The Home Office has begun a three-month public consultation on what ministers are calling the biggest overhaul of the UK’s legal migration model in half a century. Published on 20 November 2025, the proposals replace the current five-year automatic route to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) with a points-style “earned settlement” system that ties the qualifying period to four pillars: character, contribution, integration and residence. Under the blueprint, the standard wait for most work-route migrants would jump to 10 years, rising to 15 years for low-paid roles and up to 30 years for those who arrive illegally, overstay or claim benefits. By contrast, NHS doctors and nurses would keep a five-year pathway and high-earners or Global Talent visa-holders could qualify in as little as three years. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said the change was needed to restore “fair play” and reduce the forecast that 1.6 million people could qualify for settlement by 2030 under today’s rules.
For employers the plan alters the long-term offer they can make to overseas staff. A ten-year runway to settlement means sponsorship costs are likely to persist for longer, potentially reducing the attractiveness of mid-salary roles while sharpening incentives to recruit senior, revenue-generating talent. Companies will also need to monitor staff conduct and volunteering activity because positive “time adjustments” can shorten, and negative behaviours lengthen, the settlement clock. Immigration lawyers warn of a more complex compliance landscape and “mixed-status” families if dependants qualify at different speeds.
![UK launches consultation on ‘earned settlement’—doubling the wait for most migrants to secure permanent status]()
Unions and NGOs have criticised the proposals as punitive. Health-sector bodies fear longer qualifying periods could deter care workers already in short supply, while refugee groups say the 20–30-year wait for people who arrived via humanitarian routes risks trapping them in limbo. Business groups largely welcome tougher English-language and tax-compliance incentives but have asked for transitional protections for workers already on course to settle.
The consultation runs until 12 February 2026, with secondary legislation expected later in the year. Employers with internationally mobile workforces should audit how many sponsored employees are affected, update recruitment messaging, and budget for longer sponsorship and potential ILR surcharges. If adopted, the policy would take effect from April 2026 and apply retrospectively to almost two million people who entered the UK since 2021—what the media have dubbed the “Boriswave” cohort.
For employers the plan alters the long-term offer they can make to overseas staff. A ten-year runway to settlement means sponsorship costs are likely to persist for longer, potentially reducing the attractiveness of mid-salary roles while sharpening incentives to recruit senior, revenue-generating talent. Companies will also need to monitor staff conduct and volunteering activity because positive “time adjustments” can shorten, and negative behaviours lengthen, the settlement clock. Immigration lawyers warn of a more complex compliance landscape and “mixed-status” families if dependants qualify at different speeds.
Unions and NGOs have criticised the proposals as punitive. Health-sector bodies fear longer qualifying periods could deter care workers already in short supply, while refugee groups say the 20–30-year wait for people who arrived via humanitarian routes risks trapping them in limbo. Business groups largely welcome tougher English-language and tax-compliance incentives but have asked for transitional protections for workers already on course to settle.
The consultation runs until 12 February 2026, with secondary legislation expected later in the year. Employers with internationally mobile workforces should audit how many sponsored employees are affected, update recruitment messaging, and budget for longer sponsorship and potential ILR surcharges. If adopted, the policy would take effect from April 2026 and apply retrospectively to almost two million people who entered the UK since 2021—what the media have dubbed the “Boriswave” cohort.
