In brief
- On 15 September 2026 the Home Secretary told the Home Affairs Committee that the earned settlement policy will be set out later in 2026.
- She said it would come in good time before the first 2022 arrivals qualify under current rules in February 2027, but gave no specific date.
- No transitional arrangements have been announced and no minimum notice period was promised.
- B2 English is a separate change: it is reported to apply to settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 on most routes.
- As at 2 November 2026 we have not seen the policy published.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, told MPs on 15 September 2026 that the Government's earned settlement policy will be published later this year. She said this would be in good time before the first people who arrived in 2022 become eligible to apply under the current rules in February 2027.
What was said
Ms Mahmood gave oral evidence to the Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday 15 September 2026, in its series on the work of the Home Office. The committee planned to question her on earned settlement, family migration and work-based immigration.
Earned settlement is the Government's proposed model for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which is permanent permission to live in the UK. Under the model, settlement would be earned through contribution and a new set of tests, rather than mainly by time spent in the UK.
According to published summaries of the session, the Home Secretary:
- said the policy, including transitional arrangements, would be set out later in 2026;
- acknowledged that a large group who arrived in 2022 would start to qualify in February 2027 if nothing changed;
- declined to give a specific date; and
- did not commit to a minimum notice period for people affected.
The official transcript was published on 21 September 2026.
Transitional protection: still unclear
Transitional arrangements are rules that decide how a change applies to people who are already part of the system. No such arrangements have been announced. The Home Secretary said only that they would be set out with the policy.
The November 2025 proposals would have applied the changes to people already in the UK who do not yet have ILR. The Government said at the time that it would consult on transitional arrangements for borderline cases. The consultation opened on 20 November 2025 and closed on 12 February 2026. The Home Affairs Committee published its own report on the proposals on 13 March 2026.
The B2 English requirement
The B2 English requirement is separate from earned settlement. It is a higher level of English than the current B1 standard. Published guidance on the March 2026 changes to the Immigration Rules says that, for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, B2 will be required on most routes, including in speaking and listening. The requirement does not apply on every route, so the rules for each route need to be checked.
We have not been able to confirm from the material available that the Home Secretary discussed B2 at this session. Check the transcript before relying on any account of it.
What this means for people planning to apply for ILR
Earned settlement is still a proposal. Until the Government makes new Immigration Rules, the current settlement rules continue to apply.
- No date. People cannot yet plan around a fixed publication date.
- No guaranteed notice. New Immigration Rules are often published at least 21 days before they take effect, but not always. The Home Secretary gave no commitment on this.
- Transitional rules are unknown. Whether people close to the five-year point will be protected is not yet known.
- English. Anyone expecting to apply on or after 26 March 2027 should check whether the B2 requirement applies on their route.
Since then
At the time of writing, on 2 November 2026, we have not seen the earned settlement policy published, and the qualifying period has not moved to ten years. We have not seen any change to the 26 March 2027 date for B2. We will update this archive if that changes.
How Garth Coates Solicitors can help
We advise individuals, families and employers on settlement, long-term planning and the rules that apply to different routes. To discuss your circumstances, please request a consultation with our team.
This article is general information and was correct on 3 November 2026. It is not legal advice on your circumstances; immigration rules and fees change often. For advice on your case, request a consultation.
