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No Place Like Home? UK Proposes Changes to the Qualifying Period for Permanent Residence and Citizenship in the UK

The UK government has proposed doubling the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five to ten years, a change that could significantly increase costs and uncertainty for migrants seeking permanent residence and British citizenship.

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Published 18 August 2025

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The UK government published its long-awaited Immigration White Paper in May 2025.  The document outlined significant changes across a variety of UK immigration categories, many of which have already been introduced.

However, one of the more eye-catching proposals – a change in the qualifying period for permanent residence in the UK, and consequently a longer route British citizenship – has yet to be implemented.  Nonetheless, if the Home Office proceeds with its plans as set out in the White Paper, the impact could be significant not only for new arrivals to the UK, but also for those who are already here.

It’s worth pointing out that the proposals are not expected to change the existing rules for anyone in the UK with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or anyone who is a partner of a British citizen.

White Paper Proposals

The White Paper proposed changes that will affect future applications for permanent residence in the UK (known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, or ILR) as well as applications for British citizenship.

Currently, individuals who have held various types of UK visas for five years can – along with their dependant family members –become eligible to apply for ILR.  After holding ILR for 12 months, they can then be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

However, the White Paper outlined two key changes:

  • The government plans to increase the standard qualifying period for ILR from five years to ten years.
  • A reduced qualifying period could still be available for those who can demonstrate that they have made “contributions to the UK economy and society”.

Impact

If these changes are implemented, they would double the amount of time an individual must spend in the UK before becoming eligible for ILR.  This would obviously have a knock-on effect for the overall time taken to qualify for British citizenship as well.

The biggest impact of this is cost.  For example a Skilled Worker (and their dependant family members) would need to apply for two five-year visas in order to become eligible for ILR, whereas currently they can apply for ILR after just five years in the UK.  This means not only additional legal fees but, more significantly, a second round of Home Office fees.

Currently, a 5-year visa for a family of four applying from inside the UK costs £7,004 in visa application fees, plus at least £18,000 for the Immigration Health Surcharge – not to mention the related employer costs, which must also be incurred.  If the White Paper changes are introduced, affected individuals and employers would need to pay these fees twice rather than once.

The changes would also lead to greater uncertainty.  Individual who remain on temporary immigration status for longer will be subject to the Immigration Rules – and their consequences – for twice as long as before.  A Skilled Worker, for example, risks losing the right to remain in the UK if they lose their job for any reason during their visa period.  Doubling the ILR qualifying period to 10 years will double the window in which such individuals (and their family) are at risk.

Analysis

There are three key points to consider here.

Firstly, although the White Paper promises a reduced qualifying period for ILR if the applicant can show “contributions to the UK economy and society”, the government has not confirmed what this actually means in practice.  Instead, it has said only that it will “consult on these changes later this year”.  This means that, for now, there is no indication of the criteria that will apply for a reduced qualifying period, nor what any reduced qualifying period would be.

Secondly, it’s not clear whether the new requirements will apply to existing UK residents or only to future arrivals.  Generally, when new immigration rules are introduced, existing residents are unaffected and can rely on the laws in place at the time they applied for their visa.  It would be unusual, therefore, for the new rules to apply retrospectively to individuals already living in the UK.  However, for now, there is no indication about whether that will be the case here.

Thirdly, it’s an open question whether these changes will be introduced at all.  There has been pushback domestically (a 10 year qualifying period for permanent residence would be longer than in many developed countries and, as noted earlier, would come with substantial costs).  In addition, the government is yet to issue the promised consultation on these changes.

Why timing matters

Although the government has had to water down other parts of its legislative agenda, much of the Immigration White Paper has already been implemented exactly as proposed.

As a result, individuals who are currently eligible for ILR or British citizenship but have not yet applied, or those who could become eligible shortly, might consider applying sooner rather than later.  Doing so could avoid falling the wrong side of any new rules, if the proposed changes come into effect.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the proposed changes, acting promptly could make all the difference for those seeking to secure their long-term status in the UK.

