Earned Settlement Reforms Are Not Yet in Force
06 Jun 2026
If you are working towards Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you are still subject to the current rules. The proposed earned settlement reforms, which could extend the qualifying period well beyond five years, have not taken effect.
A House of Commons Library research briefing published on 3 June 2026 confirms this. No draft Immigration Rules introducing the new settlement requirements have been laid before Parliament. All existing five-year ILR routes remain fully in force.
Ministers have indicated that changes are expected later this year. The Home Secretary said in March 2026 that she planned to make these changes "later in the year." Immigration minister Mike Tapp referred to "the autumn" when asked about timing in a June 2026 interview. No official start date has been announced, and the government has not yet published its analysis of the public consultation that closed in February 2026 with over 200,000 responses.
If you are approaching five years of continuous residence, you can apply for ILR under the current rules now. Immigration practitioners advise that if you are close to qualifying, it may be worth applying before any new rules take effect.
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