UK Settlement Will Take 10 Years for Most, and Student or Graduate Visa Time Won't Count: What It Means for Indian Families
Published 03/11/2026
In short: The UK has confirmed that permanent residence (called settlement, or Indefinite Leave to Remain) will usually take 10 years instead of 5, with faster routes for high earners. Years spent on a Student or Graduate visa will not count towards it. No start date has been given yet. This matters most to families who see a UK degree as a first step to living and working there long term.
What happened
On 2 November 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood made a statement in Parliament, and the Home Office published its final response to last year's consultation, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement. The consultation ran from November 2025 to February 2026 and received more than 200,000 responses.
The main points of the final plan:
- 10 years becomes the starting point for settlement, up from 5.
- 5 years for people earning at least £50,271 a year (in three of the last five years), or working for five years in listed public service jobs such as doctors, nurses and teachers.
- 3 years for people earning at least £125,141 (in three of the last four years), or those in the government's highest talent group.
- 10 years for others who earn at least £12,571 a year for five of the previous seven years.
- 20 years for people kept off the faster paths by an immigration breach or by using public funds in the five years before applying.
- Everyone must also meet minimum conditions: good character (no criminal record), no unpaid debt to the government, B2 English (the Home Office describes this as equivalent to A level in a foreign language), a pass in the Life in the UK test, and a record of sustained contribution.
How long the wait will be
- Earning £125,141+
- Or highest talent group
- Earning £50,271+
- Or doctor, nurse, teacher and other listed jobs
- The new default
- Earning at least £12,571
The question most families will ask: does my child's study time count?
No. This is the change that matters most for students. Until now, time on a Student or Graduate visa could add up to settlement through a separate "Long Residence" route after 10 years of lawful stay. The government response says that route will close. Student, Graduate and High Potential Individual visas are now listed among the routes that will not count towards the qualifying period.
The clock would start only on a route meant for long-term stay, such as the Skilled Worker or Global Talent visa. So a student who does a one-year master's and then the Graduate visa would begin counting only once they move to one of those routes.
Does this affect students who are already in the UK?
Very likely, yes. The Home Office says settlement applications are normally judged under the rules in force when the decision is made, not when someone arrived. Special protections announced so far are for care workers and some health and education workers who arrived before May 2025, not for students. People who already hold settlement keep it.
When does it start?
Not yet decided. The Home Office says the next step is to turn the plan into detailed rules, and that it will publish technical guidance and a full impact assessment before the changes start. We will update this page when a date is set.
For students
- Choose a UK course for what it teaches and the job it leads to, not as a route to settle. It was always the safer reason.
- Remember the earlier change: from 1 January 2027, most new Graduate visas will be 18 months, not two years. Read our guide to that change.
- If you want to stay longer, your plan is the move to a Skilled Worker job. Look at salaries in your field: the 5-year path needs earnings of £50,271 or more.
- Start building strong English now. B2 English and the Life in the UK test will apply to everyone who settles.
For parents
UK study after the settlement change
- Student and Graduate years won't count towards settling
- Choose the course for skills and jobs, not for PR
- Judge the cost on the degree's value, not on staying for good
- No start date yet: rules come later
Plan the money on the degree's value. If a UK master's makes sense because of the skills, the university and the first few years of work experience, these changes do not alter that. If the plan was "study, then settle in five years", it needs a fresh look, because for most graduates the road is now longer and starts later.
Compare with care. Rules on permanent residence change in every country. Before paying a deposit, check each country's official rules, and be wary of anyone who promises a job, visa or settlement.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Home Secretary unveils new rules for migrants settling in the UK, 2 November 2026. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- GOV.UK, Earned settlement: Home Secretary's statement, 2 November 2026. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Home Office, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: Government response to the consultation (CP 1707), November 2026. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- GOV.UK, Earned settlement consultation page. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
If a calm look at UK plans would help, more on easyapply.in when useful.
Dates can change. Confirm on the official website before you pay or apply.