Under the government’s plans, the standard length of time migrants will have to live in the UK to qualify for permanent settlement will double from five to 10 years.
Under this 10-year pathway, applicants must have earned at least £12,571 for five of the seven years immediately before being granted settlement.
However, there will be a shorter qualifying period of five years for certain groups, including:
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People who earned at least £50,271 for three of five years immediately before applying for settlement
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Care workers who earned at least £25,000 a year while meeting their visa conditions and arrived in the UK before May 2025
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“Skilled” public service workers, such as doctors, nurses and teachers
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Other health and education public service workers who fall below this skill level, for example nursing auxiliaries and teaching assistants, if they arrived in the UK before May 2025
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People from Hong Kong who hold British National (Overseas) status
People earning over £125,141 a year, as well as “highly skilled” migrants such as those on Global Talent or Innovator Founder visas, will qualify after three years.
Migrants who have claimed certain benefits or breached immigration rules will only be able to settle after at least 20 years.
To qualify for settlement, migrants will also have to meet other conditions including:
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Have no criminal record
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Speak English to a high standard
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Owe no debt to the taxpayer
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Have “a record of sustained National Insurance Contributions”
