UK Home Office Updates the "Earned Settlement" Framework

At a Glance

• The government has retained the proposed 10-year default qualifying period, increased from five years for many migrants.
• Care workers who have complied with their visa conditions and earned at least £25,000 per year will be able to qualify for settlement after five years. Those who do not meet the threshold, estimated at around a quarter of those affected, will be able to apply for a further five-year visa, after which they may apply for settlement.
• We are now awaiting the Home Office's implementation of the wider earned settlement reforms through the Immigration Rules. Further detail is expected before implementation and should provide greater clarity on outstanding issues.

On 2 November 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the UK government's updated "earned settlement" policy following its November 2025 consultation. After considering more than 200,000 consultation responses, the government has refined its proposals while retaining the principle that settlement should be linked to contribution and compliance.

A Tiered Route to Settlement

The government has retained the proposed 10-year default qualifying period, increased from five years for many migrants. Shorter or longer periods will apply depending on an individual's circumstances:

• Highly Skilled migrants: Those earning at least £125,141 in each of the three years preceding the date of the application will be eligible to apply after three years. The original consultation proposed that this income level would need to be met for the full three-year period immediately before applying.
  • Eligible Global Talent and Innovator Founder visa holders may also qualify through the three-year pathway, subject to the mandatory and route-specific requirements.
• Those earning over £50,271 per year may qualify after five years.
• Skilled public service workers, such as doctors, nurses, and teachers, may qualify after five years.
• Those who commit a qualifying immigration breach may be placed on a 20-year pathway. Applicants who have accessed specified public funds may need to complete five continuous years without accessing them before qualifying through a shorter pathway or otherwise wait until they have completed the 20-year route. Exemptions and safeguards will apply in some circumstances.

The detailed Statement of Changes and, subsequently, Immigration Rules will determine the precise requirements.

Mandatory Settlement Requirements

All applicants will also need to satisfy the following requirements:

1. Good character and suitability, including strengthened criminality requirements
2. B2 English (A-level equivalent): This will increase from the current B1 standard in March 2027.
3. Pass the Life in the UK test
4. No debt owed to the taxpayer
5. A record of sustained National Insurance contributions

Family Members

• A partner who arrives with the principal applicant may settle at the same time, provided both meet the relevant requirements. A partner who joins later will generally need to complete the applicable qualifying residence period before settling.
• Dependant children aged 18 to 24 who retain child-dependant status may settle with their family but must meet the adult mandatory requirements, except the individual earnings requirement.
• Family members aged 25 or over will generally need to qualify independently.
• Eligible family members of British citizens will retain a five-year route to settlement.

Care Workers

The position for care workers has changed significantly following the consultation.

Care workers who arrived before May 2025, have complied with their visa conditions, and earned at least £25,000 per year will be able to qualify for settlement after five years. Those who do not qualify after five years may be eligible for a further five-year care visa, after which they may apply for settlement if they then meet the applicable requirements.

This is more favourable than the original consultation proposals, which envisaged a substantially longer route to settlement for lower-paid and lower-skilled Health and Care visa holders.

Existing Visa Holders and Next Steps

The government has confirmed that the rules in force when a settlement application is made will generally apply, including to individuals already in the UK. More than 500,000 people are expected to become eligible for settlement later than under the current rules.

We are now awaiting the Home Office's implementation of the wider earned settlement reforms through the Immigration Rules. No date has yet been confirmed for the full rules to be published or take effect. Further detail is expected before implementation and should provide greater clarity on outstanding issues, including how the changes will affect dependant family members and their pathway to settlement.