Last reviewed: June 2026 | Source: Home Office / gov.uk
TL;DR- The 10-year long residence route was abolished on 11 April 2024.
- It has been replaced by the private life route under Appendix Private Life.
- Applicants who had already accrued 10 years of lawful residence before abolition can still apply under transitional arrangements.
- The private life route has a 10-year qualifying period but different eligibility criteria and is more restrictive than the old long residence route.
- Those on the old 10-year route midway through their qualifying period at abolition must check whether transitional protection applies to their case.
Key Facts
●Abolition date: 11 April 2024
●Route that replaced it: Appendix Private Life
●Private life route qualifying period: 10 years continuous lawful or unlawful residence in some cases
●ILR fee under private life route: £2,885
●Old route applications still accepted if 10 years accrued before 11 April 2024
What Was the 10-Year Long Residence Rule
The 10-year long residence rule was a provision in the UK Immigration Rules that allowed any person who had spent 10 continuous years lawfully in the United Kingdom, on any combination of visas, to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. It was used by migrants who did not qualify for settlement through a single specific route, or who had spent years on successive short-term visas, student visas, or visas with no direct route to settlement.
The rule was contained in paragraph 276B of the Immigration Rules. It required 10 years of continuous lawful residence, no absences exceeding 180 days in any 12-month period, and the applicant to be of good character.
When and Why It Was Abolished
The long residence route was closed to new applicants on 11 April 2024 as part of a package of immigration reforms announced by the then Home Secretary. The stated rationale was to reduce the number of pathways to settlement and align settlement more closely with specific economic or family contribution routes. Critics argued the abolition disproportionately affected long-term residents who had built lives in the UK but did not hold a sponsored work visa.
The route was not removed from the Immigration Rules immediately. Instead, a transitional provision was inserted allowing applicants who had already accrued 10 continuous years of lawful residence before 11 April 2024 to continue to make applications under the old paragraph 276B criteria.
Transitional Protection: Who Can Still Use the Old Route
An applicant can still apply under the old 10-year long residence provisions if they had completed 10 continuous years of lawful residence in the UK before 11 April 2024. The application must be made while the applicant still holds valid leave to remain; making an application out of time or after leave has expired may affect eligibility.
Applicants who were partway through accruing their 10 years on 11 April 2024 and had not yet reached the 10-year mark do not benefit from the transitional provision. They must qualify under an alternative route.
What Replaced It: Appendix Private Life
The primary replacement for the old long residence route is the private life route under Appendix Private Life of the Immigration Rules. This route allows certain applicants, particularly those with significant private or family life established in the UK, to apply for limited leave and eventually settlement. The qualifying period under the private life route is typically 10 years of continuous residence, but the eligibility criteria differ significantly from the old long residence route.
Key differences include: the private life route considers proportionality under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights; it is available to some applicants who have been in the UK unlawfully for part of their residence; and it does not require continuous lawful residence throughout the full period in all cases. However, the private life route does not provide an automatic or straightforward path to settlement for all long-term residents in the way that paragraph 276B previously did.
Impact on Current Long-Term Residents
For migrants currently in the UK who have been here for several years but do not hold a route that leads directly to settlement (for example, those on repeated student visas or visitor visas), the abolition of the 10-year route significantly narrows their options. The most common advice from OISC-regulated immigration advisers in this situation is to assess whether the person qualifies under a sponsored work route, a family route, or the private life route, in that order of preference.
The 2025 Immigration White Paper signalled further changes to long-term residence and settlement pathways, but no new replacement for the 10-year route has been announced. The private life route remains the primary option for applicants outside other qualifying categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still use the 10-year rule in 2026?
Only if you had completed 10 continuous years of lawful residence in the UK before 11 April 2024. If you had not yet reached 10 years by that date, the old route is no longer available to you. The replacement is the private life route under Appendix Private Life.
What is the difference between the old 10-year route and the private life route?
The old paragraph 276B route required 10 years of continuous lawful residence on any combination of visas and granted ILR directly on meeting the criteria. The private life route assesses applications on the basis of established private or family life under Article 8 ECHR. It can accommodate some unlawful residence in specific circumstances but involves a more discretionary assessment and typically grants limited leave before settlement, rather than ILR directly.
Eight years in the UK on student visas: what are the options now?
If you had not accrued 10 years before April 2024, the old long residence route is unavailable. Options to consider are: switching to a Skilled Worker visa if you have an eligible job offer; applying under a family or partner route if applicable; or assessing eligibility under the private life route. Each has different qualifying criteria and timelines to settlement. An OISC-regulated adviser can assess which applies to your specific circumstances.
Does time on a visitor visa count towards long residence?
Under the old paragraph 276B route, time spent on a visitor visa did not count as lawful residence for the 10-year calculation because visitor leave does not constitute continuous lawful residence for settlement purposes under the Immigration Rules. The same principle applies under the private life route.
