Indefinite Leave to Remain on a Spouse or Partner Visa: Requirements & Application

Indefinite Leave to Remain removes the time limit on a person's stay, so the spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner of a British or settled person can live, work and study in the UK permanently. It is the settlement step on the family route under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, reached after the qualifying period once the couple's relationship, the financial requirement, English at B1 and the Life in the UK Test are met. An application that does not meet each requirement in the specified form may be refused, which delays settlement. This guide sets out who qualifies, the requirements, the evidence and the application process for Indefinite Leave to Remain as a spouse or partner in 2026.

What is Indefinite Leave to Remain on a spouse or partner visa?

Indefinite Leave to Remain is permanent settlement in the UK, also referred to as settled status. It is an immigration status with no time limit, held by a person who has completed a five-year qualifying residential period in the UK. Under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner of a British citizen or a settled person who has lived in the UK on that route, and continues to meet the requirements, may be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to live in the UK on a permanent basis.

A partner with Indefinite Leave to Remain can work in any employment, be self-employed, study, and access public funds on the same basis as a settled resident, and it is the status that qualifies a person for British citizenship.

Who can apply for ILR as a spouse or partner?

A partner can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain once they have completed sixty months on the 5-year partner route and still meet the eligibility requirements. The requirements sit in Section R-ILRP of Appendix FM. The 5-year partner route runs in two grants of leave, and settlement is the third and final step:

The sixty months run from the date the partner first entered the UK on the partner visa. The settlement application is made in the 28 days before that period completes, and the same requirements met at each earlier stage must be met again at settlement, applied through E-ILRP.1.3(1A) of Appendix FM.

What are the requirements for ILR as a spouse or partner?

To be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain as a partner on the 5-year route, an applicant must:

• be in the UK with valid leave to remain as a partner
• have completed sixty months of continuous residence in the UK on the partner route
• be in a genuine and subsisting relationship with their partner, and intend to live together permanently in the UK
• have adequate accommodation for the couple and any dependants, owned or occupied exclusively by them, without recourse to public funds
• meet the financial requirement, a gross annual income of £29,000 (as of July 2026)
• meet the English language requirement at CEFR level B1 in speaking and listening
• pass the Life in the UK Test
• meet the suitability requirements, the conduct and character grounds that can prevent a grant

Continuous residence and time spent outside the UK

Continuous residence for a partner means holding unbroken leave as a partner across the qualifying period, rather than a fixed cap on days abroad. Only periods where the applicant's partner is the same person throughout are counted. Time spent in the UK on a fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner visa does not count towards the sixty months, because the qualifying period begins on entry as a partner.

The partner route does not apply the 180-days-in-any-12-months absence limit used on work routes. Time spent outside the UK is instead weighed against the requirement that the couple intend to live together permanently in the UK, so extended or repeated absences, or a break in the relationship, can affect the application. Time the couple spent together outside the UK can count towards the period in defined circumstances, for example where the sponsor was serving abroad, under paragraph 26A of Appendix FM-SE.

The financial requirement at settlement

The financial requirement is the minimum income the couple show when the partner applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the 5-year route. It is the same requirement met at entry clearance and at the extension stage, tested a third and final time at settlement. It can be met by the sponsor alone, by the applicant alone where they are working in the UK with permission, or by the two incomes combined.

Which threshold applies to you

Two thresholds are in circulation, and the one that applies depends on when the couple's first partner application was made, not on the date of the settlement application. A couple whose first application was made on or after 11 April 2024 must show a gross annual income of £29,000. A couple whose first application was made before that date keeps the earlier £18,600 threshold under the transitional arrangements, and carries it through to settlement.

In practice this means the great majority of partners settling now are on £18,600, not £29,000. The 5-year route takes sixty months, so a partner reaching their qualifying date in 2026 began the route around 2021, well before the higher threshold took effect. The first settlement applications actually assessed at £29,000 are not expected until around 2029 (as of July 2026).

The transitional threshold also carries a child element that the higher threshold does not. Where the £18,600 threshold applies and the couple are sponsoring a dependent child, the requirement rises by £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child, and the total is capped at £29,000. There is no additional amount for children under the £29,000 threshold.

How the requirement can be met

The requirement can be met through salaried or non-salaried employment, self-employment, income from a limited company, non-employment income such as rent from property, pension income, or qualifying cash savings. These sources can be combined, though not every combination is permitted, and each carries its own evidential rules under Appendix FM-SE of the Immigration Rules.

