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Written question asked by Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 2 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 5 February 2026 (named day). It was answered by Mike Tapp (Labour) on Thursday, 5 February 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Immigration

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will provide a guarantee that any changes to settlement rules will not have an adverse impact on families that are on the five-year pathway to remain.

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 seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.

We will continue to offer a shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK dependants of British citizens, on the family route, to five years, provided they have remained compliant with their requirements, and we will retain existing safeguards to protect the vulnerable, including settlement rights for victims of domestic violence and abuse.

I do not want to prejudge the outcome of the consultation, so there is no further detail I can give at this time.

The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to an economic and equality impact assessment, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
110239
Session
2024-26
Related items
Subjects
Immigration
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk