UK visa rules lengthen qualifying periods

The House of Commons Library said in a briefing published on March 20, 2026 that Britain’s 2025 immigration white paper includes plans to lengthen the standard route to indefinite leave to remain, or settlement, from five years to 10. The briefing said the proposal is one of several post-white-paper changes aimed at making it harder to move to and settle in the UK. The Library also said some of the white paper’s proposals have already been implemented, while others are still pending. The white paper itself does not change the law; it sets out measures the government intends to make later. ### Which document set this out, and when? The Home Office published the white paper, titled *Restoring control over the immigration system*, on May 12, 2025. GOV.UK says the document sets out plans to reform the immigration system and links immigration, skills and visa policy to domestic workforce and growth objectives. The page was last updated on January 20, 2026. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The House of Commons Library said the white paper proposed both broad principles and specific rule changes. Its March 2026 briefing lists eight headline proposals, including a shorter Graduate visa, tighter English-language rules, a narrower range of jobs eligible for sponsorship and a longer settlement period. ### What exactly changes on settlement? (gov.uk) The House of Commons Library said the standard qualifying period for permanent residence would rise from five years to 10 years. The briefing said some people could qualify sooner under criteria that were still to be decided after a public consultation. The Home Office described that approach as “earned settlement” in a consultation published on November 20, 2025. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) GOV.UK says settlement would no longer be granted automatically after a fixed period and that migrants would need to earn it by showing good conduct, contribution and integration. The consultation ran until 11:59 p.m. on February 12, 2026, and the government says it is analysing responses. ### Have these longer qualifying periods already taken effect? The House of Commons Library said in its March 20, 2026 briefing that no change to the standard five-year-to-10-year settlement proposal had yet taken effect through the immigration rules. The briefing says a white paper does not by itself alter the law or the rules. (gov.uk) A separate Commons Library paper published on March 13, 2026 said one earned-settlement measure had been introduced on March 5, 2026: migrants who need an English-language test to obtain indefinite leave to remain will face a B2 standard from March 2027 on various routes. That paper described the broader earned-settlement package as still proposed rather than fully in force. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) ### What else in the white paper affects international graduates? A Home Office impact assessment dated October 14, 2025 said the Graduate route would be reduced from two years to 18 months for new entrants from January 2027, while PhD graduates would keep a three-year period. The same assessment said English-language requirements for Skilled Workers and some other routes would rise from B1 to B2. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The House of Commons Library included the shorter Graduate visa in its list of major white-paper proposals. That places the settlement change alongside other measures that affect how long overseas students can remain in Britain after study and the conditions under which they can move into work routes. ### Why are employers and graduates watching this briefing? (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) The House of Commons Library said public attention and constituent questions have focused particularly on the proposal to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. The briefing is framed as a guide to changes that have been implemented and those still to come after the 2025 white paper. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The next formal step is a government response to the earned settlement consultation launched by the Home Office on November 20, 2025. GOV.UK says the consultation closed on February 12, 2026 and that officials are analysing feedback, while the Commons Library briefing remains available on the UK Parliament website. (gov.uk) (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)