The 10-year standard path to settlement
The 10-year pathway is the new standard wait for settlement announced on 2 November 2026. What it requires, the £12,571 earnings test, the £25,142 couple figure, and how it differs from today's Long Residence route.
- Section
- ILR & Settlement
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Last checked
- 3 November 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- The 10-year pathway is decided policy, announced on 2 November 2026. It is not yet in the Immigration Rules.
- Table 1 of the government's response lists earnings of £12,571 in 5 of the previous 7 years. Chapter 2 says 'at least three years'. The response does not explain the difference.
- A couple can combine earnings to meet a household figure of £25,142.
- Using specified public funds in the 5 years before applying moves an applicant to the 20-year pathway.
- The Long Residence route, a different 10-year route that exists today, is due to close.
Under the earned settlement decision announced on 2 November 2026, 10 years becomes the standard qualifying period for settlement (indefinite leave to remain). The government's response (CP 1707) describes it as the starting point for anyone keeping to the rules and making a contribution. It requires earnings of at least £12,571 in 5 of the 7 years before applying, or £25,142 for a couple together, plus the mandatory requirements such as B2 English and no criminal record. It is not yet law: the Home Secretary said the rules will begin to be laid from December 2026 and be brought in over 2027. It is also not the same as the Long Residence route, which is a 10-year route today and is due to close.
Where This Stands
The 10-year pathway is part of the earned settlement decision the government announced on 2 November 2026, in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: Government Response to the Consultation (CP 1707). Page numbers below refer to that document.
It is decided policy, not law. On 3 November 2026 no statement of changes to the Immigration Rules had been laid to bring it in. The Home Secretary told the House of Commons on 2 November 2026 that "The changes that have been announced will begin to be laid from the December immigration rules. They will be implemented over the course of 2027." Until then, the qualifying periods in the current rules apply, which is 5 years on most work and family routes.
For all four pathways, see our guide to earned settlement. This page covers the 10-year pathway only.
What the 10-Year Pathway Is
The response describes the 10-year pathway as "The starting point for anyone playing by the rules and making a contribution to the UK" (Table 1, page 42). Under earned settlement, everyone starts from 10 years. Shorter pathways of 3 and 5 years are open to some groups, and a longer 20-year pathway applies to others.
Table 1 lists what the 10-year pathway needs:
| Must have | Must not have |
|---|---|
| Earned £12,571 for 5 of the previous 7 years | Accessed public funds in the last 5 years |
| Meets all mandatory requirements | Committed a qualifying immigration breach |
The Earnings Test
The response sets a minimum level of earnings for settlement. It calls this the "sustained contribution" requirement.
- The figure. £12,571 a year. The response says it is "aligned to the basic rate of income tax" (page 11) and, in Annex B, "in line with 2026/27 thresholds for paying National Insurance Contributions" (page 48). It says the thresholds "will remain linked to the relevant income tax thresholds and will therefore move in line with any future changes".
- How many years. For the 10-year pathway, the response says applicants "must meet the £12,571 earnings threshold in the five of the seven years immediately before applying for settlement. This means that two of those seven years can be below the threshold" (page 12). Table 1 says the same.
- The "best years" approach. The response explains the 5-of-7 rule as a way to allow for maternity or parental leave, caring and ill health. Its own example is someone who earns above £12,571 for 3 years, has 2 years of maternity leave below it, then earns above it for 2 more years. The response says she meets the requirement (page 12).
- Exemptions. Children, people aged 65 and over, and people unable to meet the requirement because of a physical or mental condition (page 11).
Where the government's documents differ
The response does not describe the test the same way in every place:
| Where | Wording |
|---|---|
| Chapter 2, page 11 | "a threshold of £12,571 a year for at least three years" |
| Chapter 2, page 12 | "in the five of the seven years immediately before applying for settlement" |
| Table 1, page 42 | "Earned £12,571 for 5 of the previous 7 years" |
| Home Secretary, House of Commons, 2 November 2026 | "a failure to have made three years of national insurance contributions" (named as disqualifying) |
The more detailed wording, in Chapter 2 and Table 1, is 5 of 7 years for this pathway. Refugees on the Protection Work and Study route are described separately, with £12,571 in three qualifying years (page 34). The response does not say whether earnings mean gross pay or taxable income, or how Scottish income tax bands are treated. The rules, when laid, will settle this.
The £25,142 Household Figure
Under the 2025 proposal, the government asked whether each partner should earn settlement in their own right. The response moved away from that. It says: "eligible couples will be able to combine their earnings to meet the minimum economic contribution requirement. The household income threshold will be £25,142, twice the individual minimum income requirement" (page 13).
- One partner can meet the figure alone, or both can combine their earnings.
- A partner who works fewer hours, for example while caring for children, "will not necessarily need to meet the individual £12,571 threshold themselves".
- The couple must be in a genuine relationship, and "only one person may rely on the other's income for this purpose".
- The household figure stays at twice the individual figure, so it moves with the National Insurance threshold.
The response does not say whether the household figure can be used for the higher earnings tests on the 3-year and 5-year pathways. For partners and children generally, see our guide to partners and children under earned settlement.
The Mandatory Requirements
The 10-year pathway needs the same mandatory requirements as every other pathway. The response says they "cannot be offset by higher earnings, public service or other positive contributions" (page 4):
- Good character and suitability, including no criminal record in the UK for adults. Under the response, any adult with a UK criminal record "will be refused settlement" (page 8).
- No outstanding government debt, including NHS debt, unpaid tax and National Insurance, and litigation debt owed to the Home Office (page 8).
- English at B2, with the existing exemptions (page 17).
- The Life in the UK test, with the existing exemptions (page 17).
- Sustained contribution, the earnings test above.
