United Kingdom visaSettlementUK indefinite leave to remain (settlement) for Indian applicants
Indefinite leave to remain is permanent residence in the UK. Most Indian applicants qualify after five years on the Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker or partner route, with no more than 180 days' absence in any 12 months, the Life in the UK test and, on the family route, English at B1. The fee is £3,226 and the standard decision takes up to six months.
7 min read Verified 29 October 2026 against gov.uk · How we verify
United Kingdom indefinite leave to remain: quick answers
- Who qualifies for indefinite leave to remain?
- A person who has lived in the UK lawfully for five continuous years on a qualifying route (Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Global Talent, Innovator Founder, partner of a British or settled person, or ten years of any lawful residence), has not been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period, passes the Life in the UK test (ages 18 to 64), meets the English requirement for the route, and still meets the route's own conditions such as the Skilled Worker salary.
- What does it cost?
- £3,226 per person including each dependant on the application, plus the Life in the UK test (£50) and, where required, a SELT at B1. The priority service costs £500 extra for a decision within five working days and super priority £1,000 extra for the next working day. No health surcharge is payable with a settlement application.
- How long does it take?
- The standard service is up to six months from the biometrics appointment at a UKVCAS centre, although most straightforward Skilled Worker applications are decided in two to three months. You can apply up to 28 days before completing the five-year period; applying earlier is a ground for refusal, and you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is pending.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status | Indefinite leave to remain (settlement), issued as an eVisa |
| Government fee | £3,226 per person |
| Qualifying period | 5 years on a qualifying route (10 years for long residence) |
| Absences | No more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12 months |
| Life in the UK test | Required for ages 18 to 64; £50; 45 minutes, 24 questions, 75 percent to pass |
| English | B1 for the family and long-residence routes; already met on the Skilled Worker route |
| Processing | Up to 6 months; priority 5 working days (£500); super priority next working day (£1,000) |
| After settlement | British citizenship after 12 months (immediately if married to a British citizen): £1,709 |
Who qualifies, route by route
Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker: five years of continuous residence on the route (time on Tier 2 General and some other work routes counts), a sponsor letter confirming you are still needed in the role, a salary that meets the current threshold or the going rate for your occupation code at the date of application, and the Life in the UK test. English was proven at the visa stage and is not retested.
Partner route: five years on the partner visa (fiancé(e) time does not count), the financial requirement of £29,000 or the savings alternative met again, English at CEFR B1 speaking and listening, the Life in the UK test, and a relationship that is still genuine and subsisting. Applicants who do not meet the income or English requirements fall onto the ten-year route instead.
Continuity is broken by more than 180 days' absence in any 12-month period, by a period without leave, or by a custodial sentence. Absences for work travel count the same as holidays; only absences for compelling reasons such as serious illness, or for the pandemic period, are excused. The government consulted in 2025 and 2026 on an earned-settlement model with a longer standard qualifying period; the current rules apply until the Immigration Rules are changed, so check gov.uk before you reach the five-year mark.
Fees and tests
| Item | GBP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indefinite leave to remain | 3,226 | Per person; dependants on the same form pay the same |
| Life in the UK test | 50 | Book at least three days ahead; the pass notification is linked to your application |
| SELT at B1 (family and long-residence routes) | Set by the test centre | Not needed if English was proven at B1 or higher on a previous application |
| Priority service | 500 extra | Decision within 5 working days |
| Super priority service | 1,000 extra | Decision by the end of the next working day after biometrics |
| British citizenship afterwards | 1,709 | Adult naturalisation; citizenship ceremony included |
The fee is paid online when you submit; it is not refunded if the application is refused. Health and Care Worker visa holders pay the same £3,226 for settlement. Indefinite leave lapses if you then live outside the UK for two years, so citizenship is the long-term protection for people who may work abroad.
How the application runs, step by step
- 1
Count the qualifying period and absences
List every trip since the first visa using passport stamps, boarding passes and the eVisa travel record; confirm no 12-month window exceeds 180 days.
- 2
Pass the Life in the UK test
Book online, sit the 24-question test at a centre, and keep the unique reference number for the form.
