Settlement in the UK: what ILR really is, and why the qualifying period may double

Newcomers from the former USSR search for "residence permit" and "permanent residence" in the UK and get nowhere useful, because neither term exists in British law. There is a different three-step system, and using the wrong words means searching for the wrong thing. Here is how it actually works — and a warning about the reform that changes all of it.

Three steps, not two familiar words

1. Limited leave to remain. This is what people mean by a residence permit: permission with a fixed end date and conditions — work, study, family. It used to be evidenced by a BRP card; the status is now digital (an eVisa) and proved with a share code rather than a card.

2. Indefinite leave to remain (ILR), also called settlement. This is the "permanent residence" people are looking for: open-ended permission to live, work and study with no time limit, access to benefits where eligible, and the right to apply for citizenship later. The key word is indefinite, not permanent — it can be lost, as below.

3. Citizenship (naturalisation). A separate process after ILR, with its own timing and cost.

Separately there is settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, for EU citizens and their families who arrived before Brexit. It is not open to new applicants.

Routes to ILR

There is no single path — the qualifying period depends on the route you are on:

Work — 5 years. The standard period for Skilled Worker and similar visas. Shorter for some categories: Global Talent and Innovator Founder — 3 years; older Tier 1 routes 2–3 years. Salary or financial requirements may apply.

Family. Partner, parent or child of a British citizen or someone with ILR — its own route and timing.

Long residence — 10 years of lawful residence is a route in itself.

Others: UK Ancestry for Commonwealth citizens — 5 years; BN(O) visa — 5 years; refugees and humanitarian protection; armed forces veterans; stateless persons.

What you must pass, and what it costs

English at B1 or above, or a degree taught in English.

The Life in the UK test — £50.

The ILR application fee from inside the UK — £3,226 (from 8 April 2026; previously £3,029).

Citizenship: the step after

After ILR you generally wait 12 months before applying for citizenship. Spouses of British citizens do not have to wait.

Presence requirements are strict and counted precisely: no more than 450 days outside the UK over five years and no more than 90 days in the final twelve months. Plus being over 18, the English requirement, the Life in the UK test, an intention to live here, and good character.

The cost: £1,709 for the application plus £130 for the ceremony — £1,839 in total. A decision usually takes up to six months.

How ILR is lost

Rarely written about, and a real cause of people losing status. ILR lapses after two continuous years outside the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. For settled status under the EU scheme the period is five continuous years (four for Swiss citizens and their families).

It can be recovered through a Returning Resident visa — £726, requiring proof of continuing ties to the UK, with no guaranteed outcome. Counting the days is easier.

The 2026 headline: the qualifying period is set to double

The government has announced a reform called earned settlement.

The confirmed direction: the baseline qualifying period for ILR rises from 5 years to 10. Fifteen years is under discussion for medium-skilled workers and twenty for those granted asylum. There are reductions — down to 3 years for high earners — and increases for breaches. Five years is retained only for partners, parents and children of British citizens and for BN(O) visa holders. The EU Settlement Scheme is unaffected.

Three things worth getting right:

It is not law yet. At the time of writing the rules have not been made: the consultation ran from 20 November 2025 to 12 February 2026 and drew around 130,000 responses, with changes promised "in the autumn". Today's periods still apply.

The reform is stated to be retrospective. On 5 March 2026 the Home Secretary said plainly that changes would apply to people already in the UK who have not yet been granted settled status. Having started your five years under the old rules is not, by itself, protection.

The English requirement is rising too — to A-level standard, already in a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules and coming into force in spring 2027.

The practical conclusion is uncomfortably simple: if your five years are nearly up, do not put the application off. The difference between applying now and applying when it is convenient may be measured in years.

In short

A "residence permit" here is time-limited leave, now digital. "Permanent residence" is ILR: usually 5 years on a work route, 3 for Global Talent and Innovator Founder, 10 by long residence, English at B1, the £50 Life in the UK test and a £3,226 fee. Citizenship comes a year after ILR, costs £1,839, and allows no more than 450 days abroad over five years. Two continuous years outside the UK and ILR lapses. And the qualifying period is set to rise from 5 years to 10, promised for autumn 2026 and stated to be retrospective.

We are not a law firm and do not give individual immigration advice. Everything above is sourced to official pages; for your own situation, especially while the rules are changing, speak to a regulated adviser.