Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Appendix ECAA visa holders will be affected by retrospective changes to settlement requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in ’A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement, such as those currently on ECAA visas. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the ECAA route will continue to apply.
Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following the consultation.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will provide a guarantee that any changes to settlement rules will not have an adverse impact on families that are on the five-year pathway to remain.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
We will continue to offer a shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK dependants of British citizens, on the family route, to five years, provided they have remained compliant with their requirements, and we will retain existing safeguards to protect the vulnerable, including settlement rights for victims of domestic violence and abuse.
I do not want to prejudge the outcome of the consultation, so there is no further detail I can give at this time.
The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to an economic and equality impact assessment, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether migrant workers employed in the social care sector will be subject to the same settlement routes and qualifying periods as counterparts working in the NHS under the Health and Care visa.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.
The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of a 15-year baseline qualifying period for settlement on the functioning and long-term sustainability of social care services.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.
The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed new earnings requirement for settlement on British children in families where one parent is a non-UK national with primary caring responsibilities.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Department has evaluated the tax contribution of the sponsoring British partner when assessing the overall economic contribution of mixed-nationality families under the proposed new settlement requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government will consider assessing household income rather than individual income when determining eligibility for settlement under the proposed contribution-based requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what evidential basis it is her policy that minimum individual earnings should determine eligibility for settlement, including for applicants with no access to public funds.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed minimum earnings requirement for settlement applications will apply to family migration routes, including partners and spouses of British citizens.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the (a) screening procedures, (b) trauma training and (c) other mental health support for the police.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office recognises that the police, through the nature of their work, are often exposed to traumatic incidents that can have a lasting impact on their mental health. That is why we are committed to the Police Covenant, ensuring the mental health and wellbeing of the workforce is fully supported throughout their careers and beyond.
The Home Office works closely with policing partners, including the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to ensure appropriate psychological risk assessments, trauma management training, and wider wellbeing support are in place, including regularly reviewing force performance against agreed standards. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) assess forces’ performance on wellbeing through its annual PEEL inspections.