Cash savings are where settlement differs most from the earlier stages, and it works in the applicant's favour. At entry clearance and extension, savings are assessed with a 2.5 times multiplier, reflecting the two-and-a-half years of leave being sought. At settlement no further limited leave is granted, so the multiplier falls away and savings are assessed pound for pound above the £16,000 baseline. A couple who could not meet the requirement on savings at the extension stage may comfortably meet it at settlement on the same money.

Savings alone, with no other qualifying income, therefore need to be £34,600 against the £18,600 threshold, being £16,000 plus £18,600, or £45,000 against the £29,000 threshold. Savings can also be combined with income to cover a shortfall, which is the more common position and is worked through in the examples below.

Whichever source is relied on, the evidence is prescribed rather than open. Appendix FM-SE sets out the specified documents for each category, and an application supported by evidence that falls outside that specified form can be refused even where the couple plainly have the money. Getting the category right, and evidencing it exactly as the Rules require, is what carries the financial requirement at settlement.

The English language requirement

The English language requirement at settlement is CEFR level B1 in speaking and listening, a step up from the A1 and A2 levels tested earlier on the route. It forms part of the knowledge of language and life requirement under Appendix KoLL of the Immigration Rules.

An applicant meets it by passing an approved Secure English Language Test at B1 or above, by holding a degree that was taught or researched in English, or as a national of a majority English-speaking country. Applicants aged 65 or over at the date of application, and those with a long-term physical or mental condition, are exempt under Appendix KoLL.

The B1 requirement rises to B2 in 2027

The level is going up. A Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules laid before Parliament on 5 March 2026 (HC 1691) raises the English language requirement for settlement from B1 to B2 from 26 March 2027. B1 remains the operative level for a settlement application made now (as of July 2026).

A partner reaching sixty months after March 2027 should plan for B2 rather than B1, and a partner whose qualifying date falls before then is unaffected. The change is separate from the earned settlement proposals covered below, and unlike those it has already been laid in the Rules.

The Life in the UK Test

The Life in the UK Test is a computer-based test of knowledge about British traditions, history and public life, and passing it is a requirement for settlement. It completes the knowledge of language and life requirement under Appendix KoLL, alongside the B1 English requirement.

The test has 24 multiple-choice questions, and a pass is 18 correct answers, which is 75 per cent. It is taken at a registered test centre, and the unique reference number from the pass notification is entered on the settlement application. Applicants aged 18 to 64 must pass it, while those aged 65 or over, and those with a qualifying long-term condition, are exempt.

The suitability requirements

The suitability requirements are the conduct and character grounds that can prevent a grant of settlement. They cover matters such as criminal convictions, a poor immigration history, and conduct that makes settlement undesirable.

Where a suitability issue exists, it is addressed directly in the application, with the relevant history explained and supporting evidence provided.

What documents do I need for ILR as a spouse or partner?

A settlement application is decided on the documents submitted, so the evidence set is prepared to match each requirement. The documents required depend on the route and the circumstances of the application.

• current passport, and the biometric residence permit or eVisa evidencing current leave
• the sponsor's passport, or proof of British citizenship or settled status
• evidence that the relationship is genuine, subsisting and that the couple live together, typically correspondence addressed to both partners across the period
• evidence of adequate accommodation, such as a tenancy agreement or property deeds
• financial evidence for the relevant income category, on the 5-year route
• the English language test certificate at B1, or evidence of an exemption
• the Life in the UK Test pass notification

Documents that are not in English

Any document that is not in English or Welsh must be submitted with a full certified translation. The translation must be made by a qualified translator, and must confirm the translator's name and credentials, that it is an accurate translation of the original, and the date of translation. The original document is provided alongside the translation.

How do I apply for ILR as a spouse or partner?

Indefinite Leave to Remain on the family route is applied for online, on form SET(M), followed by a biometric appointment and the upload of the supporting documents. The application is made from inside the UK, while the applicant holds valid leave as a partner.

1. Confirm the qualifying date. Count sixty months from the date of first entry to the UK on the partner visa, not from the date the visa was granted.
2. Prepare the evidence. Assemble the relationship, accommodation, financial, English and Life in the UK evidence for the route.
3. Apply online. Complete form SET(M) and pay the application fee.
4. Enrol biometrics. Attend the biometric appointment and upload the supporting documents.
5. Await the decision. The Home Office decides and, where the application succeeds, grants settlement with no time limit.

