If you have seen headlines this week about the House of Lords and a “10-year ILR rule,” you are not imagining it, and you are not the only one trying to work out what it actually means for your own application.
Here is the short answer: nothing has changed yet. The standard qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain is still five years. But a report published by a House of Lords committee on 23 June 2026 has added real weight to the argument against extending it to ten, and it is worth understanding exactly what was said and what was not.
What the House of Lords Actually Said
On 23 June 2026, the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee published a report called Settlement, Citizenship and Integration. In it, the committee told the government not to go ahead with its proposal to raise the standard ILR qualifying period from five years to ten.
The committee’s reasoning was direct. It said a ten-year path to settlement would make the UK an outlier compared with similar countries, most of which settle people faster. It also warned that applying the change retrospectively, to people who are already partway through a settlement route under the current five-year rules, would be “manifestly unfair.” The report raised concerns that a longer qualifying period could increase poverty among lower-income migrants and work against integration rather than support it.
This is a serious, well-argued report from a parliamentary committee. It is not, however, a change to the law.
What This Does Not Change
The ten-year proposal is still only a proposal. It comes from the May 2025 immigration white paper and a November 2025 command paper, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement. The government ran a public consultation on it from November 2025 to 12 February 2026, receiving around 130,000 responses.
As things stand, the Home Office has not published a formal response to that consultation. No draft Immigration Rules have been laid. The standard qualifying period for ILR is still five years, and it remains five years today.
A House of Lords committee report is a recommendation. It carries weight, and it puts public pressure on the government, but committees do not set immigration policy. The government is free to accept the recommendation, ignore it, or land somewhere in between. Until a formal response is published, both outcomes are genuinely possible.
Why the Ten-Year Proposal Exists
It is worth understanding where this came from, because the idea is not going away on its own. The government’s stated aim is to make settlement something migrants “earn” over a longer period, with the qualifying period potentially shortened for people who meet certain criteria, such as higher income thresholds or specific skills. Implementation was reportedly being targeted for autumn 2026, though that timeline has not been confirmed and now looks less certain given the scale of the consultation response and the committee’s pushback.
If You Are Partway Through Your Five-Year Route
This is the question we hear most often right now, and it is a fair one to be anxious about: if I am two or three years into my five-year route, could the rules change under me?
Nobody can promise you an answer, and Haven will not pretend otherwise. But here is what is actually true today: you are on the current five-year route, and that route still applies. The House of Lords report explicitly argues against retrospective changes on fairness grounds, which is a meaningful signal, but it is not a guarantee. The most useful thing you can do is keep progressing under the rules that exist now, and watch for the government’s formal consultation response rather than reacting to headlines about the proposal itself.
The Change That Is Actually Confirmed
While the ten-year ILR proposal remains only a proposal, there is a separate change to settlement rules that has been confirmed. From 26 March 2027, the English language requirement for settlement is rising from CEFR B1 to B2, roughly the level of a foreign-language A-level. This applies to routes including Skilled Worker and family visas under Appendix FM. Exemptions remain in place for nationals of majority English-speaking countries, UK graduates, people aged 65 and over, and those with qualifying medical conditions.
Unlike the ten-year ILR plan, this one is not a proposal. It has been announced through a confirmed Immigration Rules change, with a year’s lead-in before it takes effect. If your English language evidence is anywhere near the current B1 threshold, it is worth checking where you stand well before March 2027.
A Note on the Rules
Immigration rules change, and the ten-year ILR question in particular is still unresolved. This article reflects information available at the time of writing. Always check the latest official guidance on the UK government website, or speak to a qualified immigration adviser, before making decisions about your own application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the House of Lords report mean the 10-year ILR plan has been scrapped?
No. The committee has recommended that the government drop the plan, but this is a recommendation, not a rule change. The government has not yet published its formal response to the consultation, and the proposal remains live.
Is the ILR qualifying period five years or ten years right now?
Five years, for most standard routes including Skilled Worker and family visas. No change has been made to the current qualifying period.
When will the government respond to the earned settlement consultation?
No date has been confirmed. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and received around 130,000 responses, which the Home Office is still working through. Implementation was previously suggested for autumn 2026, but that has not been confirmed.
Could the 10-year rule apply to people already partway through their 5-year route?
That is exactly what the House of Lords committee argued against, calling retrospective application “manifestly unfair.” It is a strong recommendation, not a guarantee. Nothing has been confirmed either way.
Is the English requirement change for settlement also just a proposal?
No, this one is confirmed. The rise from B1 to B2 takes effect for settlement applications submitted on or after 26 March 2027.
While the bigger settlement questions play out, the Life in the UK Test itself has not changed: still 24 questions, 45 minutes, and a 75% pass mark. If you are working toward your test date, try two Haven lessons free. No card needed.