The UK's Longer Road to Settlement: Why Reconsideration is Vital

(Manchester.ac.uk)

For thousands of people who’ve made the UK their home, getting settled status isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about security, belonging, and the chance to plan a proper future. Yet for many families, the path to settlement has become a 10-year marathon, filled with stress, eye-watering costs, and constant uncertainty.

The 10-year route to settlement was introduced in 2012 to be used in “exceptional circumstances.” But in reality, it’s become the default for a lot of people, especially those who don’t earn enough to meet the strict income requirements of the faster 5-year route.

If you’ve never been through it, you might not realise just how punishing this system can be. So let’s break it down—and talk about why the government needs to take another look.

What Exactly Is the 10-Year Route?

Under the current system, if you’re on a family visa (for example, if you’re married to a British citizen), you could be placed on a 10-year route to settlement. Here’s how it works:

• You get Limited Leave to Remain for 2.5 years at a time.

• You must renew your visa four times over the decade.

• Every renewal costs thousands of pounds in Home Office fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

• After the full 10 years, you can finally apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

To put it in perspective: the standard application fee alone is £1,048 per person, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per adult per year. For a family of four over 10 years, this can easily top £20,000–£30,000, not counting solicitor costs.

Many hardworking families simply can’t afford that without borrowing or cutting back on essentials.

Why So Many People Get Stuck on This Route

The 5-year route is only available to people who meet strict requirements—like earning at least £29,000 (as of 2024, with plans to rise further). That excludes a huge number of people working in essential jobs: care workers, cleaners, shop staff, NHS porters, and delivery drivers.

So while politicians say Britain wants “hardworking families,” in practice the system penalises exactly those people, pushing them onto the longest, most expensive route.

The Human Cost of a Decade in Limbo

Living 10 years without settled status takes a massive toll on people’s lives:

1. Financial PressureVisa fees and surcharges are so high that many families go into debt. A 2023 report by the Migrant Rights Network found that over half of families on the 10-year route struggle to pay rent and bills because of visa costs.

2. Constant StressImagine knowing every 2.5 years that if you make a mistake or can’t afford the fees, you could lose your right to live here legally. Families live with that fear hanging over them for a decade.

3. Impact on ChildrenChildren born or raised here grow up in a kind of limbo. They often feel British in every way—school, friends, language—but are treated differently by the system.

4. Barriers to Settling InThis system undermines the very integration the government says it wants. It’s hard to feel you belong when you have to re-prove yourself every couple of years.

What Does This Mean for the UK?

Here’s the irony: many people on the 10-year route are exactly the workers keeping the UK going—NHS staff, carers, drivers, shop workers. Yet they’re punished by rules that assume low income equals less commitment to Britain.

In fact, long-term residents are more likely to stay out of destitution and integrate well if they have stable status. Research by the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory shows that settled migrants contribute more to the economy and rely less on emergency support.

The government often talks about “British values” like fairness and decency. But this system feels anything but fair.

What Needs to Change

There are some simple, sensible reforms that could make a huge difference:

* Restore shorter routes to settlement for families who’ve proved their commitment and lived here for years.

*Reduce the cost of applications and the health surcharge, so people aren’t forced into poverty just to stay legal.

*Give clearer guidance and more secure interim status, so no family risks falling out of status due to delays.

* Make it easier for children who grow up in the UK to get citizenship, so they don’t spend their childhoods in limbo.

Conclusion: A Call for Compassion and Common Sense

The UK is a country built on values of fairness and community. The 10-year route to settlement is failing families who have already shown they belong here.

It’s time to rethink whether making people wait a decade—and spend tens of thousands—just to feel secure in the place they call home is really the best we can do.

If Britain wants to live up to its values, it should create a system that helps people put down roots, contribute fully, and build a shared future—without having to prove it again and again.