Settle and Citizenship
Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) for Indian applicants
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
Home Office fee
£3,226
about ₹4,26,897 at 132.33 INR/GBP, effective 8 April 2026
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Health surcharge
Not payable
This route is exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge
Verified 8 October 2026
Processing time from India
26 weeks
Priority service not offered in India for this route
Verified 8 October 2026
Settlement (indefinite leave) grants, Indian nationals
35,384
YE June 2026; +51%
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Summary
In short
Indefinite Leave to Remain costs £3,226 per person for applications from 8 April 2026, with no health surcharge, and is applied for inside the UK. The core test is continuous lawful residence on a qualifying route, usually 5 years, with absences of no more than 180 days in any 12-month period, the Life in the UK test at £50, and English at B1, rising to B2 for applications from March 2027. The service standard is 6 months, with priority at 5 working days for £500 and super priority by the next working day for £1,000. The mistake Indian applicants make most is counting Student or Graduate years towards the 5, which do not count on the standard routes.
The officer’s view
What the officer checks
What the Home Office checks on a settlement application
| What they check | Why it matters | Evidence that answers it |
|---|---|---|
| That you have completed the qualifying period on a route that leads to settlement, without a gap. | The settlement section of the route's own appendix, for example Appendix Skilled Worker or Appendix FM for partners. A late extension application breaks continuity even if it was later granted. | Every grant letter or eVisa record since you entered, in date order, showing each application was made before the previous permission expired. |
| That absences stayed within 180 days in any rolling 12-month period. | Appendix Continuous Residence. The count is rolling, not calendar year, and the officer uses your travel history, not your memory. | A dated list of every trip with passport stamps, boarding passes or airline records, and an employer letter for work travel. |
| That you have passed the Life in the UK test and meet the English requirement at the level in force on your application date. | Appendix KoLL and Appendix English Language. B1 applies today; the announced rise to B2 is expected for applications from March 2027. | The Life in the UK pass notification, and a SELT certificate or an Indian degree with an ECCTIS confirmation that it was taught in English. |
| That you still meet the route's own conditions on the day you apply. | The route's settlement paragraphs. A Skilled Worker needs a continuing job at the going rate; a partner must still meet the income rule and the relationship must be genuine and subsisting. | Payslips, an employer letter and the sponsor's confirmation for workers; income evidence under Appendix FM-SE and relationship evidence for partners. |
| That nothing in your record fails suitability. | Part 9 of the Immigration Rules. Unspent convictions, an NHS or litigation debt, or a breach of conditions such as excess work hours on an earlier visa are the common triggers. | A full declaration of cautions, convictions and penalties, and proof that any debt was cleared. |
| That dependants applying with you qualify in their own right. | Each dependant has their own continuous residence, absence and KoLL requirements and pays the same £3,226 fee. | The dependants' own travel records, test passes and English evidence. |
From the desk
Mistakes we see
From files Indian applicants have brought to the desk after a refusal, most frequent first.
| The mistake | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Counting years on the Student or Graduate visa towards the 5-year qualifying period. | The application is refused as premature and the £3,226 fee is lost. | Only time on a route that leads to settlement counts; Student and Graduate years can count only towards the 10-year long residence route. |
| Absences over 180 days in a rolling 12-month period, usually a long stay in Punjab for a wedding or a parent's illness. | Continuous residence is broken and the clock restarts from the return date. | Keep a running absence log, count every rolling 12-month window, and keep evidence for any absence the rules excuse. |
| Booking a B1 test for an application that will be made after the English level rises to B2. | The English requirement is not met on the application date and the application fails. | If you will apply from March 2027, book a B2 SELT now; if you qualify earlier, consider applying before the change. |
| A late extension application somewhere in the 5 years, even by a few days. | A gap in lawful residence, so the period before the gap does not count. | Have a regulated UK adviser check every date in your history before you pay the fee. |
| A partner's income falling below £29,000 in the months before the settlement application. | Refusal at the settlement stage, with a further limited grant at best. | Plan the income evidence 6 months ahead under Appendix FM-SE, or use savings at £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall. |
| Leaving the absence record incomplete and letting the officer fill the gaps. | Unexplained gaps are treated as absences and can push you over 180 days. | List every trip with dates and purpose and reconcile it to the stamps in every passport you held. |
| Taking advice from an agent in India on an in-UK settlement application. | No regulated adviser is accountable for the file, and errors cost a fee of £3,226 per person. | We give information only; a person in the UK should use an adviser regulated there, and we refer you. |
Step by step
Timeline
From the first document to the decision, in the order Indian applicants actually do it.
Step 1: Know your route and your date
From the first grantSettlement is usually after 5 years on a qualifying route such as Skilled Worker, Partner, Innovator Founder or Global Talent. Write down the date your continuous period began.
Step 2: Keep an absence log
Every yearRecord every trip outside the UK with dates and reason. The limit is 180 days in any rolling 12 months for work routes.
Step 3: Life in the UK test
6 to 12 months before applyingThe test costs £50 and the pass does not expire. Book early because centre slots fill in spring and autumn.
