Your Path to Permanent Settlement in the UK
UK Settlement Services: ILR Routes and Private Life
Expert guidance on UK settlement and Indefinite Leave to Remain. Work Permit Cloud assists with the ILR 5-year route, 10-year long residence, and the 20-year private life route, including earned settlement advice.
IAA-regulated guidance on Indefinite Leave to Remain across all three main routes. The current rules still apply: the earned settlement proposals are not yet in the Immigration Rules.
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ILR 5-year route, 10-year long residence, and 20-year private life route, with expert support at every stage
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What Is UK Settlement (ILR)?
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is the UK's permanent settlement status. It removes all immigration conditions on your permission to be in the UK, meaning you can live, work, and study in the UK without any time limit or immigration restrictions. After ILR, British citizenship by naturalisation is available after 12 months. ILR is the final step in most people's UK immigration journey, and our settlement services cover the three main routes through which most people qualify.
The ILR 5-Year Route is the most common settlement pathway. It is available to Skilled Workers, spouses and partners, BNO visa holders, and several other categories after five continuous years of lawful residence. The government has consulted on a longer earned settlement route of 10 years for most categories, but as of October 2026 none of the proposals is in the Immigration Rules and no start date has been set, so the five-year rules still apply.
The ILR 10-Year Long Residence Route under Appendix Long Residence allows people who have lived lawfully in the UK for a full decade, across any combination of qualifying visa types, to apply for ILR. This makes it particularly useful for people who have spent their UK years across different categories: Student, then Skilled Worker, then Spouse visa, for example. Absences must not exceed 180 days in any rolling 12-month period, and not even a single day without valid leave is permitted.
The 20-Year Private Life Route under Appendix Private Life is for people who have lived continuously in the UK for more than 20 years, including periods without lawful status. A successful application grants 30 months of limited leave to remain, not ILR immediately. The applicant then follows a 10-year route to ILR. This is the most complex and document-intensive of the three routes, requiring evidence of continuous physical presence across the full 20-year period.
Work Permit Cloud's IAA-regulated advisors carry out full eligibility assessments across all three routes, including detailed absence calculations, qualifying date confirmations, and earned settlement planning. Select the relevant service below. You can also use our Indefinite Leave to Remain page for our ILR eligibility calculator.
Earned Settlement Is Still a Proposal: the 5-Year Route Applies
The government has consulted on a 10-year earned settlement baseline and has proposed applying it to people already in the UK who have not yet settled. As of October 2026 none of the proposals is in the Immigration Rules and no start date has been set, so the ILR 5-Year Route is still fully in force. If you have reached your qualifying date, you can apply under the current rules.
Absence Calculations Are the Most Common Cause of Refusal
All three ILR routes require no more than 180 days' absence in any rolling 12-month period. For the 10-year route, even a single day without valid leave breaks continuity. Work Permit Cloud carries out detailed absence calculations and qualifying period analysis for every ILR application before submission.
20-Year Private Life Route Does NOT Grant ILR Immediately
A successful 20-Year Private Life Route application grants 30 months of limited leave to remain under Appendix Private Life, not ILR. The onward route to ILR is a 10-year qualifying period on the private life route. The full timeline from initial application to ILR is typically 10 years. This is frequently misunderstood.
Explore our three settlement services below. Our ILR 5-Year Route service covers all qualifying visa categories, absence limits, the Life in the UK Test, English language requirements, the earned settlement proposals, and the full application process including UKVCAS biometrics. Our ILR 10-Year Long Residence Route service covers qualifying visa combinations under Appendix Long Residence, the April 2024 absence rule change, gap analysis, and the SET(LR) application. Our 20-Year Private Life Route service covers the Appendix Private Life eligibility criteria, evidence requirements for the full 20-year period, the 30-month initial leave, and the onward 10-year route to ILR. After ILR, British citizenship by naturalisation is available after 12 months.
Our Services
Our UK Settlement Services
Three specialist settlement services covering the ILR 5-year route, 10-year long residence, and the 20-year private life route
01
20 Year Private Life Route
The 20-Year Private Life Route allows individuals who have lived continuously in the UK for 20 or more years, including periods without lawful status, to apply for leave to remain. A successful application begins a 10-year route to ILR. This is one of the most evidence-intensive immigration routes, so we help you build the strongest possible application.
Find Out More02
ILR (10 year route)
The ILR 10-year long residence route allows anyone who has lived lawfully and continuously in the UK for 10 years, across any combination of visa types, to apply for permanent settlement. Absence calculations and gaps in lawful status are the most common reasons for refusal. We check both before you apply.
