Earned Settlement Checker

Skilled Worker who arrived in 2022: how long until settlement?

This example follows someone who started on the Skilled Worker route in September 2022, earns between £12,571 and £50,270 a year, and does not work in an eligible health or education occupation.

Under the final Earned Settlement framework, people outside the faster groups are on a 10-year pathway. Time on routes that count builds your qualifying period, but you must also meet the mandatory requirements and show sustained contribution.

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

Earliest settlement: September 2032 (10-year pathway)

On what you told us, your route leads to a 10-year pathway.

Pathway
10-year pathway
Earliest date
September 2032

Why this pathway

  • Without earnings above the higher-rate threshold or an eligible public service occupation, 10 years is the default pathway.

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

Ways this could be shorter

  • Earn at least £50,271 in 3 of the 5 years before you apply: 5 years (from September 2027). Time you have already served still counts, but you need the earnings record before you can use the 5-year pathway.

Good to know

  • Skilled Workers who were already in the route before April 2024 and are on the 10-year pathway can extend their visas on their current terms until 2035.
  • 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

Does the 10-year pathway apply to people already in the UK?

The government response says people already here are not automatically protected: applications are ordinarily decided under the rules in force when the decision is made. It creates targeted one-off arrangements for care workers and some public service workers who arrived before May 2025, but says these do not create a wider exemption.

Can a Skilled Worker get settlement sooner?

Yes. Earning at least £50,271 in 3 of the 5 years before applying opens the 5-year pathway. Earning at least £125,141 in 3 of the 4 years before applying opens the 3-year pathway. Eligible health and education occupations on national pay scales also qualify for 5 years.

What if I was on the pre-April 2024 salary rules?

The government says Skilled Workers already in the route before April 2024 and moved onto a 10-year pathway can extend their visas on current terms until 2035.

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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