Can I apply for ILR early, and when does the 60 months start?

A settlement application can be made within the 28 days before the sixty-month qualifying period is complete, but no earlier. The point most applications get wrong is where the sixty months starts. It runs from the date the partner first entered the UK on the partner visa, not from the date the visa was granted.

That distinction matters because entry clearance as a partner is issued with a validity start date before the applicant travels, and the initial grant is made for 33 months rather than 30 to accommodate it. A person who counts sixty months from the date on the visa rather than the date they arrived will reach their qualifying date too early, and an application made before the 28-day window opens may be refused. The qualifying date is therefore confirmed from the date stamped on entry, and applying inside the window rather than waiting does not shorten the qualifying period itself.

How much does ILR cost?

An application for Indefinite Leave to Remain carries a Home Office application fee of £3,226 per person (as of April 2026), paid when the application is submitted. No Immigration Health Surcharge is payable on a settlement application. A priority or super-priority service is available at an additional cost for a faster decision.

How long does ILR take?

A settlement application is usually decided within six months of a valid application, and often sooner. A priority service returns a decision within five working days, and a super-priority service by the end of the next working day, each at an additional cost.

After ILR: British citizenship

Indefinite Leave to Remain is the status that qualifies a partner for British citizenship by naturalisation. The spouse or civil partner of a British citizen can apply as soon as they hold settlement, under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981, because the usual twelve-month wait after settlement does not apply to them.

A partner whose sponsor is settled but not a British citizen applies under section 6(1), which requires twelve months to have passed since the grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain. Both routes require the applicant to meet the residence, good character and knowledge of language and life requirements.

ILR applications in practice

Three worked examples show how the qualifying period and the financial requirement are met at settlement. Each applies the £18,600 threshold, because the higher £29,000 threshold took effect on 11 April 2024 and applies only to couples whose first partner application was made on or after that date. A partner settling now began the route around 2021, so they remain on £18,600 under the transitional arrangements, and the first settlement applications assessed at £29,000 are not expected until 2029.

The 5-year route met in full. A partner entered on a spouse visa in 2021, extended once, and reaches sixty months of continuous leave as a partner. The couple have lived together throughout, the sponsor earns £24,000, which is above the £18,600 transitional threshold, and the partner has passed the B1 English test and the Life in the UK Test. The requirements of the 5-year route are met, and settlement is granted.

Savings covering a shortfall. A sponsor earns £15,000, which is £3,600 below the £18,600 threshold. With the multiplier disregarded at settlement, the savings needed are £16,000 plus the £3,600 shortfall, which is £19,600 in total. The couple hold £20,000, so the requirement is met. At the extension stage the same shortfall would have needed £25,000, being £16,000 plus 2.5 times £3,600.

Counting the sixty months from the right date. A partner's entry clearance was granted on 2 March 2021 and they travelled to the UK on 19 May 2021. Counting from the date on the visa would put the qualifying date at 2 March 2026, and an application in the 28 days before that would be made too early and could be refused. The sixty months run from entry on 19 May 2021, so the qualifying date is 19 May 2026 and the application window opens on 21 April 2026.

Is ILR increasing to 10 years for spouse and partner visas?

No. The family route keeps its five-year qualifying period. The 2025 Immigration White Paper proposes raising the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten, a model described as earned settlement, but partners on the Appendix FM five-year route are treated as reaching settlement at five years rather than ten. There is no proposal to lengthen the qualifying period for the family route.

Two points are worth being precise about. First, earned settlement is not law: the consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and the Immigration Rules have not been laid, with implementation indicated for autumn 2026 at the earliest. The sixty-month qualifying period remains the operative rule for a partner-route application made now (as of July 2026). Second, the published proposals set out how partners of British citizens keep the five-year route, and are less clear about a partner sponsored by someone who is settled but not British. Where the sponsor holds Indefinite Leave to Remain rather than citizenship, the position should be confirmed before relying on it.

Separately, and unlike earned settlement, the rise in the English language requirement from B1 to B2 from 26 March 2027 has already been laid in the Rules (HC 1691, 5 March 2026). That is the change most likely to affect a partner whose qualifying date falls after March 2027.