How many years does it take to stay in the UK permanently? Comparison table of visas for 3 years, 5 years and 10 years

The most frequently asked question backstage is always this: "How many more years do I have to endure?"

Some people have been working in London for seven years and thought they should be qualified long ago, but after checking, they found out that the job was cut off due to a change of visa in the middle; some people took the Global Talent and looked confused, not knowing whether they were in the 3-year or 5-year category, and they waited two more years in vain.

There is no uniform number of years for permanent residence in the UK (Indefinite Leave to Remain, referred to as ILR). The number of years of will vary from to your visa category. Today, I will lay out the timetable of the mainstream path once and for all, and by the way, let me tell you where the reform that has not yet been implemented in 2026 has gone.

When does the period of permanent residence in the UK start?

Let me correct a common misunderstanding first: is not calculated from the day you first set foot on British soil, nor is it calculated from the date of the visa approval letter.

The general rule is to calculate from the effective date of of the eligible visa (or the date of entry, whichever is later) , and continue counting all the way to the day you submit your permanent residence application. Mainstream routes such as Skilled Worker allow you to submit 28 days before for five years - these 28 days are a small benefit that many people ignore, and can allow you to get out of the visa cycle nearly a month earlier.

The current timeline is this: the public consultation ended on on February 12, 2026, and more than 200,000 responses were received; as of today (August 13, 2026), the government’s official response has not yet been released, and the relevant immigration rules have not yet been submitted to Parliament.

In other words – the current 3-year/5-year/10-year rules are all still in effect today. Retroactivity and transitional arrangements are the most controversial parts among the parties, and the final version is subject to Statement of Changes officially passed by Parliament.

My suggestion is very straightforward: don’t gamble on the policy, submit it as early as possible. The general practice of immigration rules is to review the application according to the rules in effect on the day of submission. The earlier you join the team, the smaller the risk of being exposed to new rules.

After calculating the number of years, there are still three things to prepare simultaneously

The number of years is just the ticket. Almost all permanent residence paths must meet the following requirements at the same time: Life in the UK Test passed, English level B1 (degree or partial nationality is exempt), and no serious criminal or immigration violation records.

💷 In terms of fees, the permanent residence application fee will be and £3,226 per person from April 8, 2026, which is nearly 10,000 pounds for a family of three. There is no discount for children, and in principle, no fee waiver is provided. Please refer to the latest announcement of GOV.UK and be sure to check again before taking action.

If your situation is complicated - for example, you have changed several visas midway, there are gaps in your identity during a certain period of time, or you are not sure how many years the endorsement category corresponds to, don't guess on your own. If you want to quickly confirm a specific question, you can spend £5 at justiscript.com to have a licensed British lawyer give you a written answer within 24 hours, in both Chinese and English. It is more reliable than asking ten people on the forum. If you want to know the number of departure days and starting date accurately to the nearest day, you can also use 永居计算器 APP to run it yourself first.

📌 This article is for reference only. Please consult a licensed attorney for specific questions.

👇 Let’s chat in the comment area: Which path to permanent residence have you taken, and how many months are left until now? If you changed visa types midway, please also tell us how you connected - this kind of experience is most useful to people traveling on the same journey.

Collect this article if you find it useful . Wait until the day when the materials are submitted and then check them out to check the age limit. It is much better than cramming for the time being.

[Data source] gov.uk/indefinite-leave-to-remain | gov.uk/indefinite-leave-to-remain-tier-2-t2-skilled-worker-visa | gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-rules-appendix-long-residence

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