Public Funds and the 20-Year Pathway
The response says: "applicants seeking to qualify through the three, five or ten-year pathways will be expected not to have accessed specified public funds during the five years immediately before applying for settlement. Alternatively, if they continue to access public funds, they will have to complete 20 years on a qualifying route" (page 14).
- The government will start from the existing definition of public funds and then decide which benefits count. Safeguards for vulnerable groups will be "set out before implementation".
- The response's own example says a person who has used specified public funds must either complete a continuous 5-year period on a qualifying route without them, or wait until they have completed 20 years (page 15).
Specified immigration breaches committed as an adult, such as overstaying or breaking a condition of a visa, also lead to the 20-year pathway (page 9). See our guide to no recourse to public funds for what the current rules count as public funds.
Who the Response Places on the 10-Year Pathway
The response does not give a list of who is on the 10-year pathway. It is the pathway for anyone who does not reach a shorter one and is not moved to a longer one. The response names these groups:
- Workers in jobs below degree level. The consultation proposed 15 years for jobs below RQF level 6 (the Regulated Qualifications Framework; level 6 is roughly a bachelor's degree). The response dropped that and says these workers "will instead qualify through the 10-year pathway" (page 38).
- Care workers who joined after May 2025. Care workers who entered or switched into the route after the white paper was published "will qualify through the standard 10-year Earned Settlement pathway" (page 39). Those who joined earlier have a transitional arrangement; see our guide to care workers.
- Skilled Workers sponsored before April 2024. The response extends their right to extend on current salary terms to 2035, "with the qualifying period for settlement extended to 10 years for workers in roles below RQF6" (page 40).
- Partners of sponsors who are not British. Partners of British citizens stay on 5 years as a "British connection". The government's estimates say: The government's forecast includes about 223,000 people on family routes sponsored by a British citizen, who keep a 5-year path, and about 39,000 on family routes sponsored by someone who is not a British citizen, who move to a longer path.
- People on the Family and Private Life routes. The response says permission on these routes "will not qualify a person for the three or five-year settlement pathways" (pages 19–20).
The response lists three ways onto the 5-year pathway instead: earnings of £50,271 in 3 of the last 5 years, 5 years in an eligible public service job, or a British connection. See the list of public service jobs.
Which Time Counts
Under earned settlement, only time on routes that lead to settlement counts towards the 10 years. The response lists routes that count, such as Skilled Worker, UK Ancestry, Global Talent and the family partner routes, and routes that do not, such as Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility and the Ukraine schemes (pages 19–20). Time on protection or human rights routes cannot be added to time on work or family routes (page 21). The full lists are in our guide to which visas count.
Not the Same as Long Residence
Today's Immigration Rules already have a 10-year route: Long Residence. It allows settlement after 10 years of continuous lawful residence, and time on most routes counts, including Student and Graduate time. The two are often confused.
The response says: "Under Earned Settlement, the Long Residence route will close. Time spent on temporary routes will no longer build towards settlement simply because an individual subsequently reaches 10 years of lawful residence" (page 19). The response gives no closure date and no arrangement for people part-way through Long Residence. Until the rules change, Long Residence remains in the Immigration Rules.
Sources
- HM Government, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: Government Response to the Consultation, CP 1707, November 2026, on the GOV.UK earned settlement consultation page. Page numbers are the printed page numbers.
- House of Commons, "Immigration: Earned Settlement", 2 November 2026, in Hansard.
- GOV.UK statement of changes collection.
Only a person regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority or a solicitor can advise on an individual case. See our guide to getting help with an application.
Questions and answers
Is the 10-year settlement rule law now?
No. The government announced the 10-year standard pathway on 2 November 2026 in its response to the earned settlement consultation. On 3 November 2026 no statement of changes to the Immigration Rules had been laid. The Home Secretary told the House of Commons the changes will begin to be laid from the December 2026 rules and be implemented over 2027.
What earnings does the 10-year pathway require?
Table 1 of the response lists earnings of £12,571 for 5 of the previous 7 years, and Chapter 2 gives the same 5-of-7 rule for this pathway. Elsewhere, Chapter 2 describes the threshold as £12,571 a year 'for at least three years'. The response does not reconcile the two. Exemptions apply to children, people aged 65 and over, and people unable to meet the requirement because of a physical or mental condition.
Can a couple combine income for the 10-year pathway?
Yes. The response says eligible couples can combine earnings to meet the minimum contribution requirement. The household figure is £25,142, twice the individual figure. Only one partner may rely on the other's income for this purpose (CP 1707, page 13).
Who is on the 10-year pathway?
The response describes it as the starting point for anyone keeping to the rules and making a contribution. People who do not reach a 3-year or 5-year pathway through earnings, an eligible public service job or a British connection fall to it. The response says workers in jobs below RQF level 6, care workers who joined after May 2025 and partners of sponsors who are not British citizens are among those on a longer pathway.
Is the 10-year pathway the same as the Long Residence route?
No. Long Residence is a route in today's Immigration Rules for people with 10 years of continuous lawful residence on almost any route, including Student and Graduate time. The response says the Long Residence route will close and that time on temporary routes will no longer count towards settlement.
What happens if someone has claimed benefits?
The response says applicants on the 3, 5 and 10-year pathways will be expected not to have accessed specified public funds in the 5 years immediately before applying. Someone who continues to access public funds will need 20 years on a qualifying route. Which benefits count will be set out before implementation (page 14).
Does the 10-year pathway need B2 English?
Yes. B2 English is one of the mandatory requirements on every pathway under earned settlement, with the existing exemptions for children, people aged 65 and over, and people with a relevant physical or mental condition. Separately, a rule already laid on 5 March 2026 raises settlement English to B2 on most routes for applications made on or after 26 March 2027.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.