Under the proposed earned settlement model, migrants will no longer automatically qualify for permanent residency in the UK after five years. Instead, they will have to earn the right to remain permanently, in line with the new reforms presented to Parliament today. The government considers settled status a significant privilege, as it provides individuals with unrestricted access to the UK labour market, the NHS and the welfare system. Under the new rules, the time required to qualify for settlement will depend on an individual’s economic contribution and personal conduct.
The proposed qualifying periods are as follows:
- 3 years: The highest-earning migrants will be eligible to apply for settlement within three years.
- 5 years: Individuals earning more than £50,271, as well as certain public sector professionals, including doctors, nurses and teachers, will qualify after five years.
- 10 years: A new standard qualifying period of ten years will apply to most other migrants.
- 20 years or more: Migrants who have breached immigration rules will have to wait at least 20 years before becoming eligible for settlement.
Under the reforms, everyone applying for settlement, regardless of when they first arrived in the UK, will also be required to satisfy four mandatory conditions before being granted settled status:
- A spotless criminal record (up from the current threshold of a 12-month suspended sentence)
- English spoken to a high standard (equivalent to A-Level English as a foreign language)
- No debt owed to the taxpayer
- A record of sustained National Insurance contributions
The proposed reforms largely reflect the changes outlined in the November 2025 consultation on earned settlement. However, the government has introduced a new arrangement specifically for care workers, which it describes as a fair deal.
In recognition of the vital role care workers played in supporting Britain during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when the sector was under severe pressure, those who complied with their visa conditions and earned at least £25,000 annually will be eligible for settlement after five years.
However, the government has also acknowledged that the care worker visa route was exploited by some unscrupulous employers, who sponsored foreign workers for jobs that did not actually exist. In response, the current government has removed the sponsorship rights of 1,800 employers found to be engaging in exploitative practices.
Care workers who do not meet the requirements for five-year settlement, estimated to account for around a quarter of the group, will be given another opportunity to demonstrate their contribution through a new five-year visa. They will only become eligible to apply for settlement after completing this additional period.
A similar arrangement will apply to healthcare and education professionals who entered the UK during the same period.
The government has also confirmed that settlement requirements will continue to be assessed based on the rules in force at the time an application is submitted, in keeping with the UK’s longstanding practice and international precedent.
As a consequence of these changes, more than 500,000 people are expected to wait longer than five years to obtain settled status, a move the government says will save billions of pounds in welfare spending.
However, the reforms will not require anyone to leave the UK. Everyone affected will have a fair opportunity to apply for new visas, which could provide a route to settlement after ten years.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
People want to see an immigration system based on control, contribution, and which rewards those who play by the rules. These proposals are based on that principle and recognise the contribution made by overseas workers to our country. Following Brexit, the previous government lost control of immigration, with an unprecedented spike in numbers. This Home Secretary is gripping this problem, and she has my full support in doing so.
It is only fair that those who are making the most valuable contribution to our communities are given the opportunity to settle earlier. Those in other roles should expect to wait longer while people who abuse the system or arrive illegally will be refused or will also have to wait longer.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:
Settled status is one of the most valuable rights this country can offer. Until now it has been given almost automatically. From today, it must be earned. Those who contribute most will settle fastest. Those who don’t play by the rules will be refused or wait much longer. This policy creates a migration system that is fair: fair to those who come here and play their part, and fair to British citizens already here, who must not be asked to bear a greater burden.
The policy also sets out settlement rights for all refugees. It encourages the use of controlled, capped safe and legal routes, and discourages illegal and unsafe small boat crossings. Refugees on Home Office-approved routes will be able to settle after 5 years. Others will settle at 20 years, reduced to 10 years for those who work or study.
Anyone who arrived by small boat, or another clandestine means of entry, will face an additional 10-year waiting period – meaning they could wait up to 30 years for settlement.
Settled status will never be removed from anyone who already holds it. Family members of British citizens, Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) and members of the armed forces will keep their current pathways. The UK will also have the most business-friendly migration system in Europe for highly skilled workers.
