Major UK immigration changes take effect from 8 April 2026 — but the shift to an earned settlement model replaces the standard 5-year pathway with variable timelines based on salary, English proficiency, and compliance. The new rules also shorten the Graduate visa to 2 years, introduce an ETA for EU travellers, and alter the 10-year private life route for migrants already in the UK.

4 related posts

New immigration rules take effect: from 8 April 2026 ·
Skilled Worker visa salary threshold: £38,700 (from 2025, ongoing) ·
Graduate visa route: shortened to 2 years (2026) ·
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) required for EU travellers: yes, 2026 ·
Earned settlement route for Skilled Workers: 3 years, from 2026

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether current visa holders can use the new 3-year settlement route retroactively (Travers Smith)
  • Details of the 26 March 2027 changes (further settlement rule adjustments) per Travers Smith
  • How the proposed 10-year baseline settlement interacts with existing private life rules (Travers Smith)
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Applicants should prepare for higher salary thresholds and shorter post-study work windows (GOV.UK guidance)
  • Current visa holders may face transitional rules – check official GOV.UK guidance

Six key facts, one pattern: the government is shifting from a standard 5-year settlement track toward a variable, “earned” model where speed depends on salary, English level, and other factors.

Label Value
Effective date of new rules 8 April 2026
Second stage of changes 26 March 2027
Skilled Worker minimum salary £38,700
Graduate visa duration (bachelor’s) 2 years
New settlement route length 3 years
ETA cost €7

What are the new immigration rules for the UK?

The government announced a package of changes taking effect from 8 April 2026, following a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published on 5 March 2026, as reported by DLA Piper (global law firm). A second stage is scheduled for 26 March 2027, per Travers Smith (law firm analysis). Here’s what shifts:

  • Skilled Worker visa: now requires degree-level employment and a minimum salary of £38,700 GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules). A new earned settlement route allows ILR after 3 years for those meeting the criteria.
  • Graduate visa: reduced from 2 years to 2 years for bachelor’s and master’s graduates; PhD holders retain 3 years Citizens Advice (advice charity guidance).
  • Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): required for EU travellers entering the UK from 2026. Online application, €7, valid 3 years European Commission (official ETIAS portal).
  • Spouse visa: minimum income requirement remains at £29,000 (announced 2024, in effect 2025) with no change for 2026 GOV.UK (Immigration Rules updates).
  • New employer duties: companies sponsoring workers face expanded compliance checks from 25 February 2026, per DLA Piper (global law firm).
  • Visa brake on certain nationalities: from 26 March 2026, nationals of Afghanistan cannot use the Skilled Worker route, and nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan are barred from student visa entry clearance DLA Piper (global law firm).
The upshot

A Skilled Worker earning below £38,700 cannot access the new 3-year settlement route — and may lose the chance to extend altogether. For Graduate visa holders, the shorter window means less time to find a qualifying Skilled Worker job.

The pattern is clear: the government is tightening access to settlement while rewarding higher earners with faster pathways.

What is the 10 year rule for immigration in the UK?

The 10-year route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is currently governed by Paragraph 276ADE of the Immigration Rules, allowing settlement for those who have lived continuously in the UK for at least 10 years on any legal basis GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules, Paragraph 276ADE). However, the government has proposed to replace this with the new “earned settlement” model, which would effectively abolish the long residence rule, according to the Migration Observatory (independent academic research unit at the University of Oxford).

What is the difference between the 10-year and 7-year rules?

  • 10-year rule (adults): currently applies to anyone with 10 years continuous legal residence in any visa category. The proposal would replace this with a baseline 10-year qualifying period that can be shortened or lengthened based on factors like income, English proficiency, volunteering, and benefit receipt Work Rights Centre (immigrant rights charity).
  • 7-year rule (children under 18): applies to children who have lived in the UK for at least 7 continuous years. The new proposals do not directly mention changes to the 7-year child rule, but the broader earned settlement framework may affect how these applications are assessed.

The implication: the 10-year route as we know it may disappear. Those who have built years in the UK on short-term visas could face a reset, with a new baseline of 10 years again — but with performance criteria.

What are the new rules for UK visa 2026?

Several specific visa categories see adjustments from 8 April 2026. We detail the three main ones below.

Skilled Worker visa changes in 2026

  • Salary threshold: £38,700 for most roles GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules).
  • Occupation list narrowed — only degree-level roles qualify.
  • New earned settlement route allows ILR after 3 years, provided the applicant meets the salary, English, and compliance criteria Travers Smith (law firm analysis).
  • New employer duties: pre-departure digital checks enforced from 25 February 2026 DLA Piper (global law firm).

