ILR Global Talent: Apply After 3 or 5 Years
Choose how you were endorsed, then enter your start date to see when you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
How were you endorsed?
Choose how you were endorsed to see the date you can apply.
On the Global Talent route, indefinite leave to remain (ILR) opens up after three years for some people and five years for others, based on how you qualified when you first got your visa. ILR means you can stay in the UK for as long as you like, with no time limit. Three years applies to most holders of this visa, while people approved as up-and-coming leaders face a five-year wait.
Three-Year or Five-Year Wait for ILR
Which wait applies to you comes down to the way you qualified at the start. The usual path was an endorsement, meaning a recognised body formally approved your work.
| Your route into Global Talent | Wait before you can seek ILR |
|---|---|
| Backed by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society, or UKRI | 3 years |
| Approved as a leader (exceptional talent) | 3 years |
| Came in through a qualifying award | 3 years |
| Approved as an up-and-coming leader (exceptional promise) | 5 years |
You can check these waits in the official ILR eligibility guidance for Global Talent. If you came in through an eligible award, the three-year wait applies to you too.
Applying Early
There is no need to hold off until the day itself. The rules let you apply up to 28 days before hitting the three or five year mark. If you apply any earlier, you won't have built up enough time yet, so it's worth waiting until you're within that 28-day window.
Time Spent Outside the UK
While you build up your qualifying years, the cap is 180 days abroad in any rolling 12-month period.
If you were endorsed by one of those research bodies or came in through an award, you get a bit more flexibility, since work trips abroad may not count towards the 180-day cap.
English Level You Need
Part of applying is proving your English, and which grade you need turns on when you apply. B1 and B2 are standard measures of everyday English skill, and B2 sits above B1.
| Application date | English grade |
|---|---|
| Earlier than 26 March 2027 | B1 |
| 26 March 2027 or later | B2 |
You will find these grades in the immigration rules for Global Talent. The move to B2 is already law, not part of the earned settlement proposals further down.
How Much Does ILR Cost?
Each applicant pays £3,226. Family members who apply alongside you each pay that same fee.
Proposed Changes to Settlement
A new system called earned settlement has been put forward by the government, and it would shift the waiting times for settling across many visa routes. The earned settlement consultation suggests Global Talent and Innovator Founder would stay at roughly three years.
For now these remain proposals only. The three-year and five-year waits described on this page are still the rules in effect.