Immigration Adviser London
"On 2 November 2026 the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the government's final reforms to the country's settlement system following its consultation on ‘Earned Settlement’."
On 2 November 2026 the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the government’s final reforms to the country’s settlement system following its consultation on ‘Earned Settlement’. The announcement was accompanied by the publication of the government’s formal response to the consultation.
The reforms represent a significant overhaul of the current Indefinite Leave to Remain (“ILR”) framework and are intended to make settlement a status that is genuinely ‘earned’ through sustained economic contribution, integration and longer-term residence in the UK. The government has confirmed several refinements to the proposals originally set out in its 2025 consultation, providing greater clarity on how individuals will be able to qualify for settlement under the new system. The summary below is subject to any final details published in a Statement of Changes, expected in December 2026.
Key Changes
Standard ILR qualifying period increased to ten years
Under the new system, the standard qualifying period for settlement will increase from five to ten years for most migrants.
This will represent the default route to settlement for the majority of work, family and other immigration categories, unless an individual qualifies under one of the accelerated settlement pathways or benefits from a transitional arrangement.
Accelerated routes for higher earners and certain occupations
The government will retain shorter routes to settlement for individuals considered to have made a greater economic or public contribution to the UK.
Three-year route for individuals that:
- meet the higher economic contribution threshold, currently set at earnings exceeding £125,141 per annum; and
- enter the UK under designated high-talent and innovation-focussed immigration routes.
Five-year route for:
- individuals meeting the standard economic contribution threshold, currently set at earnings exceeding £50,271 per annum; and
- certain public service professions, including doctors, nurses, teachers and other designated public sector roles.
Importantly, the consultation response confirms that these salary thresholds will not be assessed solely by reference to an applicant’s earnings at the date of application. Instead, earnings will be assessed over a three-year assessment period, allowing applicants to demonstrate sustained economic contribution over time. This approach is intended to accommodate individuals whose earnings fluctuate and to reduce the likelihood of applicants qualifying or failing to qualify based on a temporary increase or reduction in salary immediately before their settlement application.
Key contacts
"The consultation response confirms that these salary thresholds will not be assessed solely by reference to an applicant's earnings at the date of application."
Individuals who do not meet the relevant accelerated settlement criteria will generally be required to complete the full ten-year qualifying period before becoming eligible for settlement. It is expected that applicants will be permitted to extend their visas to meet the ten-year threshold.
The government has also confirmed that individuals who commit immigration breaches may face an extended qualifying period of up to 20 years before becoming eligible for settlement. Therefore, even inadvertent or relatively minor breaches could put an applicant in this category.
New eligibility requirements
In addition to meeting residence and qualifying period requirements, applicants will need to satisfy a number of baseline eligibility criteria before becoming eligible for settlement.
These include:
- demonstrating a higher standard of English language ability than is currently required for settlement applications, increasing to level B2 from B1. This is due to be implemented in March 2027 for Skilled Worker visa holders and this change was announced before these wider reforms;
- having no serious criminal convictions;
- having no outstanding debts owed to the taxpayer or public authorities;
- demonstrating a record of economic participation, including a minimum period of National Insurance contributions; and
- meeting strengthened requirements relating to integration and compliance with immigration laws.
Measures for dependants
One of the most significant developments concerns the treatment of dependants. The consultation response states that a “partner who arrives with the principal applicant will continue to be able to settle at the same time”, and a “partner who joins later will need to complete the same qualifying residence period before settling.”
The consultation response also confirms that the economic contribution assessment can take account of combined household income when reducing the qualifying period for a couple. This means that a dependant’s earnings may be aggregated with the earnings of the main applicant when assessing whether the relevant economic contribution thresholds have been met. For example, where a principal applicant earns £40,000 and their dependant partner earns £20,000, the household may potentially be able to rely on combined earnings of £60,000 for the purposes of the five-year settlement route.
The practical operation of these provisions is expected to be clarified in the Immigration Rules and accompanying guidance.
Transitional measures for care workers
One of the most closely scrutinised aspects of the reforms concerned the position of social care workers already present in the UK.
The government has confirmed that:
- existing care workers who have complied with the conditions of their permission and earn at least £25,000 per year will continue to benefit from a five-year route to settlement;
- care workers who do not meet the required criteria will be eligible to apply for a further five-year care visa; and
- individuals in this position will no longer remain tied to their original sponsor and will have greater flexibility to move between employers.
Other important points
The consultation response provides clarity in relation to several areas that had generated concern when the original proposals were published.
In particular:
- the government has emphasised that settlement will remain available across a broad range of immigration routes and is not intended to become a status reserved exclusively for the highest earners;
- public service workers will continue to benefit from preferential treatment through the retention of a five-year route to settlement;
- certain high-talent and strategically important immigration routes will continue to provide access to accelerated settlement; and
- the current ten-year Long Residence route will be abolished under the Earned Settlement framework, with only specified immigration categories counting towards eligibility for settlement.
"The Home Secretary indicated that further detail will follow through updates to the Immigration Rules and accompanying implementation guidance, with a Statement of Changes expected in December 2026."
What happens next
The Home Secretary indicated that further detail will follow through updates to the Immigration Rules and accompanying implementation guidance, with a Statement of Changes expected in December 2026.
The reforms are anticipated to be implemented in phases throughout 2027, meaning that there remains uncertainty around several key operational and transitional issues. As such, it will be important to consider the upcoming Immigration Rules, guidance and transitional provisions alongside the consultation response before reaching definitive conclusions regarding the impact on specific migrant groups.
For now, the government’s announcement and accompanying consultation response provide the clearest indication yet of how the new earned settlement framework is intended to operate, including the extension of the standard qualifying period to ten years, the introduction of accelerated routes based on economic contribution, and a more flexible approach allowing household income to be taken into account when assessing eligibility for settlement.
Key contacts
Immigration Adviser London
Immigration Adviser London
Partner London
Partner London
