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ARTICLE · 07 JANUARY 2026

The Earned Settlement Proposals: Qualifying Period

Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
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Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin

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The Government's proposed earned settlement model includes new baseline qualifying periods and a range of attributes that may increase or reduce the baseline.

United KingdomImmigration
Andrew Osborne
Andrew Osborne
Loleini Williams
Loleini Williams
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The Government's proposed earned settlement model includes new baseline qualifying periods and a range of attributes that may increase or reduce the baseline. In this article we examine the attributes in detail and conclude that substantial further policy development is required beyond the limits of the consultation.

The Home Office is currently consulting on proposals to introduce an 'earned settlement' model. The consultation period is due to end at 23:59 GMT on 12 February 2026 and new Immigration Rules implementing earned citizenship could be introduced as early as April 2026.

For general information on the proposals and the main public consultation, see our separate article here.

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