Refugee status in the UK: will the rules change for those granted status for five years

The changes being discussed concern the transition from a five-year refugee status to indefinite leave to remain. According to available information, the new rule — from five to ten years — will be applied retroactively, meaning it will affect those who have not yet obtained indefinite leave to remain. No exceptions have been confirmed so far: the material states directly that this is currently unclear.

What is said about retroactivity

According to the analysis, the change in the timeline from five to ten years will apply to everyone who, at the moment the rule takes effect, does not have indefinite leave to remain. The speaker noted that there is still no final certainty about the details, and exceptions for certain categories may be provided for, but no confirmation of this is given in the material.

The case described

In the case analysed, the applicant entered the UK in 2018 through a legal route. The first interview took place in 2018, but the first decision was only made in 2023. Refugee status for five years was granted in 2025. According to the applicant, there were no intermediate actions on the part of the authority, and no questions arose regarding residence or violations.

In the response given to the applicant, it was noted that the rules applied to her case belong to the pre-2022 version. Her child, who received status on her basis, also applied for indefinite leave to remain and has already been granted settled status. Separately, the response emphasised that obtaining indefinite leave to remain for the child through the main application was assessed positively.

Timeline for indefinite leave to remain

If the applicant entered in 2018, according to the calculations given in the analysis, ten years of residence will be reached in 2028. The lawyer’s response points to 2030 as the deadline for applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The difference between the two dates is explained by the fact that the analysis does not specify from which point the period is counted. The exact conditions should be checked against the current Home Office rules.