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Shorter Reads

No Place Like Home? UK Proposes Changes to the Qualifying Period for Permanent Residence and Citizenship in the UK

The UK government has proposed doubling the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five to ten years, a change that could significantly increase costs and uncertainty for migrants seeking permanent residence and British citizenship.

Published 18 August 2025

Associated sectors / services

  • Immigration

Authors

The UK government published its long-awaited Immigration White Paper in May 2025.  The document outlined significant changes across a variety of UK immigration categories, many of which have already been introduced.

However, one of the more eye-catching proposals – a change in the qualifying period for permanent residence in the UK, and consequently a longer route British citizenship – has yet to be implemented.  Nonetheless, if the Home Office proceeds with its plans as set out in the White Paper, the impact could be significant not only for new arrivals to the UK, but also for those who are already here.

It’s worth pointing out that the proposals are not expected to change the existing rules for anyone in the UK with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or anyone who is a partner of a British citizen.

White Paper Proposals

The White Paper proposed changes that will affect future applications for permanent residence in the UK (known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, or ILR) as well as applications for British citizenship.

Currently, individuals who have held various types of UK visas for five years can – along with their dependant family members –become eligible to apply for ILR.  After holding ILR for 12 months, they can then be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

However, the White Paper outlined two key changes:

  • The government plans to increase the standard qualifying period for ILR from five years to ten years.
  • A reduced qualifying period could still be available for those who can demonstrate that they have made “contributions to the UK economy and society”.

Impact

If these changes are implemented, they would double the amount of time an individual must spend in the UK before becoming eligible for ILR.  This would obviously have a knock-on effect for the overall time taken to qualify for British citizenship as well.

The biggest impact of this is cost.  For example a Skilled Worker (and their dependant family members) would need to apply for two five-year visas in order to become eligible for ILR, whereas currently they can apply for ILR after just five years in the UK.  This means not only additional legal fees but, more significantly, a second round of Home Office fees.

Currently, a 5-year visa for a family of four applying from inside the UK costs £7,004 in visa application fees, plus at least £18,000 for the Immigration Health Surcharge – not to mention the related employer costs, which must also be incurred.  If the White Paper changes are introduced, affected individuals and employers would need to pay these fees twice rather than once.

The changes would also lead to greater uncertainty.  Individual who remain on temporary immigration status for longer will be subject to the Immigration Rules – and their consequences – for twice as long as before.  A Skilled Worker, for example, risks losing the right to remain in the UK if they lose their job for any reason during their visa period.  Doubling the ILR qualifying period to 10 years will double the window in which such individuals (and their family) are at risk.

Analysis

There are three key points to consider here.

Firstly, although the White Paper promises a reduced qualifying period for ILR if the applicant can show “contributions to the UK economy and society”, the government has not confirmed what this actually means in practice.  Instead, it has said only that it will “consult on these changes later this year”.  This means that, for now, there is no indication of the criteria that will apply for a reduced qualifying period, nor what any reduced qualifying period would be.

Secondly, it’s not clear whether the new requirements will apply to existing UK residents or only to future arrivals.  Generally, when new immigration rules are introduced, existing residents are unaffected and can rely on the laws in place at the time they applied for their visa.  It would be unusual, therefore, for the new rules to apply retrospectively to individuals already living in the UK.  However, for now, there is no indication about whether that will be the case here.

Thirdly, it’s an open question whether these changes will be introduced at all.  There has been pushback domestically (a 10 year qualifying period for permanent residence would be longer than in many developed countries and, as noted earlier, would come with substantial costs).  In addition, the government is yet to issue the promised consultation on these changes.

Why timing matters

Although the government has had to water down other parts of its legislative agenda, much of the Immigration White Paper has already been implemented exactly as proposed.

As a result, individuals who are currently eligible for ILR or British citizenship but have not yet applied, or those who could become eligible shortly, might consider applying sooner rather than later.  Doing so could avoid falling the wrong side of any new rules, if the proposed changes come into effect.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the proposed changes, acting promptly could make all the difference for those seeking to secure their long-term status in the UK.

Associated sectors / services

  • Immigration

Authors

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