What is Indefinite Leave to Remain?
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is the immigration status that allows a person to live and work in the UK permanently, without any time restriction on their stay and free from the conditions attached to a temporary visa. It is also known as settlement, and it is the most common route to permanent residence for people who have relocated to the UK on a work, family, or other long-term visa.
ILR does not make you a British citizen. It is a separate status that removes immigration restrictions from your life in the UK, but you will still hold the nationality of your home country unless you later apply for British citizenship by naturalisation. To do that, you normally need to have held ILR for at least 12 months. ILR grants you the right to work for any employer without sponsorship, access public funds, and remain in the UK indefinitely — though that status can lapse if you spend extended periods outside the UK.
Important: Act now if you are approaching 5-year eligibility
The government has confirmed that ILR qualifying periods will increase from 5 to 10 years, with changes expected in Autumn 2026. If you are currently on a route to settlement and will reach your 5-year mark before those changes take effect, applying as soon as you become eligible is strongly advisable. Once the new rules are in force, you may lose your current eligibility and have to wait an additional five years.
Who qualifies for ILR?
ILR is available through several routes. The route that applies to you depends on the visa you currently hold and how long you have been in the UK. The most commonly used routes for people relocating to the UK for work or family reasons are set out below.
Skilled Worker and work visa routes
Most people on the Skilled Worker visa, Health and Care Worker visa, Global Talent visa, or other sponsored work routes can apply for ILR after five continuous years of lawful residence. You must have spent those five years working under a qualifying visa, maintained your sponsorship and salary above the required thresholds throughout, and not exceeded the permitted absence limits.
One exception applies to the Global Talent visa: certain individuals endorsed as leaders or potential leaders in academia, research, arts, or digital technology can qualify for ILR after just three years rather than five, subject to meeting the absence and compliance requirements.
Family visa routes
People on a family visa — including the Spouse and Partner visa — follow a different pathway. You will normally have entered the UK on a 2.5-year initial visa, which can be extended for a further 2.5 years, giving five years in total before you can apply for ILR. The family must continue to meet the minimum income requirement (currently £29,000 per year) throughout the qualifying period. Family routes are expected to be exempt from the proposed 10-year qualifying period change — see the section on earned settlement below.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 are covered by the EU Settlement Scheme rather than the standard ILR system. Under EUSS, those who had been living continuously in the UK for five years by that date received Settled Status directly. Those who had been here for less than five years received Pre-Settled Status and must reach five years of continuous UK residence before applying to upgrade to Settled Status. Settled Status under EUSS is functionally equivalent to ILR, and EUSS holders are specifically protected by the Withdrawal Agreement from the proposed 10-year qualifying period change.
Long residence route
People who have lived continuously and lawfully in the UK for 10 years on any combination of valid visas can apply for ILR under the long residence route. This route allows people who have moved between visa types — for instance, from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker visa — to count that total time towards settlement, even if each individual route does not have a direct ILR pathway. The 10-year continuous residence must be lawful throughout, with no significant gaps or periods of overstay.
Absence rules: how much time can you spend outside the UK?
Absences are one of the most common reasons ILR applications are refused or delayed. The rules differ depending on which visa route you are applying under.
| Route | Max absences (qualifying period) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker / work routes | 180 days in any 12-month period | Any single 12-month window — not just the final year |
| Family routes | 180 days in any 12-month period | Both partners' absences are assessed |
| Long residence (10-year) | No more than 18 months total | No more than 6 months in any single period |
| Global Talent (3-year route) | 180 days in any 12-month period | Same as standard work routes |
Keep a record of every trip: Incorrect absence calculations are one of the most frequent causes of ILR refusal. Before applying, review your passport stamps, boarding pass records, and any travel insurance documents. The Home Office will check your travel history against border records, so your own count must be accurate.
Salary requirements (Skilled Worker and T2 routes)
If you are applying for ILR through a Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, or T2 visa, you must meet minimum salary requirements at the time of your ILR application. The requirement depends on your specific situation.
Standard requirement
Most Skilled Worker and T2 applicants must be paid at least whichever is higher of the following: £41,700 per year, or the standard going rate for their specific occupation code. You can check the going rate for your role in the going rates table on gov.uk. Your employer will need to provide a letter confirming you are still needed for the job and meet the salary requirement.
Visa granted before 4 April 2024
If your certificate of sponsorship for your first Skilled Worker (or equivalent Tier 2) visa was issued before 4 April 2024, and you have held Skilled Worker visas continuously since then, a lower threshold applies. You must be paid at least: £31,300 per year (or £25,000 if your job is on the Immigration Salary List), or the lower going rate for your occupation — whichever is higher.
Healthcare and education workers
Different rules apply if you work in a healthcare or education job covered by national pay scales. The floor for these roles is £25,000 per year (or the national pay scale going rate, whichever is higher). The going rate is assessed against NHS pay bands for healthcare roles and by role and area for teaching positions.
