How Do You Get a Residence Permit in the UK?
The routes to a UK residence permit, how long they take and what they require. Which route suits whom, how settlement (ILR) and citizenship are reached, and the changes on the table in 2026, in plain language.
Immigration rules differ by route and are updated often. Eligibility is assessed on the visa type, the period, income, English level, continuous residence and personal circumstances. This page is general information, not immigration advice.
- Skilled Worker
- Global Talent and Innovator Founder
- Student and Graduate
- Family (spouse and partner)
- Settlement (ILR)
- Citizenship (naturalisation)
- UK Expansion Worker
- The change on the agenda in 2026
The question we are asked most: does buying a home in the UK give residence?
No, it does not. Buying a home in the United Kingdom gives you no visa and no right of residence. Ownership and immigration status are entirely separate legal frameworks.
The Tier 1 (Investor) visa, which granted residence for investment, closed to new applications on 17 February 2022 and has not reopened. Even while that route was open, property was not among the qualifying investments.
For residence programmes based on property you have to look at Portugal, Greece, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. For the detail see our article on the Greek Golden Visa is worth a look.
Which residence route suits you?
Each route has its own conditions, its own duration and its own timetable to settlement. The headings below summarise the routes used most often and the stages of status.
Skilled Worker
The most common route for those with a job offer from a licensed UK employer.
- A Certificate of Sponsorship is required
- Minimum salary and skill level thresholds
- English at a specified level
- A path to settlement (ILR) in the longer term
Global Talent and Innovator Founder
Two profile based routes that can be applied for without a job offer.
- Global Talent: endorsement from an approved body in science, engineering, the arts or digital technology
- Innovator Founder: endorsement of an innovative business idea by an approved body
- Neither requires a sponsoring employer
- The assessment is made on the personal portfolio and track record
Student and Graduate
The routes used for university study and for staying on after graduation.
- An acceptance letter (CAS) and proof of funds
- A work permit after graduation through the Graduate route
- Moving to a work route at the end of the Graduate period
- The conditions for including family members as dependants
Family (spouse and partner)
For those in a relationship with a British citizen or a settled person.
- A body of evidence that the relationship is genuine
- The minimum income requirement
- The English language requirement
- The timetable for extensions and for settlement
Settlement (ILR)
The right to live and work without a time limit. On most routes the standard wait is currently 5 years.
- Continuous residence: days spent outside the country must stay within the limit
- The Life in the UK test
- English at the specified level
- The route conditions met without a break
Citizenship (naturalisation)
Usually the step after ILR. The dates and the physical presence criteria decide it.
- A set waiting period after ILR is granted
- Physical presence conditions in the United Kingdom
- The Life in the UK test and the good character requirement
- The period can work differently for those married to a British citizen
UK Expansion Worker (Global Business Mobility)
For businesses placing their overseas company in the United Kingdom for the first time. Key personnel are sent to set up the branch or the subsidiary.
- The company must not yet have an active trading presence in the United Kingdom
- A sponsor licence and a Certificate of Sponsorship in the name of the UK entity to be set up
- The person sent must work as a senior manager or a specialist in the overseas company
- A time limited route: it does not lead to settlement (ILR) on its own, and a move to Skilled Worker is discussed at the next stage
The change on the agenda in 2026
The Earned Settlement model, which proposes raising the ILR wait from 5 years to 10, is under discussion.
- The proposal was set out in the May 2025 Immigration White Paper
- The consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and about 130,000 responses are being assessed
- It is not law yet; the current 5 year period stands
- How the transitional arrangements will work is not yet clear
How does the process work?
An authorised professional runs the immigration side; we shape the property side around their timetable and coordinate the two processes.
Goal and position
We set out where your property plan and your immigration goal intersect.
Referral to an authorised adviser
For the visa, residence or citizenship side we refer you to an adviser registered with the IAA or to a solicitor.
Property planning
We shape the budget, the location and the choice of scheme around the timetable the adviser sets.
Coordination
We track the timing and the flow of documents between the purchase and the immigration process.
Afterwards
We carry on supporting you through handover, letting and management.
capital.works® is a property consultancy and does not provide immigration advice. Giving immigration advice and services in the United Kingdom is a regulated activity; only advisers authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) and solicitors registered with the SRA may provide it.
Vize, oturum veya vatandaşlık başvurunuz için sizi yetkili göçmenlik avukatımıza yönlendiririz; vize sürecini onun yürütmesi esastır. Biz de capital.works® olarak gayrimenkul ve mortgage tarafındaki planlamayı bu sürece uyumlu şekilde kurgularız. Bir danışmanın yetkili olup olmadığını şuradan doğrulayabilirsiniz: the official register on GOV.UK.
