2026-03-05 · 5 min read
Earned Settlement: Which Tier Are You In?
Under earned settlement, your qualifying period depends on your salary, role, and immigration history. Here's how to work out which tier applies to you — and what HMRC records you'll need.
The ten-year headline is not the whole story. Under the government's earned settlement proposal, your qualifying period is not fixed — it depends on where you sit within a tiered structure based on salary, occupation, and immigration history.
Some people will qualify in three years. Others face fifteen or twenty. Where you land depends on factors that are, for the most part, already part of your working life.
Live policy · Created 5 March 2026
Earned settlement rules are actively changing as the government finalises its policy. This article reflects what was known at the time of publication. Check the official GOV.UK consultation page for the latest. The public consultation closed on 12 February 2026. If the period is extended, the GOV.UK page will reflect this.
Visual — qualifying period tiers
How long will you wait?
All figures subject to final regulations. Source: GOV.UK earned settlement consultation.
useimmi.comThe baseline: 10 years for most routes
According to the government's policy document, the default qualifying period for most migrants on work and family visas will be ten years. This applies if your earnings, role, and immigration record do not place you in a faster or slower tier.
Faster routes
Two categories can qualify in less than ten years.
High earners — 3 years. Migrants earning above £125,140 annually — the additional rate income tax threshold as defined by HMRC — could qualify for settlement after just three years.
Public sector workers — 5 years. Those working in healthcare or teaching roles within the public sector retain a five-year pathway, close to the current system.
The contribution pillar and your HMRC records
The contribution requirement applies across all tiers: a minimum of £12,570 in taxable annual income for at least three years before applying. This is the personal allowance threshold — the point at which income tax becomes payable — as set by HMRC.
For most employed workers, your P60 is the primary evidence document. It is the annual summary your employer issues at the end of each tax year, showing total earnings and tax paid.
If you are self-employed, your self-assessment tax return filed with HMRC will be the relevant record.
You can view and download your income records at any time through your HMRC personal tax account. Keep P60s from previous years — you are likely to need them as evidence.
Longer routes
Medium-skilled and care sector roles — 15 years. Roles below RQF Level 6 — which covers most care sector and many medium-skilled positions — face a fifteen-year baseline under the current proposal.
Refugees, illegal entry, or visa overstay — 20 years. Migrants who entered through asylum routes, or who have previously overstayed a visa, face a twenty-year qualifying period.
What about dependants?
Dependants — partners and children — are generally tied to the qualifying period of the person who holds the primary visa. Family members of British citizens retain a five-year route. The rules for non-citizen sponsors are among the outstanding uncertainties covered in part three of this series.
The 180-day rolling absence rule still applies regardless of which tier you are in. Immi tracks your absences using the same method UKVI uses, so your rolling totals are always accurate. Try the free ILR calculator →
You can read an introduction to the whole system in part one of this series, and find out what has and has not been confirmed for 2026 in part three.
This guide is for general information only. It is not legal advice. Rules may change. For advice specific to your situation, consult a qualified immigration solicitor.
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