Settling for Less: The UK's New Ten-Year Visa Rule

The government plans to overhaul the route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) — the status that gives migrants the right to live and work in the UK permanently. The government white paper points to plans to make permanent settlement in the UK dramatically harder to achieve. The current standard five-year qualifying period is set to be replaced with a far more complex system, with most migrants facing a ten-year wait or longer.

Most migrants will face a “baseline” qualifying period of ten years. Those in lower or medium-skilled roles — including care workers — will start from an even longer 15-year baseline. Only higher earners and certain public sector workers can reduce this, with NHS staff and teachers potentially qualifying after five years, and the highest earners after just three.

Applicants will also need to meet tougher minimum requirements, including no criminal convictions, earnings above £12,570 for at least three to five years, and a higher standard of English (B2 rather than B1). Family members will need to qualify for ILR independently rather than alongside their sponsor.

This is where the proposals are most contentious. The government has stated its intention to apply the new rules to people already in the UK who haven’t yet received ILR — meaning someone who arrived four years ago expecting to settle after five could instead face a much longer wait. Final decisions are still pending following a public consultation that drew over 200,000 responses.

Anyone arriving now should plan on the basis that settlement could take ten years or more. The pathway will depend heavily on salary, job type, and personal circumstances. High earners and skilled professionals in certain sectors will have shorter routes, but the majority of workers face a significantly longer commitment than under current rules.

No firm date has been set. The Home Secretary initially indicated April 2026, but has since suggested autumn 2026 is more likely. It’s also possible the rules could be written in 2026 but not come into force until 2027, as has happened with other measures in the white paper. The consultation closed in February 2026 and the government is still considering responses.

Given the uncertainty, anyone currently on a path to settlement should seek up-to-date legal advice. The rules have not yet changed, but planning ahead is strongly advisable.