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Written question asked by Steve Witherden (Labour) on Thursday, 18 December 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 January 2026. It was answered by Mike Tapp (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 January 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Immigration: Children and Young People

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of lengthening the qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years for young adults and children under Appendix Private Life to the Immigration Rules.

Answer

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.

The consultation directly seeks views on retaining the current arrangement, whereby children and young adults who grew up in the UK without immigration status my settle five years after regularising that status.

Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation. The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessment, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
101586
Session
2024-26
Related items
Subjects
Children Immigration Young people
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk