2. Immigration status
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2. Immigration status
Your immigration status will exclude you from specific benefits if you are defined as a ‘person subject to immigration control’ and you do not come under one of the exemptions listed below.
Future changes
Immigration changes are expected later in 2026, which may include new rules to:
    ■exclude some people with indefinite leave from specific benefits; and
    ■make receipt of benefits a factor that can increase the number of years you need to have lived in the UK before you become eligible for indefinite leave.
These changes will not affect you if you have leave under the EU Settlement Scheme or the Windrush scheme or if you already have indefinite leave before the changes take effect.
See our Handbook Updater for more information as further details are available.
Evidence of your immigration status
If you have been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK, in general, you will have an electronic record of this, known as an eVisa. To access this, you need a UK Visas and Imm
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