Find Out More03
ILR (5 year route)
The ILR 5-year route is the most common pathway to UK permanent settlement, available to Skilled Workers, spouses, BNO holders, and others after five continuous years on a qualifying visa. The government has proposed a longer earned settlement route for many categories, but the five-year rules apply until new Immigration Rules are made.
Find Out MoreNot sure which ILR route applies to your situation?
Our IAA-regulated advisers will assess your qualifying date, visa history, absence record, and earned settlement position before you commit to an application.
Our Process
How Our UK Settlement Service Works
From confirming your ILR route to submitting a complete application, we manage every stage
01
Assess Your Route and Qualifying Date
We identify which ILR route applies to your immigration history: the 5-year route, the 10-year long residence route, or the 20-year private life route. We calculate your exact qualifying date, carry out a detailed absence analysis against the applicable limits, check your salary (Skilled Workers) and good character position, and advise on timing under the current rules and the earned settlement proposals.
02
Prepare Your Application Bundle
We help you prepare your complete ILR application bundle: all historical passports, leave evidence, travel records confirming absence compliance, Life in the UK Test certificate, English language evidence, payslips, relationship evidence, and all other documentation specific to your route. For the 20-year private life route, we gather and structure the evidence of 20 years of continuous presence. We index and organise every document clearly for the Home Office reviewers.
03
Submit and Attend Biometrics
We guide you as you submit your ILR application online within the 28-day application window before your qualifying date, and advise on booking your UKVCAS biometrics appointment. We remain available throughout the processing period and respond to any Home Office requests. Processing takes approximately 6 months on standard service. Priority and super-priority processing are available at additional cost.
04
ILR Granted, Onwards to Citizenship
On approval of ILR, all immigration conditions are removed. You can live and work in the UK permanently without any further immigration applications. We advise on British citizenship by naturalisation, available after 12 months of ILR for most applicants, and on bringing eligible family members to settlement. For 20-year private life route applicants, we continue to support you through the 10-year lawful residence route to ILR.
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FAQ
Common questions
What is Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)?
ILR is the UK's permanent settlement status. It removes all immigration conditions, allowing you to live and work in the UK without any time limit. After ILR, British citizenship by naturalisation is available after 12 months. Our settlement services cover three routes: the ILR 5-year route (the most common), the ILR 10-year long residence route, and the 20-year private life route (which grants limited leave first, not ILR immediately).
How much does ILR cost?
£3,226 per person for the ILR 5-year and 10-year routes. For the 20-year private life route: £1,407 for the initial 30-month limited leave application, then £3,226 when applying for ILR after 10 years of lawful residence. Dependants applying at the same time each pay the full fee. The fee is non-refundable on refusal. Priority service (5 working days) costs an additional £500. Super-priority (next working day) costs an additional £1,000.
What are the absence and residence requirements for ILR?
All ILR routes require: continuous lawful residence for the qualifying period; no more than 180 days absent in any rolling 12-month period (assessed per window, not averaged); passing the Life in the UK Test; English language at CEFR B1, or B2 on most routes where the application is made on or after 26 March 2027; and a good character assessment. For the 10-year route, not even a single day without valid leave is permitted under Appendix Long Residence. Applications must be submitted no more than 28 days before the qualifying date.
Does the 20-year private life route grant ILR immediately?
No. A successful 20-year private life route application grants 30 months of limited leave to remain under Appendix Private Life. ILR is not granted immediately. The onward route to ILR is a 10-year qualifying period on the private life route: the applicant renews their leave every 30 months and, after 10 years, can apply for ILR. The total timeline from the initial 20-year private life application to ILR is typically 10 years.
Does ILR lapse if I leave the UK?
Yes. ILR lapses after 2 continuous years' absence from the UK. If you have been outside the UK for more than 2 continuous years, you need a Returning Resident visa to come back and live here. British citizenship by naturalisation eliminates this risk entirely, as British citizens are not subject to any absence-based lapsing of status.
What are the proposed earned settlement changes and should I apply now?
The government has consulted on extending the standard ILR qualifying period from 5 years to 10 years for most routes, and has proposed applying the change to people already in the UK who have not yet settled. The consultation closed in February 2026. As of October 2026 none of the proposals is in the Immigration Rules and no start date has been set, so the current 5-year route is still in force. The consultation proposed shorter routes for some groups: partners of British citizens and BNO visa holders (5 years), Innovator Founder and Global Talent holders (3 years), and reductions for higher earners. These are proposals, not rules. If you are eligible under the current rules, you can apply now.
Have more questions about UK settlement?
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