Earned Settlement UK: The Proposed 10-Year ILR Reform Explained

Researched and maintained by the ILR Calculator UK editorial team · Reviewed against the Immigration Rules and Government policy in force on 24 June 2026 · This page explains a proposed reform and is general information about UK settlement, not regulated immigration advice. For advice on your own case, use an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor.

Earned settlement is a proposed reform of the UK’s Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) system that would raise the standard qualifying period from 5 years to a 10-year baseline, with that period shortened or lengthened according to an applicant’s earnings, conduct, contribution and integration. It was set out in the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the November 2025 consultation “A Fairer Pathway to Settlement”. As of 24 June 2026 it is not law: the consultation closed on 12 February 2026, no draft Immigration Rules have been laid before Parliament, and the existing 5-year and 10-year ILR routes remain in force. You may be affected if you have not yet been granted ILR, though the Government has not confirmed whether the change will apply to people already in the UK.

What is earned settlement?

Earned settlement is the Home Office’s proposed replacement for the current 5-year model of Indefinite Leave to Remain. Instead of qualifying automatically after a fixed period of lawful residence, most applicants would begin from a 10-year baseline and have to meet new mandatory requirements covering suitability, English language, the Life in the UK test and financial responsibility. The qualifying period could then be reduced for those who make a measurable economic contribution, or extended for those who use public funds or breach immigration rules.

The concept comes from the May 2025 White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, which framed settlement as something to be earned through “long-term contribution” rather than granted on length of residence alone. The detail was put out for public consultation in the November 2025 Command Paper, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement (CP 1448). The stated aim is not to deter people from coming to the UK, but to change when and how people already here reach permanent status.

Is earned settlement law yet?

No. As of 24 June 2026, earned settlement is not law and none of its proposed timelines apply. The consultation ran from 20 November 2025 to 12 February 2026 and attracted more than 200,000 responses. The Home Office is now analysing those responses. No draft Immigration Rules have been laid before Parliament, so every existing route to ILR continues to operate under current requirements.

The Government has, however, confirmed its intention to proceed in principle. During a Westminster Hall debate on 2 February 2026 — triggered by two petitions that together passed several hundred thousand signatures — the Minister for Migration and Citizenship stated that the Government does not intend to keep the current settlement framework. A formal consultation response and a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules are expected before any change can take effect.

Current rules vs the proposed earned settlement model

The table below compares the settlement system in force today with the model proposed in the consultation. The left column is what applies now; the right column is what the Government has proposed and has not yet enacted.

Source: Home Office, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement (CP 1448, Nov 2025); Restoring Control over the Immigration System White Paper (May 2025); House of Commons Library briefing CBP-10267. Proposed figures are not yet enacted.

Proposed minimum requirements

The consultation groups the proposed requirements under four pillars. Most of these are described as mandatory minimum criteria rather than points to be traded off, with only the “contribution” element open to consultation on detail.

Source: Home Office, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement (CP 1448). The contribution criteria remain subject to the consultation outcome and may change.

What could shorten or lengthen the qualifying period?

The 10-year period is described as a baseline rather than a fixed term. Under the proposals, some people would settle sooner and others later. The factors below are drawn from the consultation and from ministerial statements; they are illustrative of the direction of travel, and the precise rules have not been decided.

• May shorten the period: higher earnings, work in priority or public-service sectors (such as health and social care has been discussed), and stronger English (a higher language level such as C1 has been cited as potentially worth a one-year reduction).
• May lengthen the period: use of public funds, periods of non-compliance, and breaches of immigration rules.
• May disqualify: certain criminal convictions, under a suitability threshold that the consultation suggests could be stricter than the current 12-month-sentence test.

Timeline of the earned settlement reform

The reform has moved through a White Paper, a Command Paper and a public consultation. It has not yet reached the stage of changed Immigration Rules. The milestones below are dated and verifiable.

Source: GOV.UK; House of Commons Library briefings CBP-10267 and CDP-2026-0006; Home Office Statement of Changes HC 1691. Future dates are expected, not guaranteed.

Who would be affected?

The consultation proposes applying the new model to “everyone in the country today who has not already received indefinite leave to remain”. In other words, if you already hold ILR, you are not affected. If you are part-way through a qualifying period and have not yet been granted ILR, you could be brought into the new system once the rules change — but only if and when they change, and subject to any transitional arrangements.

• People already granted ILR: not affected by the proposals.
• People on a current 5-year route who have not yet applied: potentially affected, depending on transitional provisions that have not been decided.
• Refugees: those granted five years’ leave on an asylum claim by 1 March 2026 are stated to remain eligible for settlement after five years under Appendix Settlement Protection.
• Dependants: would be assessed on their own circumstances and could not settle earlier than the main applicant.

The B2 English requirement (this part is confirmed)

One linked reform has already been made law, separately from the wider earned settlement proposals. Through Statement of Changes HC 1691, the English language requirement for a number of settlement routes will rise to level B2 from 26 March 2027, including for some people already on a settlement pathway. This is distinct from the earned settlement consultation: it is already in the Immigration Rules with a fixed start date, whereas the 10-year baseline is not.

What happens to the 10-year long residence route?

The current 10-year long residence route lets people who have lived in the UK lawfully for 10 continuous years apply for ILR regardless of visa category. The Government has proposed abolishing this route as part of the reform. That makes it especially relevant to check your eligibility now if you are close to qualifying under long residence, because a route that exists today may not exist after the rules change.

You can check the 10-year position using the continuous residence calculator and the qualifying period calculator.

What you can do now

Because nothing has changed in law yet, the practical priority for most people is to understand their position under the current rules and act on it where they can.

• Work out your current qualifying date. Use the free ILR calculator to see when you can apply under today’s rules, including the 28-day early window and the 180-day absence limit.
• If you are already eligible, consider applying under the current rules. Applications submitted before the rules change are generally decided under the requirements in force at the date of application, even if new rules commence before a decision is made. If you can apply now, there is usually little benefit in waiting.
• Keep your residence and absences clean. Whatever system applies, continuous lawful residence and staying within absence limits will matter. Track absences with the absence calculator.
• Be cautious about acting on unconfirmed reductions. Do not restructure your finances or sit higher exams solely to capture a proposed reduction that may never be enacted.
• Get regulated advice for your own case. A calculator shows dates and limits; it cannot weigh transitional risk for your situation. Use an adviser regulated by the IAA or a solicitor on the Law Society register.