Check your occupation code: Every occupation code has its own going rate. It is the higher of the general minimum (£41,700 for most applicants) and your specific occupation code rate that counts. If the going rate for your role is £48,000, a salary of £42,000 will not be sufficient — even though it exceeds £41,700. Always cross-reference your occupation code against the current table before applying.
Application fee (April 2026)
The ILR application fee increased on 8 April 2026 as part of a broad Home Office fee uplift across most immigration routes. The fee is payable per applicant — partners and children applying for settlement at the same time each pay the full amount separately.
| Application type | Fee before 8 Apr 2026 | Fee from 8 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| ILR — main applicant | £3,029 | £3,226 |
| ILR — dependant (each) | £3,029 | £3,226 |
| Priority processing (optional, per person) | £500 | £500 |
| Super-priority processing (optional, per person) | £1,000 | £1,000 |
There is no fee waiver available for ILR. The fee is non-refundable once the application has been accepted for processing and biometrics enrolled. You should also budget for the Life in the UK test (£50 per sitting), any English language test costs, and biometric enrolment — the standard biometric appointment itself carries no separate fee, though enhanced or out-of-hours UKVCAS slots may carry a provider charge.
Deadline note: Applications submitted before 8 April 2026 are processed at the £3,029 rate. Applications submitted on or after 8 April 2026 are charged £3,226 — even if the form was started before that date. The fee that applies is determined by the date of submission and payment, not the date the application was begun.
English language requirement
The English language requirement depends on which route you are applying under.
Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, and T2 routes
If you are applying for ILR using a Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, or T2 visa, you do not need to prove English language again at ILR stage. You already demonstrated your English language ability when you applied for your original visa, and the Home Office accepts this as satisfying the requirement for settlement.
All other routes
Applicants settling through most other routes — including family visas, long residence, UK Ancestry, and certain Global Talent routes — must demonstrate English at a minimum of B1 CEFR level in speaking and listening. This can be evidenced through a secure English language test (SELT) from an approved provider, a UK degree taught in English, or another qualification recognised by the Home Office. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries are exempt.
Confirmed upcoming change — new visa applicants from January 2026: The English language requirement for new Skilled Worker, Scale-up and High Potential Individual visa applications made on or after 8 January 2026 increased to B2 CEFR. Separately, from 26 March 2027, the ILR English language threshold on most settlement routes will also rise to B2, confirmed by HC 1691 (5 March 2026). If you already hold a Skilled Worker visa, this does not affect your current ILR application — English was already assessed at entry.
Life in the UK test
Most ILR applicants must pass the Life in the UK test before applying. The test covers British history, values, laws, and everyday life. It consists of 24 questions and must be passed with a score of 75% or higher. The test is taken at an approved test centre and costs £50 per sitting. If you fail, you can rebook immediately — there is no waiting period between attempts.
Exemptions apply to applicants under 18 or over 65, and to people with long-term physical or mental conditions that prevent them from taking the test. You will need your pass notification letter when submitting your ILR application — the reference number is required on the application form and results are valid indefinitely (there is no expiry on a pass).
How to apply: step-by-step
All ILR applications are made online via the gov.uk portal. There is no paper application form for the standard ILR routes. The process takes most applicants around 90 minutes to complete online, though gathering your supporting documents in advance will add to the overall preparation time.
- 1 Check your eligibility date Confirm the exact date on which you reach your qualifying period. For most Skilled Worker visa holders this is the fifth anniversary of your first entry in that route. Check your travel history carefully against the 180-day absence limit before proceeding.
- 2 Pass the Life in the UK test Book and sit the test at an approved centre if you have not already done so. Keep your pass notification letter — the reference number is required in the online application. If you are applying via a route that requires separate English language evidence (i.e. not Skilled Worker, Health and Care, or T2), confirm your SELT certificate or degree transcript is in order at this stage.
- 3 Gather your documents You will need your current passport and any previous passports covering the qualifying period; your biometric residence permit (BRP) or eVisa details; your Life in the UK pass notification; payslips and employer letters confirming continuous employment and salary compliance (work routes); and a letter from your sponsor confirming you are still needed in the role. If your route requires separate English language evidence, include that too. For family routes, include evidence of the qualifying relationship and income throughout the qualifying period.
- 4 Complete the online application Apply via gov.uk. Answer every question fully and accurately — any inconsistency between your answers and the Home Office's border records is treated seriously. Pay the application fee at the point of submission. Applications made on or after 8 April 2026 are charged at £3,226 per person. Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man from the moment you submit your application until you receive a decision. Your application will be automatically withdrawn if you do.
- 5 Enrol your biometrics After submitting, you will be directed to book a biometric enrolment appointment at a UKVCAS service point. Standard appointments are free. Enhanced or out-of-hours slots carry a provider charge. Bring all original documents to the appointment — the caseworker will scan them and return them to you.
- 6 Wait for a decision The Home Office service standard is six months from the date of application. There is no way to expedite a standard application once it has been submitted and accepted. Priority processing (£500) and super-priority processing (£1,000) are available for some ILR routes and must be selected and paid at the time of booking your biometric appointment — they cannot be added retrospectively.
