Returning residents

People who have indefinite leave/settled status have no limit on the amount of time they can spend in the UK. However, such people are still subject to immigration control.

When a person with indefinite leave to enter or remain travels outside the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man, their leave will lapse by operation of law if they remain outside the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for a continuous period of more than:

  1. four years, for Swiss nationals and their family members granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

  2. five years, for all other persons granted settled status under the EUSS, and

  3. two years, for anyone else

There are some exceptions to this general position, where a person’s indefinite leave does not lapse if they are absent from the UK for more than the prescribed periods set out above. There

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Statement of changes in Immigration Rules, HC 997—analysis

Immigration analysis: the Lexis+® UK Immigration team outlines the main changes set out in HC 997, published on 1 July 2025. The Statement primarily implements the first tranche of significant changes that had been announced in the 12 May 2025 Immigration White Paper ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’, notably raising the standard skill level for Skilled Worker to Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 and closing off entry clearance applications from careworkers and senior careworkers, with a sunset for permitted in-country switches to 22 July 2028. The skill level change has been somewhat tempered by the retention (and slight expansion) of the Immigration Salary List until 31 December 2026 and the creation of a new interim Temporary Shortage List, which will be subject to review and will also be removed by that date. This will enable persons in certain RQF 3–5 occupations to still commence sponsorship as new applicants for a limited period, although they will not be able to bring dependants. However, even with these measures, there will be 111 roles which can no longer be sponsored. There has also been a raft of changes to salary levels in Skilled Worker and various other work routes, which are primarily increases, and are in line with the latest (2024) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data, published by the Office for National Statistics. In another change, which was not anticipated, the government has shut down for new applicants with immediate effect the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

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