What is the status of the UK "10-year earned settlement" rule, and which settlement rules apply today?

Who does this apply to?

This post gives general information about indefinite leave to remain (ILR), the UK's permanent settlement status. It does not assess anyone's personal situation. Every immigration route has its own rules.

Details

Announced, and still undecided

• The Home Office paper "A Fairer Pathway to Settlement" (November 2025) says the baseline period for most migrants will rise from 5 to 10 years. The paper presents this as an announced decision, outside the consultation.
• Many other points in the same paper were open to consultation. Examples: shorter periods for some contributions and longer periods for some groups (the paper asks about 15 years for some lower-skilled roles, extra years for public funds use, and much longer periods for illegal entry and visa breaches).
• The paper proposes applying changes to everyone who does not yet have ILR. Whether there should be transitional arrangements for people already on a path is a consultation question.
• The consultation closed on 12 February 2026. As of 12 October 2026 the page says "we are analysing your feedback" and no government response is published.
• Once decided, the details are normally set out in a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules. This post makes no predictions.

What the official pages say today

• Qualifying period: The GOV.UK settlement page says usually 5 years on work routes. For Innovator Founder and Global Talent it can be 3 years. For long residence it says 10 years or more. It gives no period for family routes. Each route has its own rules.
• ILR fee: The fee table that applies from 8 October 2026 (page updated 10 September 2026) lists £3,226 for ILR applied for in the UK. The table shows no change from the previous fee. Fees can change; check the current table.
• Knowledge and English requirement: The rules (Appendix KoLL) ask for sufficient English and the "Life in the UK" test. For applications before 26 March 2027 the speaking and listening test is at least B1. For applications on or after 26 March 2027 it is at least B2. The text also lists other ways to show English (for example nationality with specified documents, or an academic degree).
• Exemptions: The same text says people under 18, people aged 65 or over, and people for whom a physical or mental condition makes the requirement unreasonable may be exempt. For test cost and booking, see the Life in the UK test page; the test fee is separate from the ILR fee.

Things to watch

• The English level depends on the application date (26 March 2027).
• The B2 change and the 10-year plan may not affect every route in the same way. A regulated adviser can say which one covers a given route.
• An announcement is not the same as a rule in force. No official start date has been published.

What can you do?

• Follow changes on the Statements of Changes list and the consultation page.
• For your own situation, you may want to speak to a regulated adviser. GOV.UK: Find an immigration adviser says every immigration adviser must be registered with the IAA (Immigration Advice Authority) or belong to an approved professional body. You can check registration with the Adviser Finder on that page. You may not get your money back from an unregulated adviser.
• Questions to ask an adviser:

1. Which rule covers my route?
2. Which rules apply to my application date?
3. If transitional rules are announced, what changes for my route?