Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce transitional arrangements under the proposed earned settlement reforms for people who were first granted leave to enter or remain in the UK before 1 January 2021 and are accruing ten years' continuous lawful residence under the existing Long Residence rules; and whether eligibility for such arrangements will be determined by the date of first grant of leave or the date on which an individual completes the qualifying residence period.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We received over 200,000 responses and are now in the process of carefully considering the feedback received, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. As no final decisions have been made, I can give no further detail at this time. The proposals set out fundamental reform of the settlement system, and it is right that we take the time needed to consider the impacts.

The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

In the meantime, the current Long Residence rules will continue to apply, and any changes will be communicated publicly.