What Is Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK? ILR Explained

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is immigration status that allows a person to live in the United Kingdom without a time limit on their stay. It is also called settlement. People with ILR can normally work and study without the restrictions attached to a temporary visa, and they may qualify for public services or benefits under the applicable rules. ILR does not make someone a British citizen or give them a British passport.

Checked November 2, 2026: The UK government has proposed major changes to settlement, including a longer standard qualifying period under an “earned settlement” model. Those proposals should not be confused with the settlement routes currently described in the Immigration Rules. Separately, a B2 English-language requirement has already been scheduled to take effect on March 26, 2027, for specified routes. The distinction matters when planning an application.

What does indefinite leave to remain let you do?

According to UK Visas and Immigration guidance on ILR rights and status, an ILR holder has no fixed expiry date on their permission to live in the UK. In practical terms, this generally means:

• Work: Take employment or be self-employed without having to remain sponsored on a Skilled Worker visa, while complying with ordinary professional and employment laws.
• Study: Attend an eligible school, college or university without needing a separate study visa solely for immigration permission.
• Health care and benefits: Access NHS care and apply for benefits where the relevant eligibility rules are met. Settlement is not an automatic guarantee of every benefit.
• Future citizenship: Use ILR as a possible step toward British naturalization, subject to a separate application and requirements.

ILR should not be mistaken for an unconditional or irrevocable status. Prolonged absence from the UK can cause it to lapse, and the Home Office can revoke or cancel status in certain circumstances. Voting eligibility also depends on citizenship, nationality, residence and the particular election, rather than ILR status alone.

Who can apply for ILR in the UK?

There is no single eligibility period for everyone. The correct route depends on the immigration permission someone holds, their immigration history and any route-specific conditions. The government's ILR eligibility starting page directs applicants to the requirements that apply to them.

For example, the official Skilled Worker settlement guidance still describes five years of qualifying residence, a relevant salary threshold and confirmation that the employer needs the person for their job. Someone whose immigration history includes different visas should not assume all those years count toward the same settlement application. A partner on a family visa may be on a five-year or ten-year route; the decision letter identifying that route is important.

How many days can you spend outside the UK?

Continuous residence is often as important as the number of years spent holding a visa. On routes governed by Appendix Continuous Residence, the usual rule limits absences to 180 days in any rolling 12-month period, subject to specified exceptions. This is not simply a test of how many trips someone made in a calendar year.

Long-residence applicants need particular care: absences that began before April 11, 2024, can be assessed under different historical limits. The current long-residence eligibility guide also excludes certain periods, including time as a visitor and time on some temporary routes, from the qualifying decade. The Immigration Rules Appendix Continuous Residence provides the detailed rules.

Illustrative example: A worker who has spent five years on an eligible visa but made several long trips abroad needs to calculate each absence and check overlapping 12-month windows. Five calendar years since arrival do not, by themselves, prove that the residence test has been met.

When can you apply, and what documents do you need?

For qualifying Skilled Worker and many family settlement applications, the Home Office allows applications up to 28 days before the required residence period is completed. Applying earlier can result in refusal. This is not a universal early-application rule for every ILR pathway; applicants should follow the specific route guidance and apply while they still have valid permission.

Most applications are made online from within the UK. Typical supporting evidence may include identity and immigration records, travel dates, proof of where the applicant lives, a Life in the UK Test pass, and—where relevant—salary and employer confirmation or family-relationship evidence. Not every route requires every document. The application form and route-specific guidance are the definitive checklist.

Is the Life in the UK Test required?

Many adult applicants must pass the Life in the UK Test, subject to age-based and other exemptions. The government lists a £50 booking fee and requires the test to be booked at least three days ahead. Use the official government booking service rather than a third-party site that may charge more or confuse the booking process.

Do you need an English-language test?

English requirements depend on the route and an applicant's circumstances. For instance, current Skilled Worker settlement guidance generally recognizes that the person met an English requirement when obtaining the visa, but a rule change coming in 2027 adds a separate requirement at settlement stage. Other applicants may need an approved English test, an eligible qualification or evidence of an exemption. Check the official English-language evidence guidance for the route involved.

How much does an ILR application cost in 2026?

The standard government fee listed for an ordinary indefinite leave to remain application is £3,226 per applicant. This amount appears in the Home Office fee schedule effective October 8, 2026. It is a per-person charge, so a family application can involve multiple application fees. Other expenses may include an English test, the Life in the UK Test or an optional faster decision service. Some special immigration schemes follow different fee rules.