Step 4: English at the right level
Before March 2027 if you canB1 applies today and B2 is expected from March 2027. A degree taught in English with an ECCTIS confirmation also works and is reused for citizenship.
Step 5: Check the earned-settlement outcome
Any time from nowThe consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and proposed a 10-year baseline with reductions for contribution. No decision was announced as of October 2026; our updates hub will carry it.
Step 6: Apply online from inside the UK
Once the qualifying period is completePay £3,226 per person; there is no health surcharge. Upload the absence log, the test pass, the English evidence and the route-specific documents.
Step 7: Identity and biometrics
Within days of applyingConfirm identity through the app or a UKVCAS appointment. Your existing permission continues while the decision is pending.
Step 8: Decision
Service standard 6 monthsPriority at £500 aims for 5 working days and super priority at £1,000 for the next working day, where offered. Status is issued as an eVisa.
Step 9: Citizenship planning
12 months after settlementNaturalisation usually follows 12 months after ILR, or straight away for the spouse of a British citizen. Read our citizenship page on the Indian passport consequence before you decide.
Home Office data
How Indian applicants fare
Indian nationals were the largest group granted settlement in the year ending June 2026, with 35,384 grants, up 51 percent on the year. This is an application made inside the UK, so we do not file it. We publish it because families in Punjab plan around it and because the rules are changing. A person in the UK should get advice from an adviser regulated there, and we refer you.
The rules
Eligibility
- Continuous lawful residence on a qualifying route, usually 5 years: Skilled Worker, Partner, Innovator Founder, Global Talent and others
- Absences of no more than 180 days in any 12-month period for work routes
- Life in the UK test passed
- English at CEFR B1 today, rising to B2 for applications from March 2027
- No unspent criminal convictions or other suitability issues
- Still meeting the route's own requirements, for example the partner income rule or a continuing job
- Possible future change: the earned-settlement consultation proposed a 10-year baseline with reductions for contribution; the outcome is pending
Checklist
Documents, named the Indian way
- Passport and eVisa or biometric residence details
- Life in the UK test pass notification
- English test or degree evidence at the required level
- Absence record for the whole qualifying period
- Route-specific evidence: payslips and employer letter, or relationship and income evidence for partners
In rupees
Cost from India, in rupees
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Indefinite leave to remain, main applicant (in the UK) application fee | £3,226 | ₹4,26,897 |
| Required Home Office charges | £3,226 | ₹4,26,897 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Risk
Why Indian applications are refused
- Absences above the limit without an accepted reason
- English or Life in the UK not passed before the application
- A gap in lawful residence, including a late extension application
- Partner income requirement not met at the settlement stage
Exclusion or deportation order in force
A mandatory refusal: you were deported from the UK or formally excluded, and that order is still in force. No visa can be granted until the order is revoked.
What to fix: apply for revocation of the deportation order (normally after 10 years, earlier only in exceptional cases) with a UK regulated adviser; do not submit new visa applications while the order stands; each refusal adds to the record.
Decode 9.2.1Presence not conducive to the public good
The officer considers your behaviour, character or associations make you unsuitable, for example extremism, serious dishonesty not covered by other paragraphs, or a pattern of conduct abroad. Used rarely but it is mandatory.
What to fix: obtain the full reasons (ask for the decision notice and consider a Subject Access Request); character evidence and clearance certificates; this ground usually needs legal representation.
Decode 9.3.1Criminality: custodial sentence of 12 months or more, persistent offender, serious harm
A mandatory refusal for a prison sentence of 12 months or more anywhere in the world, or for repeat offending or serious-harm offences. Sentences under 12 months are considered under 9.4.2 to 9.4.5 (discretionary, with time limits for visitors).
What to fix: always declare convictions; non-disclosure leads to a 9.7.1 deception finding on top; for shorter sentences, show the time elapsed and rehabilitation evidence; get the court record and sentence length in English.
Decode 9.4.1Free tools
Tools for this route
Questions
Questions Indian applicants ask
Can you file my ILR from India?ShowHide
No. Settlement is applied for inside the UK and the applicant must be there. We inform and refer you to a regulated UK adviser.
Is the 5-year rule changing to 10 years?ShowHide
The government consulted on an earned-settlement model with a 10-year baseline and shorter periods for people who contribute more. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and no decision has been announced as of October 2026. We will post the outcome in our updates hub.
What is the English change in March 2027?ShowHide
The required level rises from B1 to B2 for settlement applications from March 2027. If you are close to qualifying, consider applying before that date or booking a B2 test now.
What does settlement cost?ShowHide
£3,226 per person, with no health surcharge. Dependants pay the same fee each. Our fee calculator shows the rupee figure.
Does time on the Student or Graduate visa count?ShowHide
No for the standard 5-year routes. It can count towards the 10-year long residence route.
Can my parents in Punjab join me once I have ILR?ShowHide
Only through the Adult Dependent Relative route, which requires long-term care needs that cannot be met in India. Most parents visit instead on a Standard Visitor visa.
When can I apply for citizenship after ILR?ShowHide
Usually 12 months after settlement, or straight away if you are married to a British citizen, provided you meet the residence and good character tests.
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Dataset dates: fees 8 October 2026. This page is information, not advice.