Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled plans to overhaul immigration rules.
Proposals to amend the requirements to qualify for permanent residence in the UK were first detailed in November 2025, when she was home secretary in the government of Sir Keir Starmer.
Following the completion of public consultations, Mamenting has now announced its final decision on which reforms will be implemented.
What are permanent residence and indefinite residence permits?
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as permanent residence (settlement), gives the holder the right to live, work and study in the UK indefinitely.
Under the current system, people with ILR can also claim benefits if they are eligible.
People who have lived in the UK for 12 months after being approved for ILR can apply for British citizenship if they meet other requirements.
How will the new regulations affect immigration to the UK?
According to the London government's plan, the standard period of residence required for immigrants to obtain permanent residence in the UK will be doubled from five years to 10 years.
Under this 10-year pathway, applicants must have an annual income of at least £12,571 (US$16,869; RMB 112,453; NT$553,251) for five years in the immediately preceding seven years before being granted permanent residence.
However, the qualifying period will be shortened to five years for some groups, including:
People who have had an annual income of at least £50,271 for three years in the five years immediately before applying for permanent residence
Care workers who earn at least £25,000 a year and arrive in the UK before May 2025 if they qualify for the visa
Other health and education public service workers whose skills are lower than the above standards, such as nursing assistants and teaching assistants, but must have arrived in the UK before May 2025
Hong Kong residents holding British National (Overseas) status
People earning more than £125,141 a year, as well as "highly skilled" immigrants holding Global Talent or Innovator Founder visas, will be eligible after three years.
Immigrants who have applied for certain benefits or violated immigration regulations must live in the country for at least 20 years before they can obtain permanent residence status.
To qualify for permanent residence, immigrants must also meet other conditions, including:
No criminal record
Have a high level of English proficiency
No debt is owed to taxpayers
Have annual income of £12,571 or more for at least three years, consistent with the salaries tax threshold
What are the rules for refugees?
The rules for refugees will be different. Refugees are people who have been granted asylum in the UK and are unable to return to their country of origin due to fear of persecution.
Refugees arriving in the UK through official government schemes can obtain permanent residence after five years of residence.
However, other refugees have to wait 10 years and need to work or go to school.
Refugees without jobs or education must wait 20 years.
Refugees arriving in the UK by boat or other illegal means must wait 20 years if they are working or studying; if they are not working or studying, they must wait 30 years.
Will immigrants already in the UK be affected?
The changes will apply to immigrants already in the UK, but will not affect those who have already obtained permanent leave to remain.
What about the accompanying family members?
Partners who arrive in the UK with a subsequent applicant for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) can obtain permanent leave to remain at the same time, provided they meet the relevant requirements.
However, partners who come to the UK to reunite with them later must complete the same qualifying period of residence before they are eligible to apply for permanent residence.
Qualifying partners may combine income to meet the minimum income requirement.
The household income threshold will be £25,142 (US$33,728; RMB 224,905; NT$1,106,501), or twice the individual minimum income requirement.
Children under the age of 18 will continue to be able to obtain permanent residence status with their parents.
They will be exempted from income requirements, government debt requirements, English proficiency requirements and the Life in the UK Test requirement, but will still have to meet relevant suitability and criminal record requirements.
Young adults aged 18 to 24 who still depend on their families will continue to be able to obtain permanent residence status with their families.
