to 65, you must pass the Life in the UK Test and prove sufficient English.
- Time as a visitor, on a Short-term study visa or on a Seasonal Worker visa does not count.
- If you do not qualify, you may be able to extend your stay for another 2 years, for a fee of £1,407.
Fees and waiting time
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Indefinite leave to remain, each person applying | £3,226 |
| Priority service: decision within 5 working days | An extra £500 |
| Super priority service: decision by the end of the next working day | An extra £1,000 |
| Biometric information | No fee |
You will usually get a decision within 6 months of providing your fingerprints and photo. Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before the decision, because the application is then withdrawn. A successful applicant receives an eVisa, a digital record of immigration status.
What is changing
Decided: a higher English standard from March 2027
An Immigration Rules change made in March 2026 raises the English standard for settlement, with a year's notice. The House of Commons Library puts the start date at 26 March 2027, for various visa routes, and describes the new level as B2 instead of B1. The Home Office compares the two levels to A-level and GCSE standard.
Not yet decided: earned settlement
The government consulted on replacing the standard 5-year period with a system it calls earned settlement. The consultation closed in February 2026 with over 200,000 responses. According to the House of Commons Library briefing dated 21 September 2026, the Home Secretary told MPs on 15 September 2026 that she would make final decisions "very soon" and publish the new policy "later this year". There is no exact timetable for new rules to come into force.
| Proposal in the consultation | Qualifying period |
|---|---|
| Baseline for many migrants | Ten years |
| People earning over £125,140 | Settlement after three years |
| Higher-skilled jobs earning over £50,270, or public sector healthcare and teaching roles | Settlement after five years |
| Standard family visa sponsored by a British citizen, or the Hong Kong BNO visa | Settlement after five years |
| Jobs considered low-skilled or medium-skilled, including social care workers | Baseline of 15 years |
The consultation also proposed minimum requirements, including annual earnings above £12,570 for a minimum of 3 to 5 years. These are proposals. The briefing notes that the exact plans may change when final decisions are taken.
Would it apply to people already in the UK?
The briefing's answer is "likely yes, although a final decision has not been announced". The consultation proposed applying the changes to everyone who has not already received indefinite leave to remain, and asked for views on transitional arrangements. People with residence rights under the EU Settlement Scheme are out of scope.
How to apply, step by step
- Check your route and the date you reach the required time.
- Count your absences against the 180-day limit.
- Book and pass the Life in the UK Test if you are in the age range.
- Get your employer's confirmation if you are settling from a work visa.
- Apply online no earlier than 28 days before you qualify, and pay £3,226 per person.
- Give your fingerprints and photo and stay in the UK until the decision.
Frequently asked questions
What is permanent residence called in the UK?
Indefinite leave to remain, or ILR. GOV.UK also calls it settlement.
How long does it take to get ILR in the UK?
With a work visa you must usually have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years. It can be 3 years on an Innovator Founder or Global Talent visa, and 10 years on the long residence route.
How much does ILR cost in 2026?
£3,226 for each person applying. Priority service costs an extra £500 and super priority an extra £1,000.
Has ILR changed to 10 years?
Not as of 13 October 2026. A 10-year baseline was proposed in a consultation that closed in February 2026, and the Home Secretary said in September 2026 that the final policy would be published later in the year.
How many days can I spend outside the UK?
No more than 180 days in any 12 months during the qualifying period.
What salary do I need for ILR as a Skilled Worker?
Usually the higher of £41,700 per year and the standard going rate for your job. Some healthcare and education jobs use £25,000 or the national pay scale rate.
Do I need an English test for ILR?
Not when settling from a Skilled Worker visa, because you proved it for the visa. Other routes, such as long residence, require proof of English, and a higher standard applies on various routes from 26 March 2027.
Official sources
- GOV.UK — Check if you can get indefinite leave to remain
- GOV.UK — Indefinite leave to remain if you have a Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 visa
- GOV.UK — Indefinite leave to remain: long residence
- GOV.UK — Indefinite leave to remain if you have family in the UK
- GOV.UK, Home Office — Higher standard of English now required to settle in the UK
- House of Commons Library — Changes to UK visa and settlement rules after the 2025 immigration white paper (21 September 2026)
All figures verified against the official pages above on 13 October 2026. Settlement rules are under review, so check GOV.UK for changes before you apply. Information, not legal advice.