Speak out against restrictions to settlement
The Home Office has announced the biggest restrictions to settlement rights in decades.
Under the "earned" settlement proposals, most people will have to wait 10 years for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) - double what they were promised.
Set to apply retroactively, these changes are a cruel betrayal of migrant communities.
The Home Office must halt "earned" settlement
We fundamentally reject the "earned" settlement proposals in their entirety. The Home Office must keep its promises and maintain the existing five-year route to settlement.
Settlement means the difference between having the unrestricted right to live and work in the UK, and getting by on short-term visas that cost thousands of pounds to renew. It's the difference between being able to change jobs, and being tied to a single employer, at risk of exploitation every day.
These plans were launched by the government without an Impact Assessment. Without such transparency, the consultation was a farce. This document must be published to let the public see the damage.
Write to your MP
Tell your MP to stand up for migrant workers and oppose "earned" settlement
What are the planned changes to settlement?
At present, most people must wait 5 years to settle. The new ‘earned settlement model’ changes this. It would double the qualifying period from 5 to 10 years, and introduce a set of criteria that would reduce - or radically increase - the waiting period on a case-by-case basis.
High earners and some public sector workers are sped along. Low-middle earners, refugees, anyone who has claimed public funds due to sickness, job loss or disability, are penalised with a much longer wait.
Earned settlement calculation criteria
The time someone will have to wait to settle would be calculated based on factors including:
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Income. High earners will have a shorter wait.
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Occupation. Certain public service roles will be given a shorter wait, but most will not.
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Claiming public funds. People who have already claimed specific public funds, or who do so in the future, will be penalised.
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Route to the UK. People who arrive on small boats will be penalised.
If there are multiple factors that either extend or reduce the baseline qualifying period, the single factors with the greatest impact from each category will be picked and traded off against each other to produce the final qualifying period.
Read our latest guide to the proposed changes to settlement
Income and English language requirements
If these changes become law, with some exceptions, migrants looking to settle will have to:
- Pass an English language test at B2 (A-level equivalent), raised from the current B1 (GCSE equivalent).
- Meet a £12,571/year minimum earnings baseline. The number of years an applicant will need to clear the minimum earnings threshold varies according to what they have earned.
Increased visa fees
Double the wait for settlement means double the fees. To extend a Skilled Worker Visa, it costs £590 - £885 for up to 3 years, or £1,160 - £1,751 for up to 5 years, depending on whether the job is on the immigration salary list. The cost to renew a dependent visa, which includes children, is £1,321.
Until they get ILR, most migrants (except Health and Care Worker visa holders) must also pay the mandatory annual Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per person, each year. Over the course of a five-year wait to settlement, this totals £5,175. A ten-year wait would be £10,350.
It costs £3,029 per person to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
Read our latest guide to the proposed changes to settlementDonate
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Vish*, 26, AI Platform Engineer, migrated in 2022
“People speak about 'British values'. I believed in those values. I trusted that if I worked hard and followed the rules, I would be treated fairly. But today, people like me are becoming scapegoats of politics. My mental health has collapsed. I feel depressed, anxious, and lost about my future. I invested my youth, my savings, my energy, my career, and my dreams into this country. Now I am told it may no longer count.”
Anke*, 49, Care Assistant, migrated in 2022
“I sold everything I had to come work here in the UK with the promise to get residency in 5 years but now I am being spat out as a low wage minimum skilled imposter. This situation is truly stressful and my partner and I both feel hopeless and vulnerable. We are saving up for a house deposit but due to all these uncertainties about our right to work and stay in the United Kingdom, accompanied by additional visa costs, we are left in a very precarious situation. We simply have no certainty about our future.”
Ravi*, 29, Healthcare Support Worker, migrated in 2022
“I am a health care support worker who has contributed continuously to the UK for several years. These proposals will have severe and damaging effects on thousands of families, including mine. After years of service, it is heartbreaking to feel as though our lives, contributions, and families are being treated as an afterthought. We are not asking for special treatment — only for the government to honour the rules that were in place when we arrived and when we made major life decisions in good faith.”
Selma*, 33, migrated in 2021 on the Turkish ECAA Business route
“Securing my residency is essential for the continuity of my marketing business and my life in the UK. My concern is not only the additional 5 years but also the broader question of predictability in the immigration system. If the settlement period is increased now, there is no reassurance that it will not be extended again. This makes long-term planning extremely difficult for individuals who have structured their lives, businesses and financial commitments around the existing legal framework.”
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Read moreRead more*These are all real quotes from real people, but names have been changed for privacy. All photos are illustrative. If you are a journalist and would like to speak to any of these individuals, contact our press office.