Earned Settlement Checker

Nurses, teachers, doctors and social workers: the 5-year settlement route

The government recognises that salary does not capture the value of essential public services where pay follows national pay scales. Workers in specified health and education occupations can qualify after five years, provided they meet the other requirements.

The list is taken from health and education occupations already identified in the Immigration Rules as paid on national pay scales. It includes doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, paramedics, pharmacists, teachers, head teachers and social workers.

Worked example. The dates below are illustrative, calculated as of 2 November 2026. They assume every other requirement is met.

Earliest settlement: September 2027 (5-year pathway)

On what you told us, your route leads to a 5-year pathway.

Pathway
5-year pathway
Earliest date
September 2027

Why this pathway

  • Eligible health and education occupations on national pay scales (for example doctors, nurses, teachers and social workers) qualify for the 5-year pathway after 5 years working in the occupation.

Before you apply

  • Met No criminal record
  • Met No outstanding government debt
  • Met English at B2
  • Met Life in the UK test passed
  • Met Sustained contribution (at least £12,571 a year)Assessed over several years using your best years, so a short low-income period such as maternity leave need not count against you.
  • Met No public funds in the last five years
  • Met No immigration breach as an adult

Good to know

  • Family members: a partner who arrives with you can generally settle at the same time. A partner who joins later completes the same qualifying period from their own arrival. Children under 18 settle with parents. Young adults aged 18 to 24 who remain dependants settle alongside their family, and those aged 25 or over must qualify independently.
  • Only time on routes that count towards settlement builds your qualifying period. Time on temporary routes such as Student or Graduate does not.
  • Estimates assume continuous lawful residence. Rules on absences from the UK are not covered here.
  • The government response does not give an implementation date and says further guidance will follow. Applications are normally decided under the rules in force on the date of the decision, so treat dates as estimates.

Based on A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: Government Response to the Consultation (CP 1707), Home Office, November 2026. Rules as of 2 November 2026. General information only, not immigration advice.

Check your own situation

Frequently asked questions

Is my job on the list?

Our public service occupations page reproduces the list from the government response (Annex C). If your role is not listed, you are likely on the 10-year pathway unless you meet an earnings threshold.

What about nursing auxiliaries and teaching assistants?

They fall below the skill level for the permanent 5-year pathway, but a one-off arrangement lets those who were already in the UK before May 2025 keep a 5-year route.

General information only. This is not immigration advice and is not affiliated with the Home Office or GOV.UK. Rules may change and guidance is still to come. For advice on your own case, speak to an OISC-regulated adviser or a solicitor.

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