Indefinite Leave to Remain, usually called ILR, is the status that allows an eligible person to settle permanently in the United Kingdom. It is often described informally as UK permanent residence, although the legal term used for many applicants is indefinite leave to remain.
This 2026 guide focuses mainly on people on the Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker and related work routes. It also explains an important point for Nigerians and people currently living in the United States: your nationality or present country of residence does not by itself create a special ILR route. Eligibility is normally based on the UK immigration permission you have held, your qualifying residence, absences, salary, employment and the other settlement rules.
What ILR gives you
A person granted ILR can normally live and work in the UK without a time limit, study, change employers without needing a new Skilled Worker sponsorship permission, and access public funds where otherwise eligible. ILR can also be a step toward British citizenship for people who later satisfy the nationality requirements.
ILR is not the same as citizenship. An ILR holder remains a national of their existing country unless they separately acquire British citizenship. Long absences from the UK can also cause ILR to lapse, so “indefinite” does not mean the status can never be lost.
The standard Skilled Worker settlement period
For many Skilled Worker applicants, the normal qualifying period is five continuous years in the UK on qualifying immigration routes. The rules allow certain combinations of eligible work and talent routes to count toward that period.
Time as a visitor or ordinary international student does not simply become five-year Skilled Worker settlement time. Someone who studies in the UK for two years and then holds a Skilled Worker visa for three years should not assume those five calendar years automatically satisfy the Skilled Worker ILR route.
Applicants should review their full immigration history, including any switches between visa categories, to confirm what time can count.
Continuous residence and the 180-day rule
Absences are a major part of settlement planning. Under the normal continuous-residence framework, applicants generally must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during the qualifying period, subject to the detailed rules and permitted exceptions.
This is not simply 180 days per calendar year. A rolling 12-month calculation can matter, depending on the relevant rules and period. People who travel frequently for work should keep accurate records rather than trying to reconstruct five years of trips shortly before filing.
Keep old passports where possible, travel confirmations and a personal absence spreadsheet showing departure date, return date, destination and reason for travel.
You normally still need the sponsored job
A Skilled Worker settlement applicant generally needs the sponsoring employer to confirm that the worker is still required for the job for the foreseeable future. The applicant also has to satisfy the salary requirement that applies to settlement.
ILR is therefore not normally filed after resigning from the sponsored role and before finding another sponsor. The employment position at the date of application matters.
Salary requirements in 2026
Salary is one of the more complicated parts of Skilled Worker settlement because the applicable figure depends on the occupation and the applicant’s immigration history.
Under the current general settlement rule, many applicants need to earn at least £41,700 per year and at least the applicable going rate for the occupation, whichever requirement produces the higher figure. Different rules can apply to people whose jobs are on the Immigration Salary List, some healthcare and education roles, and workers protected by transitional arrangements because of when their sponsorship began.
For example, the general settlement salary shown for a qualifying Immigration Salary List case can be £33,400 together with the relevant going-rate requirement. This does not mean every Skilled Worker can settle on £33,400.
Do not rely on the salary threshold that applied when you first entered the UK. Settlement rules can be different from initial visa rules and can change before the five-year point.
Life in the UK Test
Most adult applicants who are required to meet the knowledge-of-life requirement need to pass the Life in the UK Test before filing. The official test currently costs £50. It contains 24 questions and allows 45 minutes.
Use the official study material and official booking service. Avoid websites that claim they can sell a guaranteed pass or a genuine certificate without sitting the test.
Keep the information needed to prove your pass. Settlement applications can ask for the relevant reference or confirmation.
English-language requirement
For settlement applications made before 26 March 2027, the current knowledge-of-language framework generally uses a minimum B1 speaking and listening level where an applicant needs to prove English through an approved test. From 26 March 2027, the rules provide for a higher B2 level in relevant cases.
Not everyone needs to sit a new test. An applicant may satisfy the requirement through nationality from a majority English-speaking country, an eligible degree taught in English, a qualifying approved test or previous successful proof accepted under the rules.
Being a U.S. citizen and merely living in the United States are different things. The United States appears on the majority English-speaking nationality list, but a Nigerian citizen residing in the U.S. does not become exempt simply because they live there.
ILR application fee in 2026
As of September 2026, the main application fee for indefinite leave to remain is £3,226 per person. Fees can change, so applicants should verify the amount when they are ready to file.
Family members do not become settled merely because the main Skilled Worker receives ILR. Each dependant must qualify under the rules that apply to them and an application fee is normally payable for each applicant.
When can you apply?
Settlement applications can normally be submitted shortly before the qualifying period is completed, subject to the specific route’s timing rule. Filing too early can lead to refusal or an invalid strategy, so calculate the earliest date carefully.
Do not wait until after your current permission expires. If you are not yet eligible for ILR when your visa is about to expire, you may need to extend or switch status first.
Documents to start preparing
The online application will generate requirements based on the individual case, but a Skilled Worker applicant may need:
- valid passport and relevant previous travel documents;
- evidence of current immigration status;
- employer letter confirming that the applicant is still required in the role;
- salary evidence such as recent payslips and bank statements where requested;
- Life in the UK Test evidence;
- English-language evidence where required;
- absence and travel information;
- documents explaining permitted or exceptional absences where relevant;
- dependant relationship documents if family members apply;
- other evidence requested by the online form for the particular route.
The employer letter matters
A common mistake is treating settlement as a completely personal application and forgetting that a Skilled Worker case still depends on the sponsored employment at the point of settlement. The sponsor normally needs to confirm that the worker remains required for the foreseeable future and that the salary meets the applicable requirement.
