Skilled Worker settlement grants increase in latest Home Office figures
22 May 2026
If you are on a Skilled Worker visa and approaching your five-year qualifying period, the latest figures show a growing number of people are successfully reaching settlement.
The Home Office published quarterly immigration statistics on 21 May 2026, covering the year ending March 2026. The data shows 53,203 settlement grants on the Skilled Worker route, up 7% compared to the year ending March 2025. Skilled Worker grants represented over three-quarters of all work-related settlement grants in the period.
Settlement on the Skilled Worker route requires five years of continuous residence in the UK with a licensed sponsor. The steady 7% increase reflects more people completing that qualifying period as the route, which launched in December 2020, matures.
If you are tracking your qualifying period, check your absence record and confirm your continuous residence before applying. You can apply up to 28 days before your five-year qualifying date.
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