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Visa and settlement tracker
Fifteen countries. When your visa ends, the dates that follow from its published rules, and how your time away counts.
NRIWallah team
Updated
November 2026· 7 min read
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Most Indians who move abroad spend years on a visa before they can settle: a Student visa, then a Graduate visa, then a work visa, or a family visa as a partner or dependant. Each permission has an end date, and settling depends on a run of permissions with no long break and limited time away. A trip home to look after a parent, or a long wedding season in India, can use up most of the time away that the rules allow.
The rules are published, but they are spread across many pages, and they changed again on 2 November 2026, when the UK government announced that settlement will usually take 10 years instead of 5. The announcement covers people already in the UK, but the new rules have not yet been published and no start date has been set. Until they are, today’s rules apply, and the tracker shows both dates side by side.
United Kingdom
Earned settlement, announced 2 November 2026
The government has announced that settlement will usually take 10 years, or 5 years for people earning over £50,271 and some public-service workers such as doctors, nurses and teachers, and 3 years for the highest earners. It says the changes apply to people already in the UK, and that nobody who already has settled status will lose it. No start date has been set, and the rules themselves have not yet been published. Until they are, today's rules apply.
Usually 2 years (3 after a PhD), or 18 months for applications made from 1 January 2027. It cannot be extended, so the next permission has to be a different visa.
Settlement after 3 years for some endorsements (for example exceptional talent) and 5 years for others (exceptional promise). The date shown uses 3 years.
Usually granted for 2 years 6 months at a time, or 2 years 9 months from outside the UK. The earliest settlement is after 5 continuous years as a partner; some people are on a 10-year route instead.
A dependant's permission usually ends when the main visa holder's does, and their settlement usually follows the main holder's, after 5 continuous years as a dependant.
Most days outside the UK in any 12 months: 180 days
For settlement on most routes, usually no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period of the qualifying years. Some absences, such as for serious illness, may not count.
Optional Practical Training is usually 12 months after a course, with up to 24 more for some STEM graduates. The end date is on the work permit card (EAD).
Usually up to 3 years at a time and 6 years in total. Time past 6 years usually depends on a green card case (PERM or I-140) filed or approved in time.
For the spouse and unmarried children under 21 of an H-1B holder. It usually ends when the H-1B does, and some H-4 spouses can apply for a work permit once the green card process has started.
A conditional permanent resident's card is valid for 2 years. For marriage-based cases the petition to remove the conditions (I-751) usually has to be filed in the 90 days before it ends; the card cannot be renewed.
Citizenship: usually after 5 years as a permanent resident
Permanent residence does not end with the card; the 10-year card is usually renewed in the 6 months before it expires. Long absences can put the status at risk.
Citizenship: usually after 5 years as a permanent resident
Days in the US in the last 5 years: 913 days at least
For naturalisation after 5 years as a permanent resident, usually at least 913 days (30 months) physically in the US in those 5 years. The days you leave and come back count as days in the US. Only days since your green card are counted here.
Longest trip outside the US in the last 5 years: 180 days
A trip of more than 6 months is presumed to break continuous residence for naturalisation, and one of a year or more breaks it. A year or more away can also put the green card itself at risk without a re-entry permit.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Find legal help with immigration (USCIS). We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
Canada
Visas and residence
Study permit
Usually valid for the length of the course plus 90 days. A study permit does not lead to permanent residence by itself.
Usually valid for up to 3 years, set by the length of the course, and only one is given. It can be extended only in narrow cases (such as a passport that ran out first), so the next permission is usually a different one.
Valid to the date on the permit. Applying to extend before it ends usually lets you keep working on the same terms while IRCC decides (maintained status).
Permanent residence does not end when the PR card does. The card is usually renewed when it has less than 9 months left. Keeping PR usually needs 730 days in Canada in every 5 years.
Days in Canada for citizenship, in the last 5 years: 1095 days at least
For citizenship, usually at least 1,095 days physically in Canada in the 5 years before applying. Days in Canada on a visa before permanent residence count as half a day, up to 365 in all.
Days outside Canada as a permanent resident, in the last 5 years: 1096 days
Keeping permanent residence usually needs at least 730 days in Canada in every 5-year period (counted from the day you became a permanent resident until you have had it 5 years), so no more than 1,096 days outside it. Some time abroad, such as with a Canadian citizen spouse or working for a Canadian business, can count as time in Canada.
Usually up to 4 years. A new nomination and visa are needed to stay longer. Employer-sponsored permanent residence (subclass 186, Temporary Residence Transition) usually needs 2 years of full-time sponsored work.
The first stage of a partner visa. The permanent stage (subclass 801 or 100) is usually assessed about 2 years after the combined application was made; the date here counts from the start date you entered.
The permanent visa itself does not end, but its travel facility does, usually 5 years after the grant. After that, re-entering as a permanent resident usually needs a Resident Return Visa.
