UK's “Earned Settlement” Plan Threatens to Push Indefinite Leave to Remain to a Decade for Nepalese Workers

The Home Office consultation on “earned settlement,” part of the May 2025 Immigration White Paper, closed on 12 February 2026. It proposes replacing the standard five-year route to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) with a default ten-year qualifying period, shortened only for applicants meeting “contribution” criteria such as sustained salary levels or work in priority sectors like healthcare. A Statement of Changes is expected before Parliament, with staggered implementation from April 2026. For Nepalese skilled workers, care workers and Graduate Route alumni on existing five-year tracks, this could double the wait for settlement, delaying family reunification and full benefits access. Lower-paid Nepalese care and hospitality workers, who cannot easily meet “earned” salary thresholds, stand to be hit hardest, while higher earners may fast-track. Final rules remain pending.

Referenced & Cited Sources:

• House of Commons Library — Changes to UK visa and settlement rules after the 2025 immigration white paper
• Migration Observatory, University of Oxford — Changes to settlement: what do they mean?
• Newland Chase — Settlement Consultation and Current Position on Proposed Changes to Immigration Rules