How are property and immigration planned together?
Buying a home does not give residence, but the two processes affect each other. Three situations we meet often:
Families whose children will study in the UK
The student visa process and the timing of a purchase are usually planned together. The detail: our education consultancy page.
Those arriving on Skilled Worker
Renting for the first year and buying afterwards is a common decision. On a mortgage application the length of the visa can be decisive.
Those investing from abroad
For buyers with no residence plan the non-resident stamp duty surcharge applies. The detail: our guide for international buyers.
What happened to the UK residence card?
Physical biometric residence permits have not been issued since 31 October 2024. They were replaced by the eVisa, a digital record: your status is now held in your UKVI account.
- To prove your status you sign in to your UKVI account and generate a share code, which a landlord, employer or bank uses to check it.
- An expired BRP can still be used only to sign in, to create the account or to apply to extend permission. That use ends 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card, or on 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.
- The critical point for owners who live abroad: the passport you travel on has to be added to your UKVI account. Since 25 February 2026 carriers refuse boarding to passengers without valid digital permission. If you have renewed your passport, update the account before you travel.
Application fees and decision times
The fees below have applied since 8 April 2026 and are unchanged in the table that takes effect on 8 October 2026. Decision times run in UK working weeks from the point biometrics and documents are submitted.
| Route | Application fee (from outside the UK) | Decision time |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker, up to 3 years | £819 | 3 weeks |
| Skilled Worker, over 3 years | £1,618 | 3 weeks |
| Global Talent (endorsement and visa together) | £766 | 3 weeks |
| Innovator Founder | £1,357 | 3 weeks |
| UK Expansion Worker | £340 | 3 weeks |
| Family visa (partner) | £2,064 | 12 weeks |
| Standard Visitor (up to 6 months) | £135 | 3 weeks |
On top of the fee comes the health surcharge: £1,035 a year for an adult and £776 for under 18s and students. On a three year grant that is £3,105 per adult. It is not charged on a settlement application; the ILR fee is £3,226. Naturalisation costs £1,709 with a £130 ceremony fee.
Two services shorten the wait and both are charged per person: priority at £500 usually gives a decision in 5 working days (30 working days on family visas and citizenship), and super priority at £1,000 by the next working day. Super priority is not available for citizenship.
The settlement period is changing. Today settlement takes 5 years on most work routes and 3 years on Global Talent and Innovator Founder. Under the model the government announced on 5 March 2026 the standard becomes 10 years, with 5 years for certain public service professions and 3 years for high earners and entrepreneurs. It is planned to take effect in March 2027 and to cover people already in the UK who have not yet settled. Build that into any timeline.
A common mistake: The Ankara Agreement (Turkish Businessperson) route closed on 31 December 2020. Only people who held that permission on that date, or whose application was later granted, can still extend or apply to settle. The route is not open to new applicants, although it is still marketed as though it were. GOV.UK states that this route is closed.
Sources: the Home Office fee table, visa decision waiting times and the health surcharge.
The questions we hear most
If I buy a home in the UK, do I get a residence permit?
No. Buying a home gives you no visa and no right of residence in the United Kingdom. The Tier 1 (Investor) visa, which granted residence for investment, closed on 17 February 2022, and even while that route was open property did not count as a qualifying investment.
Does the UK have a Golden Visa programme?
No. There is no active programme in the United Kingdom granting residence in return for property or capital investment. Programmes of that kind exist in countries such as Portugal, Greece, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.
How many years does permanent residence take?
Under the current rules the standard period on most routes is five years. An Earned Settlement model proposing to extend it to ten years is under discussion but has not become law.
I had a BRP card. What happens now?
Physical BRP cards have been replaced by the eVisa system. Your status is held as a digital record linked to your UKVI account and is evidenced with a share code.
Do you make the immigration application for me?
No. Immigration advice is a regulated activity in the United Kingdom and may only be given by advisers registered with the IAA and solicitors registered with the SRA. We refer you to an authorised professional and run the property planning in step with their process.
Do days spent abroad affect permanent residence?
Yes. The continuous residence requirement limits how much time you may spend outside the country in any twelve-month period. It matters to start keeping that record years before you apply.
Request a first assessment
Let us talk about the property side of your immigration plan. Tell us briefly where you stand; we will set out the road map and, if you need one, refer you to an authorised immigration adviser.
The fees, timings and rules on this page were verified against official sources on 25 September 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current position with a regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor before you decide.