The UAE usually offers expatriates no route to citizenship. Residence depends on a sponsor (an employer or family member) or a long-term visa such as the Golden Visa.
Visas and residence
Residence visa (employment)
Usually granted for 2 years and renewed through the employer. It usually lapses after more than 6 months in a row outside the UAE.
Longest time outside the UAE in one go on this visa: 180 days
A UAE residence visa usually lapses after more than 6 months (about 180 days) in a row outside the country, unless a return permit is granted. Golden Visa holders are exempt.
The permit to leave Saudi Arabia and come back. Returning after it ends can cost the iqama and lead to restrictions on coming back, so the date to watch is the last day to return.
Qatar usually offers expatriates no route to citizenship. Residence depends on a sponsor. We have not confirmed a published rule on time outside Qatar, so only the end date is tracked here.
Visas and residence
Residence permit (QID)
Renewed through the sponsor, usually for 1 to 3 years. After a permit is cancelled, the holder usually has 14 days to leave.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Hukoomi, Qatar's government portal. We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
Kuwait
Kuwait usually offers expatriates no route to citizenship. Residence depends on a sponsor.
Visas and residence
Residence permit (iqama)
Renewed through the sponsor. It is usually cancelled after more than 6 months outside Kuwait, unless a permit to stay away longer is granted.
Longest time outside Kuwait in one go on this residence: 180 days
A Kuwaiti residence is usually cancelled after more than 6 months (about 180 days) in a row outside the country, unless a permit to stay away longer is granted first.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Kuwait government online (e.gov.kw). We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
Oman
Oman usually offers expatriates no route to citizenship. Residence depends on a sponsor or an investor residence. We have not confirmed a published rule on time outside Oman, so only the end date is tracked here.
Visas and residence
Residence card
Renewed through the sponsor, usually for 1 to 2 years.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Royal Oman Police (visas and residence). We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
Bahrain
Bahrain usually offers expatriates no route to citizenship. Residence depends on a sponsor, or on a Golden Residency.
Visas and residence
Residence permit
Renewed through the employer, usually for 1 to 2 years. It is usually cancelled after more than 6 months outside Bahrain.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Bahrain government portal (bahrain.bh). We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
New Zealand
Visas and residence
Student visa
Usually granted for the length of the course. A student visa does not lead to residence by itself.
A work visa tied to an accredited employer, with a set maximum stay. Residence comes through a separate application, such as the Skilled Migrant Category or the Green List.
Residence in New Zealand. Its travel conditions usually end after 2 years; a permanent resident visa usually needs 2 years holding a resident visa and at least 184 days in New Zealand in each of those years.
Citizenship: usually after 5 years as a permanent resident
An employment permit for occupations on the critical skills list. After 2 years, holders can usually move to Stamp 4, which does not need an employment permit.
Reckonable days in Ireland, in the last 9 years: 1825 days at least
For citizenship, usually at least 1,825 days of reckonable residence (time on permissions that count, such as Stamps 1, 1G, 3 and 4, not Stamp 2) in the 9 years before applying, including a year of continuous residence just before.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Irish Immigration Service Delivery. We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
Germany
Routes and settlement under today's rules
Student residence permit
Usually granted for up to 2 years at a time while studying. After graduating, a permit to look for work for up to 18 months is usually possible.
For qualified workers above a salary threshold. A settlement permit is usually possible after 21 months with German at level B1, or 27 months with basic German. The date shown uses 21 months.
Permanent residence does not end, but leaving Singapore needs a valid Re-Entry Permit. It is usually renewed online in the months before it ends; a PR abroad without one usually has 180 days to apply before the status is lost.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
Japan
Japan's permanent residence rules are being tightened for applications made from April 2027, with income, pension and language conditions; the periods below are today's.
Work status (such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities)
Usually granted for 1, 3 or 5 years at a time. The standard route to permanent residence usually needs 10 years in Japan, at least 5 of them on a work status.
Permanent residence has no end date, but the residence card is usually renewed every 7 years. Leaving Japan for more than a year without a re-entry permit can cost the status.
Questions about your own case go to a regulated adviser or lawyer: Immigration Services Agency of Japan. We do not advise on immigration and are not paid by advisers.
Track your own visa dates
Sign in to keep your visas and your family's in one place: when each one ends, the dates that follow from its published rules, and your time away counted from your day tracker, with the dates in your phone's calendar. Routes, dates and a first name only, never a visa or case number.
Signed in to NRIWallah, the Visa tab on your account page keeps each permission you have held in any of the 15 countries, with its start and end dates, and the same for your partner and children if you add them. It shows when each one ends and when to start the next application. It also shows the date the qualifying period for settlement would be complete under today’s rules, counted from the start of your current run of permission, and the date under the announced rules. After settlement, it shows the earliest date for citizenship. Each date comes with the conditions behind it and a link to the official rules. A short gap between two permissions is named, so you can check whether it matters.
