The United Kingdom is preparing major changes to the path migrants must take to gain permanent residency, unveiling a new “Earned Settlement” system that extends the usual qualification period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five years to ten.
The reform, announced by the Home Office and confirmed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is being described as the most significant overhaul of the UK’s immigration framework in half a century.
Mahmood noted that permanent residency will now be treated as “a privilege, not a right.” The revised system is designed to favour migrants who demonstrate economic value, strong English skills and full compliance with immigration regulations.
New criteria for earning settlement
The reformed model uses a points-based structure built on four major pillars: character, integration, contribution and residence. These will determine whether a migrant qualifies for an accelerated pathway, remains on the standard timeline, or faces delays due to penalties.
Under the new rules:
- Most visa categories will now require 10 years before a person can apply for settlement.
- Health and Care workers in lower-paid roles below RQF Level 6 will need 15 years.
- Migrants who have used public funds might wait up to 20 years.
- Those who broke immigration rules, overstayed, or entered unlawfully could face waits as long as 30 years.
Fast-track options for high earners
Some groups will still have shorter pathways. NHS doctors and nurses will continue on the five-year route. Migrants who earn more than £125,140 for three straight years can reduce their waiting period by seven years, allowing them to qualify in three years.
Those earning above £50,270 for three consecutive years can shorten their wait by five years.
Public service workers with at least five years in approved roles may also cut five years off their timeline, while community volunteers could reduce theirs by three to five years.
Advanced English proficiency at C1 level can also help shorten the residency period, and holders of Global Talent or Innovator visas may qualify after three years.
Family members of British citizens partners, parents, or children under the Family or BN(O) routes will also be able to reduce their waiting time by five years.
Who is exempt from the new system?
The updated rules will not affect:
- People who already hold ILR
- Applicants under the EU Settlement Scheme
- The standard five-year family route
- Hong Kong BN(O) migrants
- Armed Forces families
- Individuals covered by the Windrush scheme
What this means for migrants
Skilled workers are expected to feel the biggest impact, with their ILR timeline doubling from five to ten years. Those in jobs below degree level face even longer waits. Dependants will also be assessed separately rather than automatically following the main applicant’s timeline.
Home Office data shows that between 2021 and 2024, net migration increased the UK population by 2.6 million. As a result, the number of people qualifying for settlement is projected to rise sharply, with around 1.6 million migrants expected to secure ILR between 2026 and 2030.