Applicants can check the current amount in the Home Office fee schedule dated October 8, 2026. A standard decision is generally expected within six months after biometric information is provided, although individual cases can take longer. Faster services may be available at an additional charge, depending on the application route and appointment availability.

Travel warning: Official settlement guidance says that leaving the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while an in-country ILR application is pending can cause the application to be treated as withdrawn. Do not book overseas travel on the assumption that an application can continue uninterrupted while you are away.

Has the UK replaced five-year ILR with a ten-year rule?

Not as a universal rule in force on November 2, 2026. The Home Office launched its earned settlement consultation on November 20, 2025. Among its proposals was a ten-year baseline qualifying period for many migrants, with possible adjustments based on circumstances and contribution. The consultation closed on February 12, 2026.

In a parliamentary answer dated October 19, 2026, the government said it was still analyzing the consultation responses and explicitly stated that the existing long-residence rules continued to apply in the meantime. A further written answer dated October 21, 2026 described the consultation feedback as still under consideration.

This means a headline about a proposed ten-year pathway does not itself establish that every person currently eligible after five years must now wait ten. Equally, applicants should not assume that future rules or transitional protections will necessarily preserve their present timeline. A final policy announcement and the actual Immigration Rules in force on the application date are what matter. The precise future arrangements for all existing visa holders had not been established by those official responses.

Which English requirement is already scheduled to change?

There is a separate, confirmed change. The Home Office's March 2026 statement-of-changes explanatory memorandum states that the English-language level for settlement will rise from B1 to B2 on listed routes for applications made on or after March 26, 2027, subject to exemptions. This includes the Skilled Worker route and several other settlement categories. Unlike the broader earned settlement consultation, this date and language change appear in published changes to the Immigration Rules.

Someone planning to submit around March 2027 should therefore verify both their route and the exact application-date rule. The new B2 requirement should not be presented as evidence that the proposed ten-year baseline has also become law.

Can you lose ILR after receiving it?

Yes. Indefinite refers to the absence of an ordinary fixed visa expiry date, not an absolute guarantee regardless of future conduct or residence. Under the standard rule, ILR generally lapses after two consecutive years or more spent outside the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. Different longer absence periods apply to certain holders of EU Settlement Scheme settled status, including a separate rule for Swiss citizens and their family members. Someone whose status has lapsed may need to consider a Returning Resident visa rather than assuming they can simply enter on their former ILR.

See the Returning Resident guidance and the official ILR rights page for the relevant exceptions. Status can also be affected by deportation or other legal grounds; individual circumstances matter.

Is ILR the same as British citizenship?

No. ILR is immigration permission; citizenship is nationality. ILR holders remain citizens of their existing country or countries unless they separately acquire British citizenship. The standard naturalization route generally requires an adult to have held ILR for at least 12 months and to meet other rules, including residence and good-character requirements. A person married to a British citizen may be able to apply without waiting that additional 12 months, but still has to meet the separate citizenship conditions.

The British citizenship eligibility guide explains these differences. Neither settlement nor naturalization is automatic merely because someone has lived in the UK for a certain number of years.

How do you prove ILR once it is granted?

Immigration status is increasingly recorded digitally through an eVisa. A successful applicant may need to create or use a UK Visas and Immigration account, check that their passport details are current and generate a share code to demonstrate status for work or other checks. The official eVisa service explains how to access and update that record. If someone already has ILR but lacks a document proving it, the Home Office also describes a no time limit process for obtaining confirmation.

What should you check before submitting an ILR application?

1. Identify your exact route: Start with your current visa or grant letter, not a general online checklist.
2. Calculate your qualifying period: Review which immigration categories count and the earliest lawful application date.
3. Audit your travel history: List departures and returns, especially if you have long absences or a ten-year residence history.
4. Check tests and evidence: Confirm whether you need the Life in the UK Test, English-language proof, financial records, employment confirmation or relationship documents.
5. Budget and plan travel: Confirm the latest fee and avoid travel that could withdraw an application in progress.
6. Check for rule changes: In particular, separate the 2027 B2 change that has been published from proposals whose final design has not yet been confirmed.

Bottom line: ILR can provide long-term stability in the UK, but eligibility is specific to the person's immigration route and history. Use official Home Office guidance before paying the application fee. For unusual absences, gaps in permission or complicated family circumstances, consider advice from an appropriately regulated UK immigration adviser or solicitor.

Source-check date: November 2, 2026. This is general information, not individualized legal advice. Immigration Rules, fees and operational guidance can change.