Family Life 10-Year Route Settlement (ILR)
If you have permission in the UK as a partner or parent on the family-life route, you may be eligible for indefinite leave to remain under Appendix Settlement Family Life. The settlement framework considers your qualifying period and continuous residence, suitability, relationship requirements, English language and Knowledge of Life in the UK.
On this page
In brief
- For people with permission as a partner or parent on the family-life route, settlement is under Appendix Settlement Family Life.
- It considers your 10-year qualifying period and continuous residence.
- It also considers suitability, the relationship requirement, English language and Life in the UK.
- The guide helps confirm whether this is the right settlement route — it does not decide eligibility.
Is this the right settlement route?
This page covers settlement under Appendix Settlement Family Life. It is the settlement framework for relevant partners and parents on the 10-year family route. It is different from settlement on the 5-year partner and parent route under Appendix FM. If you are on a different immigration route, use the relevant settlement page rather than applying the requirements on this page to your circumstances.
5-year partner route
Looking for settlement as a partner on the 5-year route?
Partner Settlement (ILR) →Other settlement routes
Explore ENS settlement guidance by immigration route.
Settlement hub →Main settlement requirements
A partner or parent applying under Appendix Settlement Family Life will generally need to address the following areas.
Required residence
Show that the relevant qualifying-period requirements are met.
Immigration history
Show that the applicable continuous-residence requirement is met.
Partner or parent
Meet the relationship requirements applicable to the basis on which you are applying.
Language requirement
Unless exempt, meet the required English-language standard.
Knowledge requirement
Unless exempt, meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement.
Settlement suitability
Your circumstances must satisfy the suitability requirements applicable to settlement.
Your 10-year qualifying period
The 10-year qualifying period does not necessarily have to consist entirely of permission as a partner or parent. The guidance confirms that qualifying permission on certain other routes leading to settlement can be combined towards the 10-year period. Whether a particular period counts depends on the requirements of Appendix Settlement Family Life.
Where permission being relied upon falls outside the categories specified in the Rules, additional conditions apply — including requirements concerning illegal entry, and having held permission on the relevant partner or parent route for at least one year immediately before applying for settlement.
Do not assume that every period of lawful UK residence counts. The guidance itself distinguishes between immigration categories that can and cannot contribute to this qualifying period. Your immigration history should be reviewed against the settlement framework rather than simply adding together all time spent in the UK.
Continuous residence
The qualifying period and continuous residence are related but separate requirements. Appendix Settlement Family Life applies the continuous-residence requirements in Appendix Continuous Residence. The Home Office guidance also makes clear that where a period of overstaying can be disregarded for continuous-residence purposes, that period is not added to the qualifying period for settlement.
This page does not reproduce the detailed Appendix Continuous Residence rules. Where your immigration history includes gaps, overstaying or another potentially complicated period, the position requires individual review.
Applying as a partner
For a partner application, the settlement framework requires the relevant sponsor status and relationship requirements to continue to be met. You will generally need to establish that:
- your sponsor has the status required by Appendix Settlement Family Life;
- you are applying on the basis of the relevant partner relationship; and
- the applicable Appendix Relationship with Partner requirements are met.
Where the relationship is the same relationship established when permission to stay was granted, the Home Office guidance states that the settlement relationship requirement will be satisfied. It also notes that most Appendix Relationship with Partner requirements will already have been considered at the permission stage.
For settlement specifically on the 5-year partner route, see Partner Settlement (ILR).
Applying as a parent
A parent application has its own relationship requirements. The guidance identifies three alternative relationship situations.
Sole responsibility
You have sole parental responsibility for the child.
Child lives with you
The child normally lives with you.
Direct access
You have direct access in person to the child.
In every case, evidence must show that the applicant is taking, and intends to continue taking, an active role in the child’s upbringing.
Evidence examples. Depending on the circumstances, Home Office guidance gives examples such as evidence of contact arrangements, relevant school correspondence and a supporting letter from the child’s other parent. These are examples rather than a universal document checklist. Related route: Parent Visa.
English and Life in the UK
English language
Unless an exemption applies, a partner or parent applying for settlement under this route must meet the English-language requirement at CEFR B1 or above. The way to satisfy it is governed by Appendix English Language.
Knowledge of Life in the UK
Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement under Appendix KOL UK.
Test costs and the full list of exemptions can change — confirm the current position on GOV.UK.
Suitability
Settlement has suitability requirements as well as eligibility requirements. The guidance identifies matters including criminality, previous immigration breaches, false representations or deception, sham relationships and certain outstanding debts as potentially relevant.
