As part of the UK immigration white paper proposals announced in May 2025, the UK government is consulting on reforming the current settlement system in line with its Earned Settlement Scheme. This includes increasing the qualifying period to qualify to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to 10 years (or up to 30 years in some cases) for individuals in most immigration categories.
In this episode of Workforce WorldView, we join Annabel Mace and May Cheung as they discuss the proposed reforms to UK immigration rules and explore the potential implications for businesses with employees who are impacted by the changes. The government’s “A Fairer Pathway to Settlement” consultation is still ongoing and we encourage businesses to feedback on how the proposals will affect them and what transitional arrangements they would like to see. Listen to the podcast to learn more of these immigration rules changes and their impact if they come into effect as proposed, including what you can do to assist employees looking to qualify for settlement in the UK.
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Key questions we answer in this episode
What are the conditions to qualify for settlement under the proposed new rules?
Could the proposed 10-year qualifying period be reduced or increased?
Will anyone benefit from the changes to the immigration rules?
Will there be transitional arrangements and what might they look like?
What other issues could arise under the Earned Settlement Scheme, e.g. to the settlement application process?
What can your business do to help affected employees?
How can we help you?
If you'd like to know more about the Earned Settlement Scheme proposals or if you have any questions relating to UK business immigration matters, please contact your usual team member at the firm, or Annabel Mace, partner and head of our UK Business Immigration team.