Applying for settlement as a family

Working Out Each Person's Qualifying Date

The first thing to establish is that the family may not qualify on the same day. A partner or child who joined the main applicant later started their own qualifying period later. Our settlement requirements guide covers the core conditions, and the routes themselves are listed on the GOV.UK settlement page.

Each person's absences are counted separately too. The limit of 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period applies to each applicant on their own record, not to the family as a group. See our 180-day rule guide.

Earned Settlement: Announced on 2 November 2026

On 2 November 2026 the government announced its decision on earned settlement, which makes 10 years the standard wait for settlement. It is not yet in the Immigration Rules: the Home Secretary told Parliament the changes will begin to be laid from the December 2026 rules and will be brought in during 2027. Until then, the rules on this page apply. For families, the government's response to the consultation (CP 1707) sets out:

• A partner who arrives with the main applicant "will continue to be able to settle at the same time, provided they meet the relevant requirements" (page 25).
• A partner who joins later "will need to complete the same qualifying residence period before settling" (page 25).
• Children under 18 settle with their parents. They are exempt from the income, government debt, English and Life in the UK requirements, but the rules on criminality still apply (page 25).
• Children who have spent 7 years in the UK, or most of their life, stay on their existing settlement arrangements (page 25).
• Young adults aged 18 to 24 who are still dependants can settle with the family. They must meet the adult requirements except the individual income requirement (page 25).
• Someone aged 25 or over when the family becomes eligible is "expected to qualify independently or move onto an appropriate immigration route in their own right" (page 26).
• Couples can combine earnings to reach a household figure of £25,142 for the minimum contribution requirement (page 13).
• Adults must meet the new minimum requirements, including B2 English, and "Any adult applicant with a criminal record in the UK will be refused settlement" (page 8).

Our guide to partners and children under earned settlement covers this in full.

What It Costs

• Application fee: £3,226 for the main applicant, and £3,226 for each other person included in the application. Two adults and two children is four times £3,226, which is £12,904.
• Immigration health surcharge: none. It is not charged on a settlement application.
• Biometrics: GOV.UK says there is no fee for giving your fingerprints and photograph. The appointment booking service does charge for some slots, such as out of hours, weekend, next day and same day appointments. See our biometrics guide.
• Life in the UK test: £50 each, for the family members who have to take it.
• English test: priced by the test provider, not by the Home Office, and only where a new test is needed.

Faster decisions are charged on top: £500 for the priority service and £1,000 for the super priority service, per application. See our cost breakdown and our dependants guide.

Who Takes the Tests

The knowledge of language and life requirements do not fall on everyone in a family:

• A child under 18 does not take the Life in the UK test and does not have to prove knowledge of English.
• A person aged 65 or over is also exempt from both. So is a person who cannot meet them because of a long-term physical or mental condition, with evidence.
• Nationals of the countries on GOV.UK's majority English-speaking list, and people with degrees taught in English, do not need an English test but still take the Life in the UK test. See our English for settlement guide.
• Anyone who has already passed the Life in the UK test does not take it again.

Documents for Each Person

• Main applicant: the evidence the route requires, which on a work route includes current employment and salary evidence, plus residence evidence and test certificates.
• Partner: evidence of the relationship, their own residence record, and their own test certificates unless exempt.
• Children: full birth certificate, passport, and evidence of living in the UK. School records are commonly used. Where only one parent applies, evidence about the other parent's consent or circumstances may be required.

The full list is in our documents checklist.

Submitting and Attending Appointments

Applications are made online. Each person then gives biometric information at an appointment booked through UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services. GOV.UK says you can only attend a service point if you have an appointment, and that you will not get a decision at the appointment.

Supporting documents can be uploaded to the online service before the appointment or scanned at it. Booking family appointments at the same location on the same day is a matter of availability, not a published entitlement.

A decision usually comes within 6 months. Applying before existing permission expires keeps that permission running under section 3C while the application is decided.

After Settlement

Settlement is recorded as an eVisa in each person's UKVI account and proved with a share code, which lasts 90 days. There is no card. See our eVisa guide and our benefits after settlement guide.

Settlement lapses if the holder spends more than 2 continuous years outside the UK, and that applies to each family member separately.

Citizenship is a separate application with its own fees and its own residence rules: £1,839 for an adult naturalisation, made up of £1,709 to apply and a £130 ceremony fee, and £1,000 to register a child. See our family citizenship guide.

Questions and answers