Last fact-checked: 19 October 2026. This is general information, not a personal eligibility assessment. Follow the current official guidance for your application date.
Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is a separate application, not an automatic reward for holding a work visa. As checked on 19 October 2026, the published Skilled Worker rules still require five qualifying years. Check the rules that apply on your application date.
The current five-year route
You need qualifying residence, an approved sponsor that still needs you in the job, the applicable salary and the relevant suitability requirements. The earliest usual application point is 28 days before completing five qualifying years; applying too early risks refusal.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker settlement
Salary is assessed under the settlement rules
The usual standard is £41,700 and the applicable full going rate. Different rules cover eligible health and education occupations, Immigration Salary List jobs and qualifying existing workers. A salary concession used for an earlier visa, such as new entrant status, does not automatically carry over to ILR.
Ask the sponsor to check the settlement salary table and confirm it still needs you for the foreseeable future. Do not rely solely on the salary that qualified when you first arrived.
Absences and continuous residence
The usual limit is no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period. Both personal and business travel can matter. There are specified exceptions and calculation rules; exceeding a simple travel total is not a reason to assume an automatic reset without checking those rules. Keep travel dates and evidence of any exceptional circumstances.
Sources: GOV.UK: qualifying time for settlement · Immigration Rules: Continuous Residence
Which visa periods can be combined?
Qualifying combinations can include Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, eligible Tier 1, Global Talent, Innovator Founder, Scale-up and certain other work routes listed by GOV.UK. Student, Graduate and dependant permission do not generally count towards this Skilled Worker five-year period.
You do not need the same sponsor for all five years
Changing sponsor does not itself restart the qualifying period. You must still preserve qualifying permission and continuous residence, and meet the sponsorship and salary requirements when the settlement application is decided.
Application cost
ILR currently costs £3,226 per applicant. There is no IHS charge for an ILR application. Each eligible family member has their own eligibility requirements and fee; settlement is not automatically granted to dependants with the main applicant.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker settlement · GOV.UK: IHS exemptions
Life in the UK test
Applicants aged 18 to 64 normally need to pass, unless an exemption applies. The official test costs £50, has 24 questions and allows 45 minutes. Book through GOV.UK and check accepted identification. Someone aged 65 or over, or with a qualifying medical exemption, does not need to take it.
Sources: GOV.UK: Life in the UK test
English: distinguish today’s position from March 2027
Current GOV.UK guidance says Skilled Worker settlement applicants do not need to prove English again because it was demonstrated for their visa.
A separate, already-published rule (SW 22A.1) applies to applications on or after 26 March 2027: B2 speaking and listening is required unless an exemption applies. Check the accepted evidence rules for that date; this scheduled English change is distinct from the wider earned settlement proposals.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker settlement · Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker
Timing and travel
Standard decisions usually take up to six months. Priority and super-priority services may be offered for additional fees. Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man while waiting, because the application will be withdrawn.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker settlement
Earned settlement remains separate from current eligibility
The government consulted on an earned settlement system with a longer baseline and potential reductions. The consultation is not itself an amendment to your qualifying period. Check any announced changes against the enacted rules and their commencement dates. Recheck official Immigration Rules before making long-term decisions.
Sources: Home Office: earned settlement consultation · Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker
Long residence is a different route
Long residence has separate qualifying rules. Do not confuse it with proposed earned settlement or assume that every type of lawful stay can be combined under the Skilled Worker route.
Sources: GOV.UK: long residence
Check your circumstances before applying
Potential issues include the wrong qualifying date, insufficient salary, unexplained absences or suitability concerns. A regulated immigration adviser can assess complicated histories; a job-matching service cannot determine your immigration eligibility.
ILR is not British citizenship
Naturalisation is another application with separate residence, absence, good-character and other requirements. For many applicants a 12-month period after obtaining ILR applies; different rules can apply to someone married to a British citizen.
Sources: GOV.UK: citizenship with ILR
Prepare a dated evidence checklist
- Confirm qualifying permission dates and travel history.
- Obtain the sponsor’s employment and salary confirmation.
- Check Life in the UK and the English rules for the planned application date.
- Check each dependant separately and budget for all application fees.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker settlement
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