By Habeeb Ibrahim
The UK government has responded to a petition advocating for a reduction in the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for those who have studied and worked in the country for three years.
The petition, titled “Change requirements for ILR for those who have graduated and worked for 3 years,” argued that individuals who have studied in the UK for at least a year and subsequently worked for three years should be allowed to apply for ILR with their dependents.
In its official response, the Home Office stated that settlement in the UK is a privilege and that applicants must demonstrate their contribution to the country over a “meaningful period.” The government maintained that the current five-year requirement for ILR remains appropriate, adding that the UK immigration system already allows for different qualifying periods, ranging up to 10 years, depending on the applicant’s circumstances.
The statement further emphasized that while the government values skilled workers, temporary routes such as the Student and Graduate visas are not direct pathways to settlement. Instead, graduates are expected to either leave the UK after their visa expires or transition to another immigration route that could eventually lead to ILR.
The petition, created to support international graduates who have studied in the UK for at least a year and worked for three years, has so far gathered over 13,599 signatures. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, the Petitions Committee will consider it for debate in Parliament. The committee, composed of MPs from different parties, can also press the government for action and collect further evidence on the issue.
Below is the full government response:
Government Response:
“Settlement in the UK is a privilege. Those wishing to settle must show a contribution to the UK for a meaningful period, and we see no case to reduce the five-year period required to demonstrate this.
“Whilst we recognise and appreciate the work of skilled professionals, we must have a settlement process that is fair to all. Unless there are truly exceptional reasons, the expectation is that applicants should serve a probationary period with limited permission before being eligible to apply for settlement. The UK immigration system provides for people to settle in different circumstances, with different qualifying periods required to reach settlement, up to 10 years.
“The Points-Based System has several benefits aimed at improving the process for sponsors and applicants. At present, individuals can apply for settlement after they have completed five years on the Skilled Worker visa.
“Those coming to the UK should be aware that settlement is not guaranteed. The long-standing policy is that a person should be able to demonstrate they can contribute to the UK for a meaningful period and support themselves and their families.
“There is a difference between temporary routes, designed to allow people to work and study for shorter periods, and work routes that can lead to settlement. These different purposes are also reflected in the rules, which do not generally allow time spent on a temporary route to be counted towards the five years required for settlement.
“The Student and Graduate routes are temporary immigration routes. Students and graduates are expected either to leave the UK before their permission expires or, if eligible, apply for another immigration route that leads to settlement. These routes do not directly provide a path to ILR, although long residence rules allow time spent as a student or graduate to count toward the qualifying period for settlement.
“The Home Office currently has no plans to reduce the five-year qualifying period, but all policies are kept under review.
“With the petition still open, supporters continue to push for a change in immigration policies to ease the pathway to settlement for skilled graduates. If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.”
