Is ILR going to 10 years?

Not yet. A plan to raise the usual wait for settlement from 5 years to 10 has been proposed and consulted on, but when we checked it was not in the Immigration Rules.

What was proposed

In November 2025 the Home Office published "A Fairer Pathway to Settlement", a consultation on "earned settlement". It proposed that "the default qualifying period for settlement will be increased from the current 5 years to 10 years", with shorter or longer periods for some people. The consultation ran from 20 November 2025 to 12 February 2026. When we checked on 21 October 2026, GOV.UK said the Home Office was still analysing the feedback, and no outcome had been published.

What is already law

The B2 English rule is separate and is already law. For ILR applications made on or after 26 March 2027, most routes need a B2 test in speaking and listening (HC 1691, now in Appendix KoLL). It does not depend on the 10-year plan going ahead. See Do I need B2 English for ILR? and When does the B2 rule start?.

Is this the same as the 10-year long residence route?

No. Long residence is an existing route for people who have lived in the UK legally for 10 continuous years. It is not new, and it is one of the routes that move to B2 English for applications on or after 26 March 2027.

What should I do now?

Plan around the rules that exist today, and re-check whenever the Home Office publishes a new Statement of Changes, because earned settlement could change routes and timings later. We will update this page when that happens. To see whether the English rule affects you, try the free checker.

Last checked against GOV.UK: 21 October 2026.

Sources

1. Consultation: earned settlement (closed 12 February 2026), GOV.UK (checked 21 Oct 2026)
2. A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: statement and consultation (accessible version), GOV.UK (checked 21 Oct 2026)
3. Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1691 (5 March 2026), GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
4. Immigration Rules: Appendix KoLL (updated 8 October 2026), GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
5. Indefinite leave to remain if you've been in the UK for 10 years (long residence), GOV.UK (checked 21 Oct 2026)

This is general information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK for your own route, or speak to a regulated immigration adviser (registered with the IAA, formerly OISC). Find a regulated adviser on GOV.UK.