In the US: the H-1B clock and the green card queue
In the US the wait works differently. An H-1B usually allows six years in total, and time past six years usually depends on a green card case filed or approved in time, as our guide to the green card freeze and the H-1B explains. The tracker counts the six years across every H-1B period you add, and shows the days you spent outside the US while on H-1B, which can usually be added back. For the green card itself, you can enter your category and priority date and see where it sits against the latest Visa Bulletin cut-off for people born in India, and how far that cut-off has moved between the bulletins we hold. It never forecasts when your date will be reached. Once you have a green card, it counts your days in the US towards the 913 needed for naturalisation and flags any trip of more than six months. The US hub covers the money side of life there.
In Canada: days in the country, and Express Entry
Canada counts days. Citizenship usually needs 1,095 days in Canada in the five years before you apply, and days spent in Canada on a study or work permit before permanent residence count as half a day each, up to 365. The tracker does that sum from your permits and your trips, and if you are short of 1,095 it shows the date you would reach it if you stay, apart from the trips already in your day tracker. Keeping permanent residence usually needs 730 days in Canada in every five years, so it also counts your days outside Canada since you became a permanent resident against the 1,096 that leaves. If you are in the Express Entry pool, you can enter your round category and CRS score and see them beside the lowest score invited in recent rounds, from IRCC’s own figures. The Canada hub and the Canada tax calculator cover the money side.
In Australia: the route to permanent residence, then four years
In Australia, permanent residence usually follows a provisional or sponsored visa after a set time: about 2 years of full-time work on a sponsored Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa for the employer-sponsored route, 3 years on a regional provisional visa, or about 2 years from applying on a partner visa. The tracker shows the date each of those periods is complete, counted from your own dates. Citizenship then usually needs 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, the last 12 months as a permanent resident, with no more than 12 months away in total and no more than 90 days in the last year; the tracker gives the earliest date and counts your days away against both limits. It also reminds you when your permanent visa’s travel facility ends, usually 5 years after the grant, after which re-entering as a permanent resident usually needs a Resident Return Visa. The Australia hub covers the money side.
In the Gulf: the end date, and six months away
In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain there is usually no route to citizenship for expatriates, so the tracker does not count towards one. What matters is the residence visa’s end date, renewed through the employer or sponsor, and, in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain, the rule that a residence usually lapses after more than six months in a row outside the country. The tracker counts your longest time away on the current visa from your day tracker, planned trips included, so a long summer in India shows up before you book it; a UAE Golden Visa is exempt from that rule and is not counted. In Saudi Arabia, the exit and re-entry visa has its own last day to come back, and the tracker shows it next to your iqama’s end date. The UAE hub and the Gulf gratuity calculator cover the money side.
New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Singapore and Japan
These five get the visa end dates, the published period to settlement where there is one, and day counts where the rule is a count. New Zealand counts days as a resident: citizenship usually needs 1,350 days in five years and at least 240 in each year, and the permanent resident visa usually 184 days in each of two years; the tracker counts both from your day tracker. Ireland counts reckonable residence, usually 1,825 days in nine years on permissions that count (not Stamp 2), with up to 70 days away in the last year; the tracker counts the days on the stamps you enter. In Germany it shows the EU Blue Card’s route to a settlement permit and the five years to citizenship. In Japan it shows the 10-year standard route and the Highly Skilled Professional route to permanent residence, which change for applications from April 2027. In Singapore permanent residence and citizenship are at the government’s discretion, so it tracks your pass and your Re-Entry Permit dates. The Singapore hub and Germany hub cover the money side.
Your time away, counted for you
Time away is the part most people lose track of. The tracker counts it from the trips in your NRI day tracker, the same log that works out whether you are an NRI for Indian tax. It counts whole days only, so the days you leave and come back are not counted as days away, as the Home Office and USCIS count them. Planned trips count too, so you can see what a long visit to India would do before you book it. In the UK the usual limit before settlement is 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months; for citizenship it is usually 450 days in five years and 90 in the last year.
Dates in your calendar
Visa end dates and settlement dates go into your account’s Overview and into the private calendar link from the renewals tracker, named by kind only, never by person or visa. They sit beside your passport and OCI dates and the NRI tax calendar. After British, US, Canadian or Australian citizenship, the OCI and surrender certificate guide covers what usually follows for your Indian passport.
What it is not
The tracker counts dates from the published rules and from the dates you enter. It does not decide whether you meet the conditions, it does not suggest a visa, and it is not immigration advice. In the UK, only advisers regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, and solicitors, may advise on an individual case, and GOV.UK lists them. In the US that is an immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the Justice Department, and USCIS explains how to find one; in Canada, a lawyer, a Quebec notary or a licensed consultant, which IRCC lists how to check; in Australia, a registered migration agent or a lawyer, and the OMARA register lists the agents. The tracker stores the kind of visa, its dates and a first name, never a visa, BRP, eVisa, A-number, receipt or case number. Fifteen countries are covered: the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, the six Gulf states, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Singapore and Japan.
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