ILR cost and timeline
Every cost on the road to settlement and how long the Home Office takes.
Rules and fees checked against gov.uk on 8 November 2026. Page updated 8 November 2026. How we check our guides.
The ILR fee is the biggest single immigration fee most people ever pay, but it is not the whole cost. This page adds up everything on the road from eligibility to settlement, and sets out a realistic timeline so you can plan the money and the dates.
The costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ILR application fee | £3,029 | Per person, including each child. Not refundable if refused. |
| Life in the UK test | £50 | Per attempt. About one in five people fail first time. |
| B1 English test (SELT) | £150 to £200 | Only if you need one; a UK degree or a nationality on the exempt list means you do not. |
| Biometric appointment | £0 to £125 | Free core UKVCAS appointments exist but are scarce; paid slots and the ID Check app are the usual alternatives. |
| Super priority service | £1,000 | Optional. Next-working-day decision. |
| Document translations | £20 to £60 a page | For any document not in English or Welsh. |
| Immigration adviser (optional) | £800 to £2,500 | Fixed fees are common for straightforward ILR; see finding an adviser. |
A single adult who does their own application, needs a SELT and uses the standard service will spend about £3,249. A family of four pays four ILR fees, £12,116, plus tests for both adults. Children do not take the tests.
Where the money stops
ILR is the last fee on the visa track. Once granted you pay no further immigration fees and no more Immigration Health Surcharge, which for a Skilled Worker family has been costing £1,035 a year per person. The only remaining fee is naturalisation, £1,605 plus the £130 ceremony, which is optional and can wait.
A realistic timeline
- Twelve months out. Check your qualifying date and your absences for every rolling 12-month period. If you will cross 180 days before the date, cancel or shorten trips now; this is the last point at which you can fix it.
- Six months out. Book the Life in the UK test. Test centres in big cities fill several weeks ahead. Book a SELT if you need one; results take up to two weeks.
- Three months out. Ask your employer for the ILR letter (on a work route) confirming your job, salary and that you are still required. Gather payslips and bank statements for the last six months. Compile your absence list.
- 28 days before the qualifying date. The earliest you can submit. Many people do, to use the long wait.
- Submission day. Pay the fee and book your biometric appointment or use the ID Check app. From this day your status is protected under section 3C even if your visa expires.
- Decision. Standard: up to six months, often two to three. Super priority: next working day. The grant arrives as an email and your eVisa updates; there is no physical document.
Working and travelling while you wait
You keep the conditions of your current visa while the application is pending, so you can carry on working for your sponsor. You must not leave the UK: travelling abroad while an in-country application is pending withdraws it automatically, and you lose the fee. If you have a trip you cannot move, apply after it or pay for super priority so the decision comes first.