Graduate visa changes in 2026

  • Duration shortened to 2 years for bachelor’s and master’s graduates; PhD retains 3 years Citizens Advice (advice charity guidance).
  • Cannot switch to Skilled Worker visa without a degree-level job offer meeting the new salary threshold.
  • No change for existing Graduate visa holders — they retain the original duration GOV.UK (Graduate visa official page).

Spouse visa minimum income requirement

  • Minimum income: £29,000 per year (announced in 2024, implemented from 2025). No increase for 2026 GOV.UK (Immigration Rules updates).
  • 5-year route to ILR remains unchanged.
  • Evidence requirements remain the same: salaried employment, self-employment, or cash savings above £16,000.
The trade-off

For Skilled Workers, faster settlement (3 years) comes at a cost: a higher salary floor and a narrower occupation list. For Graduate visa holders, the clock now ticks faster.

The trade-off pattern repeats: faster routes come with higher thresholds across visa categories.

How many years do you have to live in the UK to get permanent residency?

The answer depends on your visa route. The table below compares the main pathways after the 2026 changes.

Four routes, one pattern: higher income and English proficiency unlock faster settlement, while those on lower earnings or humanitarian paths face longer waits.

Route Qualifying period (pre-2026) Qualifying period (from 8 April 2026)
Skilled Worker (new earned settlement) 5 years 3 years (with £38,700+ salary)
Standard settlement (other work routes) 5 years 5 years (unchanged)
Family visa (spouse/partner) 5 years 5 years (unchanged)
Private life (10-year rule) 10 years continuous residence Proposed: 10-year baseline, variable by factors
Refugee resettlement 5 years Proposed: 20-year baseline Migration Observatory (Oxford academic research)

The catch: faster settlement for high earners (3 years) but dramatically longer waits for refugees. The Migration Observatory notes that migrants with taxable income of at least £50,270 per year would receive 5 years less toward settlement waiting time, while those on benefits would see the baseline extended Migration Observatory (Oxford academic research).

Will the new immigration rules affect those already in the UK?

Yes — but the impact depends on your visa type and when you applied. The rules generally apply to new applications from the effective date, not retroactively to existing grants, but transitional provisions vary.

Transitional provisions for current visa holders

  • Graduate visa holders already in the UK: retain the original duration (2 years) and are unaffected by the reduction GOV.UK (Graduate visa official page).
  • Skilled Worker visa holders seeking extension or switching: must meet the new £38,700 salary threshold for new applications after 8 April 2026, according to GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules).
  • Current visa holders on the 10-year private life route: the proposed earned settlement model could affect future applications. The Work Rights Centre (immigrant rights charity) describes the proposals as retroactive, potentially resetting the clock for those already accruing years.
  • Family visa holders: no immediate change to the £29,000 income threshold or 5-year ILR route.

Official guidance from GOV.UK (Immigration Rules updates) and Citizens Advice (advice charity guidance) confirms that most changes apply to new applications from their respective dates.

What this means: if you are approaching 10 years on a private life application, you may want to submit before the new rules take effect — or risk facing the new 10-year baseline with extra criteria.

Do I need a visa to travel to Europe from the UK in 2026?

No — but you will need an Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation (ETIAS). This is not a visa, but a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers entering the Schengen Area for short stays European Commission (official ETIAS portal).

  • Cost: €7
  • Validity: 3 years (or until passport expiry, whichever comes first)
  • Application: online, takes minutes
  • Start date: mid-2026 (exact date to be confirmed by the EU)

The trade-off: this adds a small administrative step for UK citizens heading to Europe, but is far less than the full visa process. It does not affect travel to Ireland, which remains part of the Common Travel Area.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

  • 8 April 2026 effective date per Travers Smith (law firm analysis) and GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules)
  • Skilled Worker salary threshold £38,700 GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules)
  • Graduate visa shortened to 2 years Citizens Advice (advice charity guidance)
  • ETA required for EU travel, cost €7, valid 3 years European Commission (official ETIAS portal)
  • Statement of Changes published on 5 March 2026 per DLA Piper (global law firm)
  • B2 English requirement for settlement applications from 26 March 2027 per Morgan Lewis (global law firm)

What’s unclear

  • Whether current visa holders will be eligible for the 3-year settlement route retroactively
  • Details of the 26 March 2027 changes (further settlement rule adjustments) per Travers Smith
  • How the proposed 10-year baseline settlement interacts with existing private life rules (Work Rights Centre (immigrant rights charity))
  • Whether refugee and resettlement routes will indeed face a 20-year settlement baseline (Migration Observatory (Oxford academic research))

The confirmed facts outnumber the unclear areas, but the open questions — particularly around retroactive application — carry significant weight for current visa holders.

