The 10-Year Route to Settlement: Understanding the Long Family Visa Path (2025)

For many migrants in the UK, the dream of permanent residence (also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR) feels just out of reach — especially if you don't meet the strict criteria of the standard 5-year family route. 

But there is an alternative. 

If you’ve spent 10 continuous years in the UK on partner or parent visas, or a combination of family-based permissions, you may qualify for settlement under the 10-Year Partner/Parent Route. 

At Migrate UK, we specialise in helping individuals and families navigate this long route with confidence and precision. Here's everything you need to know. 

What Is the 10-Year Partner/Parent Route? 

The 10-Year Route to Settlement is designed for people who have not met the requirements of the 5-Year Route, usually because they: 

• Couldn’t meet the financial or English language thresholds 

• Experienced a breakdown in their relationship 

• Had visa refusals or gaps in lawful residence 

• Had to switch between partner, parent, or private life routes 

If you have built a life in the UK with a British or settled partner or child, this long route may allow you to apply for settlement after 10 years of lawful, qualifying residence — without restarting your journey every time life changes. 

Who qualifies under the 10-year Family Visa Route? 

To be eligible under the 10-year route in 2025, you must: 

• have lived in the UK for a continuous period of 10 years with lawful immigration status under one (or a combination) of the following routes: 

• As a partner under Appendix FM (spouse, civil partner, or durable partner of a British or settled person) 

• As a parent of a British or settled child under Appendix FM 

• Under certain private life or other family life visas, if those were granted on the basis of Article 8 ECHR 

• Some transitional routes prior to 2012 may also be counted 

• Be in an ongoing, genuine and subsisting relationship with your British citizen or settled partner or be the parent of a child who is: 

• British or settled, or applying for settlement at the same time 

• Under 18, or aged 18+ but dependent and not leading an independent life 

• Living in the UK, with whom you have direct access or full parental responsibility 

You must have held leave on the basis of the current relationship for at least 12 months prior to the settlement application. 

• Meet suitability requirements (no serious criminal convictions, deception, immigration breaches) 

• Pass the Life in the UK Test and meet the English language requirement (B1) unless exempt 

• Apply from within the UK and submit all documentation correctly 

It is important to note that time spent on fiancé(e) visas or as an overstayer (except where paragraph 39E applies) does not count. Also, gaps in leave can reset the clock — which is why legal advice is essential. 

Ready to Take the Next Step? 

If you’re approaching your 10th year in the UK under partner, parent or family-based routes — or if you're unsure whether your time counts — the best time to act is now.  

The immigration rules change frequently, and incorrect applications can waste time or even break your 10-year route. With Migrate UK, you get expert, tailored guidance — not guesswork. 

Contact Migrate UK today at info@migrate-uk.com. Let us take the stress out of the process and help you secure your future in the UK through the right settlement route.