Immigration Controls: British National (Overseas)
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the (a) five-year residency requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain and (b) subsequent one-year period for naturalisation will remain in place for British National (Overseas) visa holders (i) retrospectively and (ii) prospectively.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including indefinite leave to remain.
This expansion of the Point-Based System will increase the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years.
We will introduce reforms to expand the Points-Based System to both our settlement and citizenship rules, so they are based on contribution to the UK, with further details to be set out to Parliament by the end of the year.
Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and will provide further details at that stage.
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