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Cost and timing · 2026 rates
ILR fees and processing times in 2026
The exact Home Office fee, what the faster services actually deliver, and what to do when six months turns into nine.
The short answer
ILR costs £3,226 per applicant at the rates in force since 8 April 2026. Priority adds £500 and super priority adds £1,000. Standard decisions usually take up to 6 months from the biometric appointment, and the Home Office fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
What you pay, line by line
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Home Office application fee | £3,226 | Per applicant, including children. Rate from 8 April 2026. |
| Life in the UK test | £50 | One-off; the pass notification does not expire. |
| English B1 test | £150–£200 | Approved provider; certificate valid two years for this purpose. |
| Priority service (optional) | £500 | 30 working days for settlement applications. |
| Super priority (optional) | £1,000 | Next working day, where available for your route. |
| Biometric appointment | £0–£60 | Free through the ID Check app; service point fees vary by location. |
| Immigration health surcharge | £0 | Not charged on a settlement application. |
A single adult applying on the standard service, with both tests still to take, should budget around £3,450. A couple with two children applying together pays the fee four times: £12,904 before tests and advice.
The fee rose from £3,029 to £3,226 on 8 April 2026. Fees are normally reviewed each spring, so a quote that predates the current table is worth checking before you budget.
What the faster services actually deliver
This is the most misunderstood part of the process. The published “5 working days” for priority applies to most visa applications, not to settlement. For settlement, the standard is usually 30 working days.
| Service | Extra cost | Settlement decision time | When it is worth it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | — | Up to 6 months | No travel or employment deadline. |
| Priority | £500 | 30 working days | You need certainty within about six weeks. |
| Super priority | £1,000 | Next working day | Urgent travel, a job start, or a family emergency. |
Two caveats matter more than the headline times. First, availability depends on your route and on how you verify your identity, so the option may simply not be offered. Second, paying does not create an obligation to decide within the advertised period; if the case needs further checks, it will take longer and the priority fee is not normally returned.
Realistic processing times
The published standard is six months. What applicants experience is more varied:
- 8 to 16 weeks: common for straightforward family applications with complete evidence.
- 4 to 6 months: typical for long residence cases, where the caseworker checks a decade of history.
- Over 6 months: cases with a gap, a refusal, a request for further information, or additional checks.
The clock normally starts at the biometric appointment rather than the submission date, which is why an early appointment is worth taking even if your documents are not yet perfect.
If the decision is late
The service standard is an administrative target, not a legal deadline, so there is no automatic remedy when it is missed. The escalation ladder looks like this:
- Check the case: confirm the biometrics were enrolled, all documents uploaded before the deadline, and no request is outstanding in your account or spam folder.
- Contact UKVI: use the contact form for applications inside the UK and quote your unique application number.
- Ask your MP: constituency enquiries reach a different team and often produce a status update within two to three weeks.
- Complain: the Home Office complaints procedure creates a written record and a response deadline.
- Pre-action letter: where the delay causes serious prejudice, a judicial review pre-action letter can prompt action. It is a last resort, not a queue-jump.
Keep every contact, reference and date. If the delay is causing a specific loss — a job offer, a funeral abroad, a tenancy — document it as it happens rather than reconstructing it later.
Fee waivers and refunds
Fee waivers are narrow. They are available for some applications made on family and private life grounds where paying would leave you unable to meet essential living costs, and for applications under the domestic abuse concession. They are not available for long residence or most work routes.
Refunds are equally narrow: invalid applications, duplicate payments, and cases the Home Office withdraws. A refusal does not produce a refund, and neither does a slow decision. Where a refund is due, it is requested through the Home Office, not automatically issued.
Our own fees are separate and are published on the fees page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does ILR cost in 2026?
£3,226 per applicant from 8 April 2026, plus £50 for Life in the UK and roughly £150–£200 for an English test if needed.
How much does super priority add?
£1,000. It usually decides the next working day where it is offered for your route. Priority is £500 and normally 30 working days for settlement.
How long does ILR really take?
Up to 6 months on the standard service, counted from biometrics. Straightforward cases often decide in 8–16 weeks; cases needing further checks run longer.
Is the fee refunded if refused?
No. Refunds are limited to invalid applications, duplicate payments and Home Office withdrawals. The priority fee is not normally refunded when the service standard is missed.
Can I get help paying the fee?
Only on certain family, private life and domestic abuse applications. Long residence and work routes are excluded. Ask us before submitting a waiver request that is likely to fail.
What if my decision is late?
Contact UKVI, ask your MP, then complain. Judicial review is possible where the delay causes serious prejudice, but it is expensive and slow.
Free eligibility check
Before you spend £3,226
Know whether the route works, whether the evidence is there, and whether faster service is even available to you.
No commitment. SRA-regulated solicitors.
Fees published, not quoted later
Our fixed fees are on the fees page. This form gets you an eligibility answer first, so the fee discussion is short.
- Total cost, including the Home Office fee
- Whether priority is available for your route
- Realistic timeline for your case
No commitment. Reply within one business day. SRA-regulated solicitors.