Why employers should plan ILR dates
Avoid a gap
A missed expiry date means the worker must stop work — and you lose your statutory excuse.
Budget accurately
Extensions cost a new CoS and Immigration Skills Charge; ILR costs the employer nothing in Home Office fees.
Retain people
Workers who know their settlement plan are far less likely to move sponsor.
Absences matter for ILR
A worker who spends more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period usually breaks their continuous residence. As a sponsor you already have to record absences, so keep them accurate — the worker will need them for their application. Keep absences, visa expiry and ILR dates on one list per worker; the immigration firms on this site maintain that list for their clients and prompt them ahead of each deadline.
Frequently asked questions
When can a sponsored worker apply for ILR?
Skilled Workers and Health and Care Workers can apply for indefinite leave to remain after 5 years of continuous residence, and can submit the application up to 28 days before the 5 years completes. Global Talent (exceptional talent) can qualify after 3 years.
What does the employer have to do for a Skilled Worker’s ILR application?
The sponsor must still hold a valid licence, confirm that the worker is still required for the job for the foreseeable future, and confirm they are paid at least the required salary. No new certificate of sponsorship is needed for ILR.
What salary must a sponsored worker earn at ILR?
Generally at least £41,700 and the going rate for the occupation. Lower thresholds apply to Immigration Salary List roles (£33,400), workers first sponsored before 4 April 2024 (£31,300) and some health and education roles (£25,000).
What happens to our sponsor duties once a worker gets ILR?
Sponsorship ends. Report on the sponsor management system that you have stopped sponsoring the worker because they have settled, carry out a new right to work check, and you no longer need follow-up checks because ILR gives a continuous statutory excuse.
Has the ILR period changed to 10 years?
Not yet. The government has proposed “earned settlement” with a 10-year baseline and consulted on it until February 2026, but no rules have been laid. The current 5-year period still applies, and transitional arrangements have not been published.
What if the visa expires before the worker reaches 5 years?
You will need to extend their sponsorship first: assign a new certificate of sponsorship, pay the Immigration Skills Charge for the extension period, and make sure the application is submitted before the current visa expires.
Official sources
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Continuous Residence
- Indefinite leave to remain (GOV.UK)
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees: 8 April 2026
Rules and fees checked September 2026. Immigration rules change often — this tool gives general information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on an individual case, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or one of the firms listed here.