Earned Settlement Checker

Student and Graduate visa time: does it count towards settlement?

Under the current rules, time on temporary routes such as Student and Graduate can count towards the 10-year Long Residence route. Under Earned Settlement the Long Residence route closes and time on temporary routes will not build towards settlement.

If you later switch onto a route that does count, such as Skilled Worker, the qualifying period for that pathway starts when you move onto it.

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

Time on this kind of route does not count towards settlement

Under Earned Settlement, temporary routes stay temporary. The Long Residence route closes, so time on these routes will not build towards settlement even if you reach 10 years of lawful residence.

Why this pathway

  • Routes that do not count: Visit, Student, Global Business Mobility, Temporary Worker routes, Youth Mobility, Seasonal Worker, Overseas Domestic Worker, Graduate and High Potential Individual, Ukraine Scheme routes, and Leave Outside the Rules (the government says it will set out its approach to that last group later).

Good to know

  • If you switch onto a route that leads to settlement, such as Skilled Worker, your qualifying period starts when you move onto it. Run the checker again using that route and the date you expect to switch.

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

Which routes do not count?

Visit, Student, Global Business Mobility, Temporary Worker routes, Youth Mobility, Seasonal Worker, Overseas Domestic Worker, Graduate and High Potential Individual, Ukraine Scheme routes and Leave Outside the Rules. The government says it will set out its approach to Leave Outside the Rules in due course.

Can I combine different routes?

Time on protection or human-rights routes cannot be combined with time on work or family routes. If you move between them, the qualifying period for the new pathway starts when you move onto it.

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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