Reduce the ILR qualifying period from 5 years to 3 years for legal immigrants

We urge the Government to reduce the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from 5 years to 3 years for legally residing immigrants who are working, paying taxes, and have no criminal record.

We believe that reducing the qualifying period for ILR from 5 years to 3 years for law-abiding, tax-paying immigrants would benefit both individuals and the UK. We believe this change would recognise their contributions, promote faster social integration, and provide stability for families.

We also believe it could address any labour shortages by encouraging skilled workers to stay in the UK, creating a more inclusive system that strengthens the economy and rewards good conduct.

Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not an automatic entitlement. It conveys significant benefits, including the right to live permanently in the UK, access to work, study, and public funds, and provides a pathway to British citizenship. Unless there are truly exceptional reasons, or a route provides for immediate settlement, the expectation is that applicants should serve a probationary period of temporary permission before being eligible to apply for it.

The UK immigration system already provides for people to settle in different circumstances, with different qualifying periods required to reach settlement. Most routes to settlement require someone to have been in the UK for at least 5 years before they qualify for settlement. There are also longer pathways to settlement (typically 10 years) where people have, for example, failed to meet the core requirements of routes that lead to settlement. In these circumstances, we require people to serve a longer probationary period before being able to apply for settlement, to ensure that they have made a commitment to the UK and to help them to integrate into their local communities.

We do regularly review all our policies and, where there is evidence to justify a change, we will do so. However, we do not believe there is any basis at present to reduce the qualifying periods for settlement in the UK.

Home Office