Settlement is another term for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Settlement is a permanent immigration status. It means you can live, work and study in the UK without a time limit. It can also be the main step towards British citizenship.

Settlement matters because it can be the point where you no longer have to plan your life around visa expiry dates. It can mean fewer repeat applications, fewer fees, and less stress about forms, mistakes, and rule changes. It can make it easier to keep stable housing, change jobs without fear, report unfair treatment at work, leave unsafe situations, and get support when you need it.

The government argues that settlement should be a “privilege” that people must earn through “contribution” and “integration ” – and that these proposals are needed because more people may soon qualify for settlement, especially people who came on health and social care routes that have expanded in recent years.

What does the government want to change about settlement? 

Under the current system, settlement rules are different depending on your route, but there is not one main “10-year” rule for most people. There are also many routes in which people can apply for settlement after 5 years. A new main rule where most people would need 10 years before they can apply for settlement (instead of 5), with some exceptions. The 10 years could then go up or down depending on four “tests”: Character, Integration, Contribution, Residence.

The character test would be strict: if you don’t meet it, you may not get settlement even if you meet everything else. For example, the Home Office could refuse settlement because of some criminal convictions (or other “conduct” reasons), even if you have lived here for the required years and meet the other rules.

People who earn more could get settlement sooner, but people with certain immigration histories could be pushed much later (in some cases, they suggest up to 30 years).

The government also suggests adding 5 or 10 extra years if someone has claimed certain public funds (benefits), and in some cases this could affect whether someone can get settlement at all.

Many details are still unclear. The Home Office says it will decide how the new rules will work after its consultation, which is open from November 2025 to 12 February 2026. A government consultation is when the government publishes proposals and asks for views and evidence before it finalises changes (often through a Bill or changes to the Immigration Rules). It isn’t a vote, and the government doesn’t have to follow the majority view, but it usually publishes a response explaining what it heard and what it plans to do.

Who could be affected by the suggested changes? 

The proposed changes would be felt by many including people here to study, work, join family, and people seeking safety. The government says it expects a sharp rise in settlement applications in the coming years, and uses this to justify the proposals. But the real-life impact is that more people would be kept on temporary status for longer with more renewals, more fees, and more uncertainty. The harm spreads beyond individuals. It shows up in poverty, destitution, housing insecurity and homelessness, workplace exploitation and low pay, pressure on children’s services and safeguarding, health and mental health, women’s and maternity services, domestic violence services and disability justice. 

When a system measures people’s worth by earnings and punishes people for needing support, the sharpest harm is felt by people who are already treated unfairly, especially people with insecure immigration status, people with disabilities, and people on low incomes. The harm is also felt by families, workplaces and communities, because when the state refuses to recognise people’s basic rights and dignity, people don’t stop needing care – the responsibility is pushed onto families, friends, neighbours and overstretched local services. And it changes the rules of the game for everyone by normalising the idea that rights and safety are conditional and that the state can rank people’s value by income, behaviour and “deservingness.”

What next? 

At Right to Remain, our aim is to make this information clear and accessible, and to focus on what communities will need to stay safe and supported. We believe knowledge belongs in our communities and that showing up in radical solidarity is how we build power together.

While the consultation is a chance to share your views on the proposals, our position is that we’re not here to “help the Home Office design it better.” We’re here to help communities understand what’s being proposed, feel less alone, and get organised for what may come. We don’t discourage people from responding, but we’re realistic about how much impact consultations have, and we won’t put disproportionate time and resources into this process. There is joint guidance from the migration justice sector on how to respond to the consultation which can be accessed here. 

We will be hosting a Radical Solidarity Hub meeting, online on Thursday 22 January 2026. The event is a space to understand the earned settlement proposals and how they differ from the current settlement process; make sense of what a government consultation is and what it can reveal about the direction of travel including what is considered to be “worth” and “deservingness” and how we respond. It is an opportunity to talk through concerns, questions and likely real-life impacts in a supportive way. We hope people leave feeling more connected, more grounded, and more prepared with clearer next steps and shared points of contact.  Sign up below.