UK plans to double standard wait for permanent settlement to 10 years

The UK government plans to double the standard wait for migrants to qualify for permanent settlement from five to 10 years, with different routes for some workers, refugees and high earners.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the final proposals after a consultation. The rules would also apply to people already in the UK who have not yet been granted settlement; those who already have it would not be affected.

Settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain, allows a person to live, work and study in the UK indefinitely. People with settlement may apply for benefits if eligible, and can apply for British citizenship after 12 months if they meet the other requirements.

Under the standard 10-year route, applicants would need to have earned at least £12,571 in five of the seven years before being granted settlement. They would also need to meet requirements including having no criminal record, speaking English to a high standard, owing no debt to the taxpayer and having a record of sustained National Insurance contributions.

Some groups would have shorter qualifying periods. A five-year route is planned for people earning at least £50,271 in three of the five years before applying, qualifying care workers who arrived before May 2025, and public-service workers including doctors, nurses and teachers. It would also cover certain other health and education workers who arrived before May 2025, as well as people from Hong Kong with British National (Overseas) status.

People earning more than £125,141 a year and some highly skilled migrants, including those on Global Talent or Innovator Founder visas, would be eligible after three years. Migrants who have claimed certain benefits or breached immigration rules would have to wait at least 20 years.

Separate rules for refugees

Refugees arriving through an official government scheme would be able to qualify after five years. Other refugees would need to wait 10 years and work or study; those who do neither would wait 20 years.

Refugees who arrived by small boat or another unauthorised route would face a 20-year wait if they work or study, and 30 years if they do not.

The proposals set out how long different groups would need to wait and the conditions they would have to meet. Mahmood’s announcement follows the government’s consultation on changes to the settlement system.