Overview

• Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced proposals requiring ILR applicants to show employment, National Insurance contributions, high English proficiency, a clean record, no benefits use, and local volunteering.
• The government plans to raise the standard residence requirement for ILR from five to ten years, with a public consultation to open before year‑end.
• Officials say settlement would no longer be automatic after a set period, with faster decisions for higher contributors and longer waits or ineligibility for others.
• Reform UK proposes abolishing ILR in favor of five‑year renewable visas with tougher income and English thresholds and exclusion from benefits, a plan Keir Starmer called immoral and racist.
• Recent figures cited by outlets report 163,000 ILR grants last year, up 35% year on year, and more than 33,000 Channel crossings since early 2025, intensifying pressure for policy change.