A suitability issue can materially change the case. Previous criminality, deception findings, significant immigration breaches, sham-relationship concerns or other contentious suitability matters should not be treated as a routine settlement application.
Does your case involve a refusal, criminality or another complex suitability issue?
Refusal or complex issue → immigration helpDependant children
Appendix Settlement Family Life also contains settlement provisions for qualifying dependant children of partners and parents on the 10-year route. Depending on the child’s circumstances, the relevant requirements can include:
- the parent’s settlement / status position;
- the child’s existing or previous dependant permission;
- relationship with the relevant parent or parents;
- age, and whether an older child is leading an independent life;
- care and accommodation where the child is under 18; and
- English and Knowledge of Life requirements where applicable.
A child aged 18 or over is not automatically excluded: the guidance contains provisions for someone previously granted permission as their parent’s dependant child. The detailed requirements differ according to the child’s age and family circumstances. For broader child-route material, see Child Visa.
Which family settlement framework should you review?
Users often confuse the 5-year and 10-year family settlement frameworks. Answer two questions and this guide points you to the framework, issues and evidence areas to review. It is a guide only — it does not decide eligibility or predict a decision.
Guide only — identifies the framework and areas to review. No eligibility decision, score or prediction is produced.
If your circumstances have changed
5-year partner settlement
If your settlement application belongs to the Appendix FM 5-year partner route.
Partner Settlement (ILR) →Bereaved partner
If your partner has died and you need to identify the relevant settlement route.
Bereaved Partner Settlement →Domestic abuse settlement
This guidance expressly does not cover settlement for victims of domestic abuse.
Domestic Abuse Settlement →A different settlement route
Explore ENS settlement guidance by immigration route.
Settlement hub →Our regulatory scope. ENS provides immigration advice and assistance on straightforward matters within our IAA Level 1 authorisation. If your circumstances involve complexities outside our authorised level, we will identify this and, where needed, help you find an appropriately authorised adviser. How our IAA Level 1 scope works.
How ENS Immigration Advice can help
Review the settlement framework
We can review a straightforward immigration history against the relevant Appendix Settlement Family Life requirements.
Prepare a straightforward application
For matters within our authorised scope, we can help identify the relevant requirements and prepare the application and supporting evidence.
Organise supporting documents
We can help identify and organise evidence relevant to the requirements applicable to a straightforward case.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Family Life 10-year settlement route?
It is the settlement framework under Appendix Settlement Family Life for relevant partners and parents on the 10-year family route. It is separate from the Appendix FM 5-year settlement framework.
Do all 10 years have to be spent as a partner or parent?
Not necessarily. The guidance permits certain permission on other routes leading to settlement to contribute, subject to the detailed Appendix Settlement Family Life requirements.
Does all lawful residence in the UK count?
No such general rule should be assumed. Whether a period counts depends on the categories permitted by the settlement framework.
Does disregarded overstaying count towards the 10 years?
The guidance states that periods of overstaying which may be disregarded for continuous-residence purposes are not included when calculating the qualifying period.
What English level is required?
Unless an exemption applies, the guidance requires English speaking and listening at CEFR level B1 or above for partner and parent settlement.
Do I need to meet the Life in the UK requirement?
Unless exempt, applicants must meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement under Appendix KOL UK.
What relationship requirements apply to a parent?
The guidance identifies sole parental responsibility, the child normally living with the applicant, or direct access in person. Evidence of an active and continuing role in the child’s upbringing is also required.
Can a dependant child settle under this framework?
Appendix Settlement Family Life contains separate settlement provisions for qualifying dependant children, with requirements concerning matters such as parental status, relationship, age, care and, where applicable, English and Knowledge of Life.
Can a child over 18 still be considered?
Potentially. The guidance allows the age requirement to operate differently where the applicant was last granted permission as the dependant child of their parent or parents. Other requirements, including independent-life requirements, can apply.
What happens if I do not meet the settlement requirements?
The guidance contains provisions under which a settlement application may in certain circumstances be varied to an application for permission to stay. This should not be treated as an automatic alternative or predicted outcome.
Source basis: Home Office, Settlement: family and private life, version 4.0, published for Home Office staff on 29 July 2025 — the Appendix Settlement Family Life sections for partners, parents and their dependants. Immigration Rules and guidance can change; confirm the current position on GOV.UK before applying.
Planning your Family Life settlement application?
If you are approaching settlement on the 10-year family route, an initial assessment can identify the framework and evidence areas that need to be addressed.