The UK government published its immigration white paper in May 2025 proposing significant changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). The most controversial proposal is extending the qualifying period from five years to ten years for most visa categories including Skilled Worker.
What is the current position?
At present, most Skilled Worker visa holders can apply for ILR after five continuous years of lawful residence in the UK. This has been the settled position for years. Thousands of people planned their lives and careers around this timeline.
What is proposed?
The government proposes a new “earned settlement” model with a ten-year baseline qualifying period. The concern is that this could be applied retrospectively — meaning people already partway through their five-year route could have the goalposts moved on them.
What should you do?
If you are approaching your five-year qualifying period, you should consider applying for ILR under the current rules before any changes take effect. You should also keep your absences below the permitted threshold and ensure your documentation is in order.
Is there a legal challenge?
Yes. I am leading a campaign on CrowdJustice to obtain a King’s Counsel opinion on whether applying these changes retrospectively is lawful. Visit the ILR Campaign page on this site for more information.
Book a consultation if you want to understand how these proposed changes affect your specific situation.
UK solicitor at Farani Taylor Solicitors practising immigration, property conveyancing and corporate law. Fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi.