# UK settlement rules: most migrants now wait 10 years for ILR, unless they earn over £50,000

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/world/uk-settlement-rules-most-migrants-now-wait-10-years-for-ilr-unless-they-earn)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 3 Nov 2026
Updated: 3 Nov 2026
Retrieved: 4 Nov 2026

> Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament the change applies to workers already in Britain, with care workers on £25,000 or more exempted.

Britain will make most foreign workers wait **10 years instead of five** before they can apply for permanent residency, known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR), Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament on Monday. The new rules take effect next year and **apply to people already in the UK**, according to [Al Jazeera, citing AP and Reuters](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/3/uk-to-double-wait-for-permanent-residency-with-exemptions-for-care-workers).

For Pakistani families with a relative part way through the five-year path on a work visa, the change can mean five more years of visa extensions and fees before settlement.

## Who waits how long under the new ILR rules

| Group | Wait for ILR |
|---|---|
| Earning over £125,000 a year | 3 years |
| Earning over £50,000 a year | 5 years |
| Care workers earning at least £25,000 who met their visa conditions | 5 years |
| Refugees on a government safe and legal route | 5 years |
| Everyone else on a work route | 10 years |
| Other refugees who work or study | 10 years |
| Other refugees | 20 years |
| People who arrived by an illegal method, such as a small boat | Up to 30 years |

For scale, the UK median salary is about £39,000, so most workers fall below the £50,000 line. At today's [pound rate](/data/gbp-pkr) of about Rs 371, £50,000 is roughly Rs 1.86 crore a year and £25,000 about Rs 93 lakh.

## New conditions for every applicant

Applicants will also be refused if they:

- have a criminal record
- cannot speak English to a high standard
- owe money to the government
- have paid less than three years of national insurance contributions

"Settlement should not be automatic. It should be earned," Mahmood said. "Those who contribute most will settle fastest."

## Why care workers were exempted

The government first proposed a 10 to 15 year wait for lower-skilled workers last year. Unions and parts of the Labour Party pushed back over care workers, many of whom arrived in the early 2020s to fill gaps left after Brexit and the pandemic. Mahmood said the exemption was for those "who worked hard and answered our call when we needed them".

## What to do if your family is on a UK visa

1. **Check the salary on the visa holder's current payslip** against the £50,000 and £25,000 lines; that now decides the route.
2. **Keep national insurance records** in order, since three years of contributions become a hard requirement.
3. **Plan the English test** early if the visa holder has not already passed one at a high level.
4. Wait for the Home Office's published rules before paying any fees or advisers; the detail, including transition dates, comes with the rule change.

Sending money home from the UK? Our [currency converter](/tools/finance/currency-converter) shows what a transfer is worth in rupees today.

## Frequently asked questions

**How long is the wait for ILR in the UK under the new rules?**

Ten years for most workers from next year. People earning over £50,000 can still apply after five years, over £125,000 after three, and care workers earning at least £25,000 after five.

**Do the new UK settlement rules apply to people already in Britain?**

Yes. The rules apply retroactively to workers already in the country.

## Sources

- UK to double wait for permanent residency, with exemptions for care workers (Al Jazeera): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/3/uk-to-double-wait-for-permanent-residency-with-exemptions-for-care-workers

How to cite: "UK settlement rules: most migrants now wait 10 years for ILR, unless they earn over £50,000", Searchable, 3 Nov 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/world/uk-settlement-rules-most-migrants-now-wait-10-years-for-ilr-unless-they-earn