Timeline of key changes

  • July 2025: Skilled Worker visa salary threshold increased to £38,700; spouse visa income threshold set at £29,000 per GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules)
  • October 2025: Citizens Advice (advice charity guidance) publishes guidance on how changes affect users
  • 25 February 2026: Home Office begins full enforcement of digital pre-departure checks per DLA Piper (global law firm)
  • 5 March 2026: Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published per DLA Piper (global law firm)
  • 26 March 2026: nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan barred from student entry clearance; Afghanistan excluded from Skilled Worker entry per DLA Piper (global law firm)
  • 8 April 2026: Main new immigration rules take effect: earned settlement route, Graduate visa reduction, ETA enforcement, new employer duties per Travers Smith (law firm analysis)
  • Mid-2026: ETIAS system goes live for UK travellers to EU per European Commission (official ETIAS portal)
  • 26 March 2027: B2 English requirement for settlement applications takes effect per Morgan Lewis (global law firm); further changes to immigration rules expected per Travers Smith

“The government has published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules on 5 March 2026, which will take effect from 8 April 2026 and 26 March 2027.”
DLA Piper (global law firm), UK immigration updates, March 2026

“The proposed changes would abolish the long residence rules that currently allow ten years of continuous legal residence in almost any visa category to lead to settlement.”
Migration Observatory (Oxford University academic research unit), November 2025

“The new earned settlement route will allow Skilled Workers to apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 years, provided they meet the salary, English, and compliance requirements.”
Travers Smith (law firm analysis), Upcoming changes to the UK Immigration Rules, March 2026

For a Skilled Worker earning above £50,270, the implication is clear: apply for settlement under the new 3-year route, or risk being caught by potential further tightening in 2027.

Additional sources

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk, youtube.com, immigrationbarrister.co.uk, citizensadvice.org.uk

En detaljerad genomgång av nya immigrationsreglerna för 2026 finns på nyhetssajten Newsignal UK, som fokuserar på de viktigaste datum och ändringarna.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the new earned settlement route for Skilled Workers?

It allows Skilled Workers on the new visa to apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 years (rather than the standard 5 years), provided they meet the £38,700 salary threshold, degree-level occupation requirement, and B1 English (moving to B2 from 26 March 2027) Travers Smith (law firm analysis).

How long does it take to get indefinite leave to remain under the new rules?

It depends on the route: Skilled Workers on the new earned settlement route can get ILR after 3 years; standard work and family routes remain at 5 years; the private life route remains at 10 years (proposed to shift to a variable 10-year baseline) GOV.UK (official Immigration Rules).

Do the new rules affect my current visa renewal?

If you are applying for a visa extension on or after 8 April 2026, the new rules apply — including the £38,700 salary threshold for Skilled Workers. Existing visa holders are generally not affected GOV.UK (Immigration Rules updates).

What happens if my Skilled Worker visa salary is below £38,700?

You will not be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain under the new earned settlement route, and you may not be able to extend your visa unless you switch to a role that meets the threshold or find an exemption (e.g., national shortage occupations) GOV.UK (Skilled Worker visa official page).

Can I switch from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa in 2026?

Yes — but you must have a job offer for a degree-level role paying at least £38,700. The Graduate visa reduction to 2 years means less time to find such a role Citizens Advice (advice charity guidance).

What is the English language requirement for the new settlement route?

Currently B1 on the CEFR scale, but from 26 March 2027 it rises to B2 for settlement applications, as confirmed by Morgan Lewis (global law firm).

Does the 10-year rule still apply after the 2026 changes?

The government has proposed to replace the current 10-year long residence rule with the earned settlement model, which would impose a baseline 10-year qualifying period that can be shortened or lengthened. The Migration Observatory Migration Observatory (Oxford University academic research unit) says this effectively abolishes the existing route.

How do I apply for the ETA for Europe from the UK?

Apply online via the official European Commission ETIAS portal. Cost: €7. Valid 3 years for multiple entries to the Schengen Area. You will need a valid UK passport and a credit/debit card.