Ask the HR or immigration team early what internal process they use for settlement letters. Large employers may need several weeks to prepare documentation.
How job changes can affect the five-year period
Changing employer does not automatically reset the five-year settlement clock if the worker remains in qualifying immigration permission and follows the correct sponsorship and visa procedures. However, working for a new employer without obtaining the required permission can create serious status problems.
Keep copies of old Certificates of Sponsorship information, visa decisions, employment letters and payslips. A clean five-year record is easier to explain than a case built from memory.
For Nigerians on the Skilled Worker route
Nigerian nationality does not prevent a person from qualifying for Skilled Worker ILR. The applicant is assessed against the same route-based settlement rules that apply to other people in the category.
Where English needs to be proved, a Nigerian applicant may rely on a qualifying approved English test or an eligible degree taught in English if the required verification is completed. Do not assume that English being an official language in Nigeria automatically creates the same nationality exemption as citizenship of a country on the Home Office’s majority English-speaking list.
Nigerian applicants should also make sure names appear consistently across passports, degree evidence, employment records and marriage documents. Where naming conventions or name changes create differences, prepare the supporting evidence before filing.
For U.S. citizens and people resident in the United States
A U.S. citizen on a qualifying UK work route still needs the required years of UK residence, salary, continuing employment, Life in the UK requirement and all other ILR conditions. U.S. citizenship can affect how the English-language requirement is satisfied, but it does not remove the core settlement rules.
A person who is only resident in the United States but holds another nationality should check the rules that apply to that nationality and their own evidence. U.S. permanent residence or a U.S. work visa does not count as UK qualifying residence.
Dependants and family settlement
Partners and children can have different qualifying rules from the main worker. A partner who joined the Skilled Worker later may not be ready for ILR on the same date as the main applicant.
Before filing a family application, calculate each person’s qualifying residence separately. Check absences, relationship requirements, age rules for children and knowledge-of-language-and-life requirements where applicable.
If a dependant is not yet eligible, they may need an extension rather than settlement at that time.
What happens after you submit?
Standard processing can take several months. Faster services may be available for eligible applications for an additional fee, but availability can vary.
Applicants should be careful about international travel after filing. Under the application rules, travel outside the Common Travel Area while an in-country application is pending can cause the application to be treated as withdrawn in relevant circumstances. Plan important travel before filing or wait for the decision.
ILR and British citizenship
ILR can be a foundation for naturalisation, but citizenship is a separate application with separate residence, good-character, language and other requirements. Many people normally wait at least 12 months after receiving ILR before applying for naturalisation, while people married to British citizens can have different timing rules.
Do not book travel or make nationality decisions based only on a future citizenship plan. First secure the immigration status for which you currently qualify.
Can ILR be lost?
Yes. A person who remains outside the UK for a sufficiently long continuous period can lose ordinary ILR and may need to apply as a returning resident. Deportation, fraud or other serious circumstances can also affect status.
If you plan to relocate abroad for several years after settlement, check the rules before leaving rather than assuming ILR remains active forever.
Common refusal risks and mistakes
- Applying before the qualifying residence period is complete.
- Miscounting absences because only calendar years were checked.
- Using the salary threshold from an old visa application instead of the settlement rule.
- Leaving the sponsored job before confirming how the ILR application will be supported.
- Failing to pass the Life in the UK Test in time.
- Assuming U.S. residence automatically creates an English-language exemption.
- Assuming Nigerian nationality creates a special ILR route.
- Submitting inconsistent travel dates or employment records.
- Travelling while an in-country application is pending without understanding the consequences.
A six-month preparation plan
Six months before eligibility
Review every visa grant, calculate the qualifying period and reconstruct absences. Check whether any period was spent in a route that does not count.
Four months before
Check your occupation code, current salary and the settlement salary rule. Speak to HR if an increase or employment confirmation needs attention.
Two to three months before
Complete the Life in the UK Test if required. Review English-language evidence and prepare any degree verification or approved language test.
Final month
Obtain current employer documents, recent financial evidence and final travel records. Confirm the exact application fee and earliest filing date.
Frequently asked questions
Is ILR the same as permanent residence?
It is the main form of permanent settlement status for many non-EU work-route migrants in the UK, although different immigration schemes use different legal terminology.
Can I apply after five years even if I changed employers?
Potentially yes, if the time was spent in qualifying routes and you maintained lawful status. The current sponsoring employer must still support the settlement requirements that apply to the Skilled Worker route.
Is £41,700 the settlement salary for everyone?
No. It is the current general figure for many Skilled Worker settlement cases, but going rates, Immigration Salary List provisions, healthcare and education rules and transitional arrangements can change the amount required for a particular person.
How much does ILR cost in 2026?
The main fee is £3,226 per applicant as of September 2026. Verify the current fee immediately before payment.
Does a U.S. green card help me qualify for UK ILR?
No. UK settlement is based on qualifying UK immigration residence and the requirements of the UK route.
Final verification
Use GOV.UK and the current Immigration Rules as the final authority for settlement. Check the Skilled Worker settlement page, Appendix Skilled Worker, continuous residence rules, knowledge of language and life requirements and the current fee table before filing.
For most Skilled Worker applicants, a strong ILR case is built gradually over the full five years: maintain lawful status, record travel, stay in qualifying employment, monitor salary rules and prepare the Life in the UK and language evidence before the final deadline.