The UK government has confirmed that the reform of the route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) will not affect Global Talent and Innovator Founder visas: these will retain a three-year path to settlement. The broader reform proposes raising the standard qualifying period from 5 to 10 years, but with tools that allow it to be shortened. This applies only to those applying under the relevant categories.

What the reform proposes

The reform, published by the Home Office in May 2025, changes the model for obtaining settlement. Currently, the standard path to ILR is 5 years of residence in the UK, spending 183 days per year in the country. There are no additional requirements on minimum income or other circumstances: after five years, settlement is always granted.

Under the government’s proposal, the automatic model is replaced with an earned settlement model. The standard period increases from 5 to 10 years, but tools appear that allow this period to be shortened. After the reform was published, according to a source, the number of visa applications fell by 15,000 people.

How to shorten the period

According to the reform description, the period can be shortened through several factors:

  • income of £50,000 a year — the period is shortened by 5 years, provided the income is declared every year; under these conditions, settlement can be obtained after 5 years, and a passport after 6;
  • income of £125,000 a year or more — settlement after 3 years;
  • work experience in the NHS or other public sector systems — a 5-year reduction;
  • English language at C1 level — a 1-year reduction;
  • volunteer activity — a reduction of several years.

The maximum reduction is 7 years out of 10, so settlement cannot be obtained sooner than 3 years.

What was confirmed for Global Talent and Innovator Founder

Global Talent and Innovator Founder visas received special status: a three-year path to settlement is set for them. The government confirmed this in another official document. It was previously mentioned in parliamentary debates, but the information had not yet been confirmed at that time.

The stated reason is the government’s high priority regarding people relocating on these visas. Earlier initiatives were also discussed, for example, help with paying for medical insurance for such specialists.

For those already in the UK on another visa who meet the criteria for Global Talent or Innovator Founder, switching to these categories may be more advantageous: it does not depend on an employer and allows the path to settlement and citizenship to be shortened to six years. Time spent on previous visas counts toward the ILR qualifying period under Global Talent. For example, if a person arrived on a Skilled Worker visa two years ago, after obtaining Global Talent they would only need to live in the UK for one more year before qualifying for settlement.

A London railway station or metro station with passengers at the ticket barriers

What changes for temporary statuses

Separately, the authorities propose to eliminate the Long Residence route. Currently, after 10 years of residence under any programmes, including those that do not grant a path to settlement, it is possible to obtain ILR based on long residence. Under the new proposal, this route would become impossible.

The five-year qualifying period counts under visas that grant the right to work, such as Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and Innovator Founder. Student, High Potential Individual, and Graduate visas do not grant the same scope of work rights, and time spent on them, according to a source, does not count toward the five-year period. Those affected should watch for further changes closely.