ILR changes 2026: where earned settlement stands

Short version, as at 17 October 2026. Nothing has changed in the Immigration Rules yet. If you qualify for indefinite leave to remain today, you can apply today under the current five-year (or ten-year long residence) rules. The government has said it will publish its final earned settlement policy, with transitional arrangements, before the end of 2026. One change is already confirmed: from 26 March 2027 the English requirement for settlement rises from B1 to B2.

We update this page whenever the Home Office says something new. The date at the foot of the page is the last check.

What the government proposed

The Home Office consultation "A fairer pathway to settlement" ran from 20 November 2025 to 12 February 2026 and drew more than 200,000 responses. The proposals were:

• a standard qualifying period of 10 years for most routes, instead of five;
• 15 years for Skilled Workers in roles below degree level (RQF 6);
• shorter periods for higher earners: five years off for income above £50,270 and seven years off above £125,140, with similar reductions floated for public service roles;
• longer periods for people who have claimed public funds (five to ten years added) and for those who entered illegally or on a visit visa (up to 20 years);
• English at B2 for everyone, and a minimum income of £12,570 for three to five years before applying;
• dependants qualifying on their own clock, not alongside the main applicant;
• the changes applying to everyone without ILR, including people already here, and the 10-year long residence route being closed.

What the government has said since

• March 2026: the Home Secretary said the new rules would take effect in autumn 2026. That has not happened.
• 15 September 2026, Home Affairs Committee: the Home Secretary said the final policy, including transitional arrangements, would be published later in 2026 and in good time before February 2027, when the first people who arrived in 2022 would reach five years. She said the rules applied will be the rules in force on the day you apply, not the day you arrived; she did not promise a minimum notice period; and the changes will be made by a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules.
• Late September 2026, party conference: the Home Secretary said the reforms must be fair to those already here and the government was still reviewing the consultation responses.
• Both the Commons Home Affairs Committee and the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee have published reports. The Lords committee opposed the 10-year baseline and any retrospective effect. Committee reports do not bind the government.

What is confirmed

• English B2 for settlement from 26 March 2027, for applications made on or after that date.
• That is all. The 10-year baseline, the earnings reductions, the penalties, the dependants rule and the end of the long residence route are proposals until a Statement of Changes says otherwise.

What is not decided

• Whether the baseline will be 10 years at all, and what shortens or lengthens it.
• Whether people already on a five-year route keep it (transitional arrangements). The Home Secretary has said options range from leaving some groups untouched to moving others over a longer period.
• Whether dependants will qualify separately.
• Whether the long residence route closes.
• The start date and the notice period.

Who is not affected

• People who already hold indefinite leave to remain.
• People with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
• On the government's stated position so far, partners and children of British citizens, and British National (Overseas) visa holders, keep the five-year route. Treat this as the current intention, not a guarantee.

What to do now

1. If you qualify now, apply now. The rules in force on the day you apply are the rules that decide your application. An application made before any change is decided under the old rules. See ILR requirements and our ILR service.
2. If you reach five years before 26 March 2027, apply before that date if your English is B1 and not B2. After it, you will need a B2 test.
3. If you are a year or more away, keep your continuous residence clean (absences under 180 days in any 12 months), keep your tax and earnings records, and do not let any permission lapse. Those are the things every version of the proposals rewards.
4. If you are on the 10-year long residence route, apply as soon as you reach ten years; do not wait for the new rules.
5. Skilled Workers below RQF 6 (care workers and similar) have the most to lose under the proposals. Check whether a spouse or partner route or another five-year route is open to you.

Questions people ask

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