- 7 Receive your decision and eVisa If approved, your ILR status will be recorded digitally as an eVisa accessible through your UKVI account. To prove your status to an employer, landlord, or at the border, generate a share code at view-immigration-status.service.gov.uk. Share codes are valid for 90 days and can be used multiple times within that period — you can generate a new one at any time. You will need to provide your date of birth alongside the code. Physical BRPs are no longer issued for new ILR grants, though older BRPs with ILR stamped on them remain valid evidence in some circumstances. Ensure your UKVI account details, including your passport number and email address, are kept up to date.
Documents checklist
- Current passport and all passports covering the qualifying period
- Biometric residence permit (BRP) or eVisa share code confirming current leave
- Life in the UK test pass notification (with reference number)
- English language evidence (SELT certificate, degree transcript, or other approved qualification)
- Payslips, P60s, or employment letters covering the qualifying period (work routes)
- Certificate of sponsorship reference and employer details (Skilled Worker and other sponsored routes)
- Evidence of relationship and income (family routes — marriage certificate, bank statements, payslips)
- Travel history records (boarding passes, travel insurance, or passport stamps) to support absence calculations
Earned settlement: what the proposed changes mean for you
The UK government's proposed earned settlement reforms are the most significant change to ILR rules in over a decade. These proposals were outlined in the May 2025 immigration White Paper and have been the subject of a public consultation that closed in February 2026 with more than 200,000 responses. As of April 2026, no amendment to the Immigration Rules has been laid before Parliament — the proposals have not yet become law.
Current status (April 2026): The standard 5-year route to ILR remains in force. No change has taken effect. The Home Secretary has confirmed that reforms will be implemented in Autumn 2026, but the final rules — including transitional arrangements — have not yet been published. Immigration lawyers advise treating the current 5-year route as potentially time-limited and applying as soon as eligible.
What is proposed
Under the earned settlement model, the standard qualifying period for most visa routes would increase from five years to ten. The proposal also introduces minimum earnings criteria — applicants would need to have earned above £12,570 annually for a specified period — and a stricter good character requirement, with any criminal conviction potentially disqualifying an applicant rather than the current 12-month sentence threshold.
The government has proposed that these changes would apply retrospectively — that is, to people already in the UK who have not yet received ILR, including those currently part-way through the five-year qualifying period. This is the element of the proposals that has generated the most public backlash and parliamentary concern, with a cross-party Home Affairs Committee report published on 20 March 2026 recommending that existing five-year route holders should be grandfathered.
What is not expected to change
Family visa routes are expected to be exempt from the 10-year rule, though final confirmation has not been published. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens with Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme are explicitly protected by the Withdrawal Agreement — the proposed changes do not apply to EUSS holders. The Global Talent visa 3-year route is also expected to remain unchanged.
Not yet law: Every statement about the earned settlement reforms on this page reflects proposed policy and government intent as confirmed at the time of writing (April 2026). No amendment to the Immigration Rules has been laid before Parliament. The final rules, including whether and how transitional arrangements will apply to people already in the UK, will only be confirmed when formal changes are published. Check gov.uk for updates.
What ILR gives you — and what it does not
ILR gives you the right to live and work in the UK without any time restriction, without the need for an employer sponsor, and without being subject to immigration controls. You can change jobs freely, start a business, claim public funds, and apply for a National Insurance number if you do not already have one. Your dependants who hold ILR have the same rights.
ILR does not automatically make you a British citizen or give you a British passport. You must apply separately for British citizenship by naturalisation after holding ILR for 12 months. ILR also does not prevent the Home Office from revoking your status if you are convicted of a serious criminal offence or if it is found that your original application was granted on the basis of fraud or misrepresentation.
One important limitation: ILR lapses automatically if you spend more than two consecutive years outside the UK. If your ILR has lapsed, you will need to apply for a Returning Resident visa before you can re-enter the UK and have your ILR status restored.
After ILR: the path to British citizenship
Most ILR holders become eligible to apply for British citizenship by naturalisation after 12 months of holding ILR, subject to meeting the residence requirements, good character test, English language standard (B1 or above, though B2 will be required from 2027), and the Life in the UK test. The process and fees for British citizenship are covered in detail in a separate guide.
Those who hold EU Settled Status rather than standard ILR can also apply for British citizenship after holding Settled Status for 12 months and meeting the same requirements.
Securing ILR is a significant milestone for anyone who has built a life in the UK. For the majority of people on a standard work or family visa, the five-year route remains the most direct path — and, given the changes expected later in 2026, it may also prove to be a closing window for those currently partway through. The rules around qualifying periods, absences, and English language requirements are detailed but navigable with careful planning. If your circumstances are in any way complex — extended absences, periods of self-employment, gaps in sponsorship, or a past immigration refusal — consulting an OISC-regulated immigration adviser before applying is a worthwhile investment.
The Home Office's official ILR guidance on gov.uk is the definitive source for current requirements. Immigration rules change regularly — always verify the requirements in force at the time you apply, not at the time you begin preparing your application.