- 3
Obtain the sponsor letter and salary evidence (Skilled Worker)
Employer letter confirming the role, continued need and current salary; three months of pay slips and bank statements.
- 4
Apply online and pay £3,226
The SET(O) form for work routes or SET(M) for partners; include dependants who have completed their own five years.
- 5
Biometrics at UKVCAS and the decision
Book a UKVCAS appointment (free slots exist), upload documents, then wait up to six months; priority decisions arrive within five working days.
Timeline
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Life in the UK test booking to result | 1 to 3 weeks; result on the day |
| Earliest application | 28 days before the 5-year anniversary |
| Standard decision | Up to 6 months; usually 2 to 3 months for Skilled Worker |
| Priority and super priority | 5 working days; next working day |
| Citizenship after settlement | 12 months later (immediately if married to a British citizen); about 6 months to decide |
Make sure the current visa does not expire before the earliest application date; if it does, extend first and apply for settlement on time.
After settlement
Indefinite leave allows you to live, work and study without restriction and to claim public funds. It can be lost through two years' continuous absence from the UK or through deportation. Children born in the UK after a parent settles are British automatically; children born earlier can be registered.
Naturalisation needs 12 months after settlement (none if married to a British citizen), five years' residence with no more than 450 days' absence and 90 days in the last year, good character and the same Life in the UK and B1 English evidence. India does not permit dual citizenship, so naturalising means surrendering the Indian passport and applying for an OCI card. The guide to [naturalisation absence limits](/guides/read/naturalisation-absences-limits) covers how the days are counted.
Document checklist: residence and absences
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passports covering the whole period | Current and expired, with stamps; the eVisa travel record from the UKVI account |
| Absence schedule | Every trip with dates and purpose; keep the total under 180 days in each rolling 12 months |
| Proof of continuous leave | Previous visa grants and extension decisions |
Skilled Worker route
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Sponsor letter | Confirming the job, that you are still needed, and the salary at or above the threshold or going rate |
| Pay slips and bank statements | Last three months |
| Occupation code and going rate | The CoS code and the current going-rate table entry |
Partner route
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Financial evidence in Appendix FM-SE format | £29,000 income or the savings alternative |
| Relationship evidence | Cohabitation at the same address across the five years: bills, tenancy, bank letters, at least six items spread over the period |
| English at B1 | SELT or an earlier qualifying result |
Everyone
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Life in the UK test pass notification | Unique reference number entered on the form |
| Dependants' documents | Each dependant's own residence history, test pass and relationship evidence |
| Criminality declaration | Convictions, cautions and fixed penalties disclosed in full |
Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix
Excess absences
More than 180 days outside the UK in a rolling 12-month period, often from extended trips to India during the pandemic or for family reasons that did not meet the compelling-circumstances test.
The fix. Rebuild the absence schedule from passports and travel records before applying; if a window exceeds 180 days without an excuse, wait until the five-year period you rely on no longer includes it.
Salary or sponsor evidence not met at settlement
The salary fell below the threshold or going rate at the date of application, or the sponsor letter did not confirm continued need.
The fix. Check the current threshold before applying, ask the sponsor for a letter in the required form, and consider applying after a pay review rather than before.
Applied too early or on the wrong form
The application was submitted more than 28 days before the five-year point or on a form for a different route.
The fix. Calculate the earliest date from the first grant of leave on the route and use SET(O) for work routes or SET(M) for partners.
Life in the UK test or English not met
No pass notification, or a test taken at a centre that does not issue the unique reference number; on the family route, English below B1.
The fix. Book the official test through gov.uk only, and take a SELT at B1 where required.
Suitability: criminality or deception
An undisclosed conviction or fixed penalty, or an earlier application found to contain deception.
The fix. Disclose everything, including spent and overseas matters; take advice before applying where any criminal record exists.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: indefinite leave to remain for Skilled Worker, Health and Care and Tier 2 visas ↗
- GOV.UK: indefinite leave to remain on a family visa ↗
- GOV.UK: Life in the UK test ↗
- GOV.UK: settle in the UK ↗
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees (8 Oct 2026) ↗
- GOV.UK: apply for British citizenship by naturalisation ↗