UK Home Affairs Committee's report on the Government's proposed Earned Settlement reforms, Highlights
Published on 13 March 2026, these reforms were developed, as the report states, in response to "the unprecedented levels of immigration to the country in recent years, particularly of medium-skilled workers." A total of 36 conclusions and recommendations were produced, drawn from oral evidence sessions, written submissions from over 5,700 respondents, and questioning of the Home Secretary.
Below are some recommendations made by the Home Affairs Committee
"There is a risk that the changes will undermine integration, which any changes should seek to promote. It is important that the Home Office thoroughly assesses the impacts of its final policy, before implementation." - Para 16
"There should be reasonable and clear exceptions to the mandatory minimum economic contribution requirement so that people are not prevented from settling where there are legitimate reasons they cannot meet this requirement. This could include exemptions for disabled people, people over pension age, those who are studying full-time, and those with full-time caring responsibilities." - Para 21
"We recommend that the Home Office sets out clear objectives for the basis on which fiscal contributions qualify immigrants for a reduction to their wait for settlement. The Home Office should then commission the Migration Advisory Committee to advise on appropriate thresholds based on these objectives." - Para 25
"If the Home Office proceeds with putting lower-paid workers on a 15-year route to settlement, it should do so on the basis of income, and not the RQF classification of their role, as this will not necessarily reflect their direct economic contribution, which appears to be the Government's justification for this reform. If the Government has other reasons for using RQF classifications to determine the length of routes to settlement, it should explain these to demonstrate the rationale for this choice." - Para 36
"The Home Office should explore more flexible visa arrangements for workers it is planning to place on long routes to settlement, so they are not reliant on a particular employer to maintain their immigration status. Workers granted sponsored visas could transition to a more flexible visa after a set amount of time.
Workers granted freedom to move employers in this way could still be subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition. Any flexible visa arrangements should provide a clear route to settlement for these workers. The Government should also consider what role the Fair Work Agency should have in tackling exploitation for this group." - Para 43
"If the Government implements a 15-year qualifying period for adult social care workers, we recommend that it takes urgent action to support decent pay and conditions for this group. The Home Office should set out in response to this report the steps it will be taking to support migrant care workers." - Para 57
"The Home Office should — in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care — conduct a full assessment of the potential impact of its planned changes to routes to settlement on the adult social care workforce, and on the stability of the sector. The Home Office should not rush to make changes before fully understanding their implications. Whatever changes the Government proceeds with, there should be parity between workers in the NHS and workers in adult social care for any reductions to qualifying periods for settlement." - Para 59
"Children who arrive at a young age and grow up in the UK should be granted settled status by the age of 18 without needing to fulfil the requirements of the 'Earned Settlement' model, in recognition of the fact that Britain is their home. Children who arrive at a later stage — such as those in their mid-teens — should have clear, fair and accessible pathways to settlement that do not inhibit them from beginning their adult lives.
Young adults should not be subject to the same economic requirements as their parents. The Home Office should also recognise the specific needs of disabled young people, who may reach independence later than their peers." - Para 70
"Eligibility for home fee status should be reviewed in light of the changes to routes to settlement, to ensure that children and young people who have lived in the UK for a significant period of time are not prevented from going to university due to lack of home fee status. Home fee status could, for example, be granted on the basis of a minimum period of UK residence in childhood, such as five years. As education is a devolved matter, the Home Office and Department for Education should engage with the devolved administrations on the impact of the changes, and implications for access to home fee status in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland." - Para 74
"We recommend that the Government carefully consider and set out clear mitigations — including suitable transitional arrangements — for people already in the UK who are affected by changes to routes to settlement. There should be specific protections for vulnerable people who may struggle to meet the criteria of the new system. The changes should not be applied to people in the UK who arrived before 2021 and would under the current rules be on track to settle in the UK through a 10-year route." - Para 121
"The Home Office should learn from previous reforms that it is more important to get changes right than to implement them quickly. In order to deliver workable reforms of the kind set out in its Earned Settlement consultation, the department must take adequate time to assess the impact of its final policy and put in place measures to avoid unintended consequences. Ministers should ensure that the Home Office is prepared to effectively administer what will be a much more complicated system. The Home Office should provide a clear and realistic implementation timeline, so that people can make informed decisions about their future." - Para 126
