UK refugee permission renewal and settlement guide

Being granted refugee status or humanitarian protection gives permission to stay, but the length of that permission and the next application depend on when the asylum claim was made and on the grant letter. For claims made on or after 2 March 2026, most adults granted protection receive an initial 30-month permission period. Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children covered by the rules normally receive five years. For claims made before that date, the published minimum is normally five years.

If protection is still needed when limited permission is close to expiry, a person may need to apply for further permission. The public GOV.UK guidance says to do this within the last 28 days before the current permission expires. A later settlement application is a separate step with different eligibility and suitability requirements. This guide maps those post-grant tasks; the UK asylum claim process guide covers registration, screening, interviews and the initial decision.

UPE is a separate temporary route for eligible people whose permission was granted under a Ukraine Scheme; it is not refugee status, humanitarian protection or the protection-permission renewal process described here. For the UPE application window, grant length, family rules and eVisa steps, see the Ukraine Permission Extension guide.

Start with the grant decision and the date of the asylum claim

Keep the Home Office decision letter and the digital or physical status evidence together. Check the wording of the status granted, the date the asylum claim or further submissions were made, the permission start and expiry dates, and whether each family member has their own status or permission. The 2 March 2026 change is tied to the date of the claim or relevant further submissions, not simply the date the decision letter was issued.

The current public guidance describes these broad outcomes:

• Claim made before 2 March 2026: a grant of refugee status or humanitarian protection normally carries a minimum five-year permission period.
• Claim made on or after 2 March 2026: the usual initial permission period is 30 months. A five-year grant applies to specified unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, including a person who would have met that definition but turned 18 before the grant.
• Other forms of permission: discretionary leave or another grant may have different conditions, expiry dates and routes. Do not use the protection-route timetable unless your own grant says it applies.

These are published starting points, not a substitute for the individual decision. The Rules and Home Office guidance also allow for certain aligned dependant periods and exceptional longer grants. A case-specific grant can therefore differ. If the decision letter does not make the basis or expiry clear, ask the Home Office or your regulated adviser to explain it before relying on a general summary.

What the 30-month period means

For a person with protection status under the post-2 March 2026 arrangements, 30 months is the initial period of permission to stay on a protection route. It is not a 30-month asylum decision deadline, and it does not mean that protection status automatically ends on expiry without any process. The published guidance says permission can be renewed if protection is still needed; apply within the stated final 28-day window and follow the route in current official instructions.

Permission to stay and refugee status are related but distinct. The grant letter may confirm refugee status or humanitarian protection and separately state how long permission lasts. The status may be reviewed under the Rules in some circumstances; a renewal or settlement decision may consider whether protection is still required. Do not infer from a new expiry date alone that the Home Office has changed the underlying status or decided a future return is safe.

The initial grant also carries current entitlements described in official guidance, including access to work and public funds, subject to the conditions of the permission and the ordinary rules for each service or benefit. For benefit, housing, employment or travel decisions, check the exact status document and the relevant service rules. This guide does not establish a benefit entitlement or substitute for a share-code or employer check.

GOV.UK also describes a separate interest-free, repayable Refugee Integration Loan for eligible refugees, people with humanitarian protection and dependants. Its permitted uses, limits and repayment plan are distinct from the immigration permission itself.

Plan for renewal before permission expires

The public asylum decision page says a person who still needs protection can renew permission by applying within the last 28 days of their current permission. Treat the expiry date on your own record as the anchor. Do not calculate a filing date from a generic month count if the grant was issued late, aligned with another family member, varied or replaced. The live service and decision notice should explain the current submission route and any identity or evidence steps.

Prepare a renewal folder well before the 28-day window so you can act promptly when it opens. Keep:

• your original asylum decision and each subsequent permission decision;
• current residence-card, eVisa or UKVI account details, plus the passport or travel document linked to them;
• the expiry date and any Home Office correspondence about review, reporting or a change of circumstances;
• the identity and permission details for each dependant, with their separate expiry dates;
• evidence relevant to a new or changed protection concern, if one exists and if the Home Office asks for it; and
• copies of applications, uploads, appointment confirmations and messages, with dates.

This list is for organisation; it is not a guaranteed document checklist. The available public pages do not provide one universal evidence list for every renewal fact pattern. Follow the live application instructions and seek regulated advice if your protection situation has changed, a family member has a different status, or you have received a status-review notice. Do not send sensitive material to unofficial services or reply to unexpected messages asking for credentials.

If the online service is unavailable, you cannot access your UKVI account, or you need an accessible format or interpreter, use official contact routes promptly and keep a dated record of the problem and your request for help. A technical issue does not itself extend permission or prove that an application was filed. Ask for written confirmation of any alternative method or agreed next step.

