Many people think that if you study from undergraduate to master's degree in the UK, and then find a job, you can "naturally get permanent residence after staying for 5 years." After the work permit was approved, I discovered that the years before was not included in the five years of ILR.
Today (June 10, 2026) we will break down the true timeline of this most common path - student visa → graduate visa → Skilled Worker visa → permanent residence (ILR) - year by year.
Key knowledge: Which UK visa years count towards permanent residence?
Remember this iron rule first, which will save you a lot of anxiety: the 5-year "continuous residence period" of ILR starts from the day your Skilled Worker work permit takes effect.
📌 The period of student visa () does not count the 5 years of entering Skilled Worker permanent residence; the 2 years of graduate visa (Graduate visa), similarly does not count . These two periods are just a buffer period for "staying", not a time for "earning permanent residence".
Therefore, "how many years does it take from enrollment to permanent residence" and "how many years does it take to transfer from work permit to permanent residence" are two completely different questions. The former is often 8 to 10 years, while the latter is really 5 years.
Complete timeline from enrollment to ILR (typical path)
Take a student who is studying for a master's degree and working after graduation as an example:
first year : Student visa to study for a master's degree (about 1 year). This year does not count towards permanent residence.
Year 2-3 : Transfer to Graduate visa after graduation (currently 2 years). You are free to find a job, but the two years of are still not included in ILR. The smart thing to do is to find a licensed employer and obtain a CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) as early as possible during this period, without having to wait for 2 years.
From a certain month in the 3rd year of to : Domestic transfer to Skilled Worker work permit. From this day on , the 5-year timer for permanent residence officially starts.
around the 8th year of : Skilled Worker has lived continuously for 5 years and applies for ILR after meeting the conditions.
In other words: Enrollment → Permanent residence, in reality it usually takes 7 to 8 years; if you change jobs in the middle and your visa is terminated, or you change your work visa late, the time will be even longer. The earlier you switch to a work permit, the earlier you can obtain permanent residence.
Converting work permit to permanent residence: 3 hard thresholds for ILR
After entering the 5-year work permit stage, applying for ILR requires you to pass the following steps at the same time:
① salary threshold : Starting from July 2025, the Skilled Worker permanent residence stage generally needs to reach £41,700 or the occupational "going rate", whichever is higher. Note: There is no newcomer discount when applying for permanent residence, and there is no PhD discount of . The salary will be calculated based on the salary standard on the day of submission.
② continuous residence (180-day red line) : In any 12 months within 5 years, the total number of absences from the UK must not exceed 180 days , otherwise the continuous period may be interrupted. This item is most likely to be ignored. Returning to the country to visit relatives and business trips must be taken into account.
③ Life in the UK Test + B1 English : Most of the hard conditions for the permanent residence path are mandatory. It is recommended to take the test one or two years in advance. Don’t get stuck at the end.
These 180 days are the easiest pitfall of "waiting five years in vain". Whether it can be calculated accurately to the day, can use 永居计算器APP to record each outbound trip one by one and automatically check , which is more reliable than counting your own fingers.
2026–2027 Policy Changes: What International Students Should Do in Advance
There are two time points to keep an eye on:
▸ graduate visa reduced to : According to the current announcement, the Graduate visa is expected to be shortened from 2 years to 18 months starting from January 2027. If is submitted before December 31, 2026, it can still be obtained for 2 years. If you can apply early, don't delay.
▸ "earned settlement" (earned settlement) : The 2025 Immigration White Paper proposes that the permanent residence qualification period for most work permit routes in the future may be extended from 5 years to 10 years. It is still in the proposal stage and has not yet become law , but the direction is worthy of vigilance - the earlier the work permit is entered, the more likely it is to fall within the old rules window.
One-sentence strategy: lock in a licensed employer while is studying, switch to Skilled Worker as soon as possible, and let the 5-year timer for permanent residence start running as early as possible. The specific rules of are subject to the latest announcement of GOV.UK.
This article is for reference only. For specific cases (especially involving visa cessation, employer change, and policy transition), please consult a licensed attorney.
💬 Let’s talk about your permanent residence timeline
In which year did you enter school and in what year do you plan to switch to Skilled Worker? How many years are left until ILR? Report your progress in the comment area, and we will help you see if there are any pitfalls in the timeline. If you find it useful, please forward it to your friends who are also applying for permanent residence in the UK. You will see it clearly one day earlier and save a year of detours.