Dependants need their own date checks

A partner or child included as a dependant does not automatically have the same immigration status as the main claimant. A dependant may receive permission for the same period and under the same conditions, but is not necessarily granted refugee status or humanitarian protection unless their own claim is decided that way. Children’s individual protection needs can result in a different decision. Read each person’s letter and digital status separately.

The Immigration Rules provide for qualifying dependants to apply for further permission in line with the main applicant, and say the applications should be made at the same time and within the final 28 days of the relevant permission. In practice, confirm whether each family member needs a separate form, whether they can be included, and whose expiry date controls the filing window. A child who has reached adulthood, a former dependant, a person with their own asylum claim, or a family member with different leave may need a different route.

Partners and children may also have a settlement route as dependants if they meet its requirements. Family members outside the UK have a separate visa or reunion process; they are not added to a renewal application simply because the sponsor has protection status. See the separate UK refugee family reunion guide for current route boundaries and the published position on new applications.

When settlement may be possible under current rules

Settlement, also called indefinite leave to remain (ILR), is not the same as renewing limited permission. As at 28 October 2026, Appendix Settlement Protection says a person must generally have completed at least five continuous years in the UK with refugee status or humanitarian protection, still hold that status without revocation or renunciation, and meet validity and suitability requirements. The Home Office carries out a safe-return review when considering settlement to assess whether circumstances or country conditions could affect the protection status.

Applications are made online from inside the UK using the specified refugee or humanitarian-protection settlement service/form. The Rules require the applicant to establish identity and nationality and provide biometrics when required. The Home Office may refuse settlement on suitability grounds, including specified criminality or conduct. If settlement is not granted but the person still qualifies for protection, the Rules allow a further period of permission in some cases. A result is not guaranteed by reaching five years.

The five-year qualifying rule reflects the current Appendix Settlement Protection on the review date. It should not be read as a promise that policy will remain unchanged until a future application. Check the live Rules and application page shortly before applying, and get advice if you have criminal convictions, absences, a status review, a lapse, or a family member with different permission.

Separate current rules from announced policy proposals

The Government has announced a proposed longer route to settlement for refugees receiving a new core-protection offer, including a proposed 20-year qualifying period with possible reductions through work and study routes. The Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026–27 is part of that policy programme. As of 28 October 2026, the UK Parliament records the Bill as introduced and still at committee stage; the current Immigration Rules Appendix Settlement Protection continues to state a five-year qualifying period for people on a protection route.

That distinction matters. A policy statement, consultation, Bill or proposed amendment does not by itself replace the Rules used to decide an application. The Bill may change during its passage, and regulations or commencement provisions may be needed before future measures apply. Do not assume either that the announced 20-year model already governs your case or that a current five-year rule will necessarily be unchanged when you apply. Check the Rules, commencement notices and the terms of your own grant at the relevant time.

Travel and status records while an application is pending

Before travelling, check official guidance for your exact status and document. The settlement service says applicants must be in the UK when they apply and warns that a person applying for settlement should not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision. A protection permission renewal may have different practical instructions, so do not assume the settlement travel rule applies identically to every renewal case. Ask a qualified adviser before booking travel while any application is pending.

Keep your UKVI account and eVisa details current and check that your current travel document is linked correctly. A digital status record, a residence card, a Refugee Travel Document and a permission letter serve different functions. A share code proves status for a specified purpose; it does not replace an application, grant permission to travel to another country, or decide the right to return to the UK. Check the carrier and destination-country requirements separately before departure.

If permission is close to expiry or has already expired

If the expiry date is approaching, read the grant decision and contact a regulated immigration adviser quickly if you are unsure which service or deadline applies. The general public guidance places a renewal in the final 28 days. Do not wait until permission expires to start resolving a missing letter, a digital-account error or a dependant mismatch.

If permission has already expired, do not assume that a renewal is automatically valid or that applying late has no consequence. Seek urgent regulated advice, explain when the claim and grant were made, and show the full sequence of letters and dates. The Home Office guidance contains operational treatment of late applications, but a person's explanation, continuing protection and status history are fact-specific. This page cannot decide whether late filing is accepted or what leave a person currently holds.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Claim asylum — get a decision
• UKVI: Information booklet about your asylum application
• Immigration Rules: Part 11 — asylum
• Immigration Rules: Appendix Settlement Protection
• GOV.UK: Settlement for refugees and people with humanitarian protection
• Home Office: Permission to stay for claims lodged on or after 2 March 2026
• Home Office: Settlement protection policy instruction
• UK Parliament: Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026–27